Greenlighters: friends or foes?

Geoffrey Davis

I continue to be puzzled and sometimes amused by the letters and

comments made by opponents of the proposed five-star Regent Newport

Beach Resort Hotel being considered for construction at the Marina

Park site. Some facts that should be obvious to the voters are:

1) A beach-park-only facility would have a net negative impact on

city revenue;

2) This site is no longer designated as park and recreation;

3) The increased number of “visitors” to a park would bring along

with them more litter, civil disobedience and, on any summer weekend,

conservatively, 600 to 700 additional cars.

4) A five-star hotel with fine dining would attract an affluent,

law-abiding visitor, many of whom would arrive by airport limo,

adding only to the peninsula’s pedestrian traffic and leaving nothing

behind but the money they spent while enjoying our city.

Having said this, it begs the question: Why are the Greenlighters

so adamantly opposed to this project even before environmental

studies have been done?

I won’t speculate on the motives of those members who seem to be

searching for their “15 minutes of fame,” but of this I’m certain:

Much of the opposition is coming from Corona del Mar and the east end

of the Balboa Peninsula. Could this be an effort to concentrate the

“visitor” population on the west end of our peninsula? It takes very

knowledgeable or clever beach visitors to find their way to the

Corona del Mar beach even if they are fortunate enough to find a

place to park. The Peninsula Point beach is even more isolated, as

the residents have for many years fought the addition of toilet

facilities and/or the extension of the boardwalk to the Wedge.

Now, you ask: “Davis, you live on the Peninsula Point. Do you want

this massive intrusion of ‘visitors’ in your neighborhood?” I

truthfully have to answer no. I feel we have done enough for our

“visitors” and it’s time to do something for ourselves.

In the past eight or 10 years, you may have noticed that many

young families have purchased property and built their permanent

homes along the west peninsula beach. If we continue to restrict any

nuisance activity to their neighborhood, the day will come when they

will go to the city and demand that Corona del Mar and Peninsula

Point share equally in entertaining these “visitors.” We don’t want

to create an “enemy” environment with the west peninsula families.

It’s human nature that sooner or later they will get fed up and seek

justice at the Coastal Commission and ballot box.

Steve Sutherland has convinced me that he will be a good neighbor

and the Regent Report will be a profitable venture both for himself

and the city of Newport Beach. This small elegant hotel and

restaurant facility concept has proven popular in England and France

and will add a touch of class to the west end of our peninsula. We

have had many years of regretful experience with the Fourth of July

regulars. Let’s give Steve the support that he has so politely

requested.

* GEOFFREY DAVIS is a Newport Beach resident.