Greenlight may be wising up, though not by enough yet

Perhaps some give and take is in the cards after all for Greenlight II proponents, who thus far have sought to make it even harder for new development to occur in Newport Beach.

The city’s existing Greenlight law, approved by voters five years ago, requires developers to submit their projects to a public vote if the proposals exceed the city’s general plan allowances by one of several thresholds -- 100 dwelling units, 100 peak-hour car trips, or 40,000 square feet of building.

Greenlight aficionados say the fact that 10 “major” development projects have been turned down by voters in the past five years proves that Greenlight is doing the job voters intended it to do -- regulate the flow of development and bring it under control.

But the group now wants to put to a public vote any and all projects that exceed the city’s existing development.

In a classic tit for tat, the Greenlighters made their proposal after the City Council and community members came up with amendments to the general plan, which the Greenlight group argues will increase development entitlements and create traffic nightmares for residents.

But recently announced changes to the ballot measure indicate the Greenlighters might have realized they went a little to far on this one.

They now propose to exempt the Newport Coast from the Greenlight measure until the area is fully built; and to exempt some public projects from the public vote requirement -- including hospitals, schools and public utilities.

We’re glad to hear those concessions being made, but we still see this measure as an ill-conceived and misguided attempt to circumvent the city’s representative form of government by imposing awkward and stringent requirements that will make improving the city through sensitive development almost impossible.

Through the years, Greenlighters would brook no differences of opinion in their quest to rule the city by direct vote of the people, but perhaps the leaders are beginning to see that, as Confucius says, a middle way is best.