Finding a vision for Newport Beach

Deirdre Newman

Why is there opposition to new hotel development? Is the

construction of large homes a problem in specific areas? Is some

development acceptable in the Banning Ranch area?

These are some of the thorny questions tackled by about 200

residents who attended visioning summits Saturday at the Oasis Senior

Center as part of the city’s comprehensive general plan update.

The two summits ended the visioning process, which started in

January and included neighborhood workshops, newsletter

questionnaires and telephone surveys. The goal of the process was to

give residents a chance to contribute to the blueprint for the

long-term future of the city.

The summits gave residents a final chance to sound off on issues

that had not been resolved by other means.

“The small-group discussions add texture and depth [to the

process] and we get a sense of the reasons,” said Carolyn Verheyen,

consultant with M.I.G., the company that coordinated the visioning

process.

One of the most contentious topics at the morning summit Saturday

revolved around hotel development. Prior outreach had found that

while a majority of residents oppose new hotel development, there is

strong support by the business community.

While some residents said they oppose more development outright,

preferring to enhance and possibly expand existing hotels, others

said they are amenable to new development, as long as it fits in with

the character of the neighborhood and maintains the “uniqueness” that

distinguishes Newport Beach from its coastal competitors.

While the discussion generated a mixed opinion of whether more

hotel development is necessary, what residents did agree upon was

that more information -- like data on the current hotel occupancy

rate and the creation of a list of existing hotels, motels and

bed-and-breakfasts -- is needed before the issue can be resolved.

They also emphasized the importance of developers garnering

approval for any new hotel from residents in the neighborhood.

John Anderson, a Corona del Mar resident, said he felt confident

that the feelings articulated Saturday would be taken into

consideration.

“I think we raised some interesting questions and [I] got the

impression that the staff and consultants will address these points,”

Anderson said.

Resident Ray Halowski was more skeptical.

“We got to voice our concerns but we have no consensus about what

the residents want,” Halowski said. “There’s no clear-cut direction

to give to the General Plan Advisory Committee. We were all over the

place.”

The information from the entire visioning process will now go into

a report that the Advisory Committee will review. It will then go to

the General Plan Update Committee, which will make recommendations to

the City Council on what issues the city should focus on and where

more information is needed. The City Council is expected to begin

considering portions of the update in early 2003, Wood said.