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.
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