BUSINESS Majority of Cannery Lofts sell fast...

BUSINESS

Majority of Cannery

Lofts sell fast

Developers of the eagerly anticipated Cannery Lofts project have

seen sales of their commercial “live-work” units take off, more than

four months before they are set to be completed.

So far, 14 of the 22 lofts have sold, developer Kevin Weeda said.

Of the 22, 18 inland lofts have been selling for at least $1.3

million, while the four waterfront units go for as much as $2.8

million.

The spacious 3,000-square-foot lofts, at 30th Street, between

Villa Way and LaFayette Avenue, won’t be completed until Aug. 1.

* PAUL CLINTON covers the environment, business and politics. He

may be reached at (949) 764-4330 or by e-mail at

paul.clinton@latimes.com.

POLITICS

Federal money given to Newport-Mesa projects

On the political front, Reps. Dana Rohrabacher, who represents

Costa Mesa, and Chris Cox, who represents Newport Beach, announced

that President Bush has included $21.6 million of funding for Orange

County projects in his 2003-04 budget.

More than $19 million of that amount would go toward improvements

to the Santa Ana River to reduce possibly catastrophic damage to

homes near the river in the event of a flood.

Money was also included for an environmental survey of Upper

Newport Bay.

* PAUL CLINTON covers the environment, business and politics. He

may be reached at (949) 764-4330 or by e-mail at

paul.clinton@latimes.com.

NEWPORT BEACH

City Council campaign reform gets underway

Campaign reform is headed to the City Council. At a study session

on Tuesday, members agreed to consider at a future council meeting

mandatory training on campaign finance filing, as well as requiring

scripts for telephone campaign messages to be filed with the city

clerk’s office.

A subcommittee of the city’s parks commission will take on a

court-ordered study of city tree ordinances. Corona del Mar residents

worried that changes to tree rules could threaten their ocean views

applauded officials’ commitment to keeping overgrown trees out of

their line of sight.

The Regent Newport Beach Resort took a tiny step forward Tuesday

when the council voted to formally accept changes to the project

plans. The project, which will go before voters sometime next year,

was reduced to 110 rooms late last year.

Also, Former City Council candidate Marianne Zippi will run for

the Republican nomination to the state Assembly.

* JUNE CASAGRANDE covers Newport Beach and John Wayne Airport.

She may be reached at (949) 574-4232 or by e-mail at

june.casagrande@latimes.com.

COSTA MESA

Decision on expansion of redevelopment zone delayed

The Redevelopment Agency decided to postpone any decision on

adding 434 acres to the downtown redevelopment zone for six months

because of insufficient information about economic stagnation in the

proposed territory and to give the Community Redevelopment Action

Committee a chance to present its vision for the Westside next month.

Next week, city officials will discuss asking South Coast Plaza

developers to help pay for a study to place the CenterLine rail

project underground through Costa Mesa, said Peter Naghavi said.

Orange County Transportation Authority members have not come forward

to support paying for the $3-million study.

* DEIRDRE NEWMAN covers Costa Mesa and may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at deirdre.newman@latimes.com.

PUBLIC SAFETY

Arrest made following gunshots into truck

Costa Mesa police arrested a 30-year-old man Wednesday on

suspicion of firing a gun at a colleague’s parked pickup truck,

officials said. No one was injured in the 4:15 p.m. incident.

Both the suspect, Jorge Luis Romero, and the unidentified victim

were employees at an office building at Harbor Boulevard and

Sunflower Avenue, police said.

Romero was allegedly angry at the suspect and fired at the truck,

police said.

He was arrested on suspicion of possessing a loaded firearm in

public, shooting an unoccupied vehicle and vandalism.

* DEEPA BHARATH covers public safety and courts. She may be

reached at (949) 574-4226 or by e-mail at deepa.bharath@latimes.com.