Mending fences easier in tandem

Life is a lot easier when you get along with your neighbors.

Whether the issue is a tree extending its branches onto someone

else’s property, the need for someone nearby to feed your cat while

you’re on vacation or old arguments between cities over a certain

airport, it is best-assuaged when neighbors are civil.

Newport Beach and Irvine have had some bloody El Toro battles, and

the hard feelings are still evident among many. But there appears to

be hope that the Irvine/Newport Beach Borders Committee that Newport

Beach leaders want to create marks a long stride toward a less acidic

relationship.

Residents who still want an airport at El Toro continue to say so

in letters to the editor, and they’ll probably keep writing

regardless of unions between Newport and Irvine, which is fine. City

leaders, however, have a greater responsibility to move on -- or at

least move on to other important issues. Irvine will be Newport’s

neighbor a lot longer than residents will remain upset over the El

Toro issue, as hard as that might be to believe.

Interest in forming the committee will be on Tuesday’s City

Council agenda, and a favorable reception by council members would

put the ball in the Irvine council’s court. If it gets there, at

least one neighboring city councilman sounds awfully receptive to the

idea.

“There has been a lot of contention between Newport Beach and

Irvine in recent years and it would be a good idea to sit down and

talk to them and realize we have a lot more in common than we think

we do,” Irvine Councilman Mike Ward said.

Even the best of neighbors on any scale are likely to butt heads

over something, but the ones recovering quickest from hard feelings

are those who communicate and don’t allow grudges to linger.

In disputes between cities over the development of projects of any

size that effect their borders, it’s natural that one side will end

up happier with the way each dispute is solved. There’s a handful of

pending development and management issues that pertain to Newport

Beach and Irvine, and it will be easier to avoid a winners versus

losers attitude if both sides are working together toward a common

end -- whatever that may be.

At this stage, an Irvine/Newport Beach Borders Committee sounds

like an excellent idea. We hope it continues to look good after city

leaders on both sides have a better idea of what exactly it will

entail.