Greenlight targets another building

June Casagrande

Greenlight leader Phil Arst says it’s another example of the city

trying to circumvent the Greenlight law. Mayor Tod Ridgeway says it’s

another example of Arst trying to grab power.

Arst on Friday filed a formal complaint about a development, the

Newport Technology Center, at 500 Superior Ave.

The building, on the site of a former Hughes Aircraft

manufacturing facility, was approved several years ago for industrial

use such as research and development. The building had sat empty

until recently, when an advertising agency moved in.

“The fact that they brought in a tenant that is not [research and

development] shows a lack of code enforcement by the city and makes

one wonder how they will observe restrictions in the future,” Arst

said.

The property owner, New Superior Group LLC, has asked the city to

allow 50% the building to be put to general office use instead of

research and industrial.

Before the dot-com crash, it was reasonable for the city and the

developer to envision high-tech tenants, but changing times have left

the building empty, Planning Director Patricia Temple said.

The Planning Department will consider the request to change the

use once a traffic study is complete.

The Daily Pilot is in early negotiations with the owner to lease

office space at the center.

Mayor Tod Ridgeway criticized Arst’s comments on the Newport

Technology Center, relating them to Arst’s recently announced

opposition to a plan to build at hotel at Lido Marina Village.

“I thought that Greenlight was supposed to be all about the

traffic,” Ridgeway said. “The city has sought a professional traffic

study to determine if there should be a change in use. Phil

criticizes the Newport Technology Center before the traffic study is

even done, just as he took a position against a new use in Lido

Marina that would reduce [traffic] intensity there. I think this

shows that Greenlight doesn’t want to listen. They just want to

politicize.”

Arst believes, however, that development of the technology center

would have gone to a vote of the people if it had originally been

designated as office space. Instead, he said, the city approved the

area for the industrial use already allowed in the city’s general

plan but are now changing those terms.

The request to change the building to just half industrial tenants

would not trigger a Greenlight vote because it would not require a

general plan amendment.

* 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.