Newport Beach pays large cost for development

Beau Stockstill

As someone who has spent almost all of his life growing up in Newport

Beach before leaving for college a year and a half ago, I have

watched acres of foothills leveled, sat in overcrowded classrooms and

have even been confronted by the occasional mountain lion or coyote.

All of these things are consequences of Newport’s overwhelming

popularity.

As more people move into our city, we continue to develop our

lands, and it is clear that the social and environmental costs of

this land development are severe and outweigh the monetary benefits

gained by the construction of these homes.

Especially in the last two decades, development and expansion of

Newport Beach has grown at an ever-increasing rate. The Newport Coast

area stands as a testament to this fact, transforming from an open

space of natural foothills in 1990 into a fully developed and

established residential neighborhood with a population of 2,671

people in seven square miles by the year 2000.

Growth has continued over the five years since this population

count, with the development of a mini shopping mall and even more

residential communities.

So why is this expansion such an issue? First of all, by creating

more homes, construction companies are merely creating more spots for

new families to move, fueling the rapid population growth that

Newport Beach has experienced over the past decade.

This increase in population size has several social and

environmental consequences for the citizens of Newport. Much of the

trash and waste from our growing population, as well as from many

other cities, end up in the waters of the Back Bay. Consequently,

what once inspired pride in our residents now inspires us to roll up

our windows and look away from the putrid, contaminated waters.

Massive population size also leads to overcrowding, especially in

high schools and elementary schools. Enrollment at Corona del Mar

High and Middle schools is 2,182, up more than 50% from 1998.

Classrooms are overcrowded, with up to 35 to 40 students per class.

With classes of this size, it is impossible for teachers to give

every student the personal attention they need.

The development and overcrowding of Newport’s land also destroys

the natural habitat of many species, so that the only animals seen on

a typical day in Newport are pigeons and sea gulls. All species

provide important resources that maintain a balanced ecosystem, so it

is necessary to preserve biodiversity.

While most species are wiped out along with their habitats, some

manage to adapt and make their homes within our communities. I

remember sitting in my dark kitchen at 3 a.m. when I was 10, watching

my mother try to scare away a big coyote that had crept into the

backyard of our Harbor View home, and mountain lions cruising the

streets and sidewalks of Newport Coast are a frequent occurrence. By

turning the natural habitats of these predatory animals into

residential communities, we are creating a threat to our homes, our

pets and our children.

I understand that the building of homes in Newport Beach does have

its benefits. According to the Newport Beach Conference and Visitors

Bureau, the city’s largest source of revenue is property tax.

However, tourism is a close second in generating revenue for our

city, and tourism will plummet if our city continues to overcrowd,

pollute, and destroy its own natural beauty.

Tourists are attracted to Newport Beach because of this beauty,

which we are now replacing with artificiality. With each passing

month, we are clearing every remaining piece of our city’s natural

land and developing it.

The once beautiful, lush, green foothills behind Newport Coast are

now barren mounds of dirt, waiting to be flattened to make way for

homes. Every tree, every shrub, every piece of nature has been

planted and grown by us.

We need to make a change.

I am not attacking real estate developers -- I have a home because

of them -- but we need to draw a line. Construction in Newport has

gotten out of hand. We need to preserve our natural lands. Put money

into improving the Newport that has already been built instead of

continually expanding.

I love Newport Beach with all of my heart, but every time I come

home, I’m coming back to a place that is increasingly different.

Every time I pull off of the Corona del Mar (73) Freeway onto

MacArthur Boulevard, the face of Newport has changed. I can’t drive a

mile without seeing some sort of construction. It seems to be

everlasting, and so are its consequences.

* BEAU STOCKSTILL grew up in Newport Beach and is now a sophomore

at Stanford University.