Newport will continue to fight on environmental front

Steve Bromberg

I was disappointed to read Judy Rosener’s comments (“Newport won’t

assume coastal authority yet,” Wednesday). I hold Rosener in high

regard -- but Rosener, as a current Newport resident and a former

member of the California Coastal Commission, took a swipe at our

community and the way it looks.

Oddly, she herself knows that today the Coastal Commission -- and

not the City Council -- gives final approval to all qualifying

coastal development in Newport Beach (our “coastal zone” covers about

63% of the city, including almost all of the Newport Coast). So if

Rosener doesn’t like what we look like, maybe she should actually

support our effort, which the California Coastal Act encourages, to

adopt our own Local Coastal Program.

This year, we expect that the commission will have our Local

Coastal Program submittal in hand and will review, approve and

certify it shortly thereafter. In the meantime, our Local Coastal

Program Committee meetings are open and public (find out about the

meetings at www.city.newport-beach.ca.us). Maybe Rosener can attend

one of our meetings and comment upon the draft Local Coastal Program.

Rosener’s dislike of our “look” notwithstanding, I believe that

Newport’s residents can be justly proud of their city’s coastal

actions in recent years. Our draft Local Coastal Program is

progressing, with specific sections dedicated to water quality, the

Back Bay, coastal access, views and bluff preservation.

Our Citizens’ Water Quality Committee is tackling several issues,

including implementing the tough new urban runoff laws, which Newport

Beach was one of very few cities to support. This same committee got

on board early to convince the City Council to support full secondary

treatment for the sanitation district’s wastewater plume.

We will continue to be at the forefront of important environmental

advocacy to protect our coast -- maybe we just need to get the word

out better to our local pundits.

* STEVE BROMBERG is the Newport Beach mayor.