NEWPORT BEACH CITY COUNCIL WRAP-UP

Here are a few items the council considered Tuesday.

CITY HALL COMMITTEES

At its Jan. 24 meeting, the council will name members to two committees that will look at locations for a new city hall and how the city hall meshes with other facilities needs. Each council member will pick a slate of 11 people for each committee from among the 40 applicants.

The committees will each include two nonvoting council members. The council decided in December that rather than moving ahead with plans for a new civic center a the current City Hall’s Balboa Peninsula site, committees of residents should be named to further explore options for the location and financing of city hall.

WHAT IT MEANS

Members will be named to the two committees Jan. 24, and the committees will deliver recommendations to the council by May 1.

SANTA BARBARA CONDOS

A new condominium development can be built where the Newport Beach Marriott Hotel’s tennis courts now stand, the council decided. The development will include 79 condos with views of the ocean and Newport Beach Country Club golf course.

It’s a rare chunk of housing in Newport Center, which is now largely composed of office and retail space. The required 16 units of low- to moderate-income housing will be provided elsewhere in the city. The council unanimously agreed to change the zoning of the 4.25-acre property from commercial to residential to allow the development.

WHAT IT MEANS

A 79-unit condo project will be built in Newport Center next to the Marriott Hotel.

CIVIL SERVICE BOARD

The council chose Douglas Coulter, one of three applicants, to fill a civil service board seat left vacant with the death of Robert Badham in October. All council members but Dick Nichols voted for Coulter; Nichols chose Richard Goul. The other applicant was Albert Graham.

WHAT IT MEANS

Coulter will serve on the civil service board until July 2010.

PELICAN HILL ROAD CLOSURE

Council members unanimously agreed to let the Irvine Co. close Pelican Hill Road South until Sept. 1 for construction on the Pelican Hill resort, which will include a 204-room hotel, 128 villas, a spa and restaurants. Irvine Co. officials said the work will likely take about seven months.

Emergency vehicles still will have access to the Pelican Crest and Pelican Hill neighborhoods during the closure.

WHAT IT MEANS

Pelican Hill Road South will be closed for the next seven months or so, reopening Sept. 1 at the latest.

IF YOU GO

* WHAT: Next City Council meeting

* WHEN: 7 p.m., Jan. 24

* WHERE: Council chambers, City Hall, 3300 Newport Blvd.

* INFO: (949) 644-3005 or www.city.newport-beach.ca.us

-- Compiled by Alicia Robinson