Talks dissolve in cities’ bids at annexation

Costa Mesa and Newport Beach reached an impasse in their attempts to annex West Santa Ana Heights and Banning Ranch on Friday.

Sharon Browning, a consultant working on the talks facilitated by the Orange County Local Agency Formation Commission, based her decision on confidential interviews with city officials and representatives of the Santa Ana Country Club and Banning Ranch.

Browning’s “professional judgment, which I trust, was that there was not much chance for meaningful discussion between the two parties at this time,” said Joyce Crosthwaite, the commission’s executive officer. “I think when issues have gone on this long, yes” it’s a typical outcome.

Prior to a commission consultant coming in, the two cities have debated the annexation of West Santa Ana Heights, a neighborhood south of Mesa Drive and the Santa Ana Country Club. After these talks failed, the commission was asked to mediate the talks. Costa Mesa had also requested a portion of Banning Ranch, an unincorporated area within Newport’s sphere of influence.

“It was very surprising to me that she would stop the process before it had really begun, and the danger in us not working together to find an overall resolution to these issues is that you put it up to LAFCO,” Costa Mesa City Councilwoman Katrina Foley said, referring to the Local Agency Formation Commission. “They are going to be looking at it from a strict, technical, legal perspective, not taking into consideration some of the give and take you can use if you’re negotiating with each other.”

Newport Beach City Councilman Steve Rosansky said Newport is unwilling to give up any of its sphere of influence on Banning Ranch and has been planning possible uses of the land. He said the city’s primary concern is West Santa Ana Heights but doesn’t know if a compromise can be made — something Foley said she hoped might happen.

Rosansky was disappointed, as Foley said she was, but said he had foreseen this kind of outcome.

“I, too, am discouraged that it’s ending this way, but it’s not really a surprise because of the way the rules are set up in the annexation process,” he said. “There really is no easy way out of this. No matter what we want to do as a city, we have to rely on LAFCO’s recommendation or LAFCO allowing us to do it.”

Crosthwaite said she expects the cities will meet and try to hammer out a plan, although Foley said nothing has yet been set up.

“At this point, we are going to meet back with our respective cities and city councils to determine what’s the next step,” she said.

“At the end of the meeting, it was clear that while LAFCO would no longer be a part of this, that the cities could continue to discuss things,” Crosthwaite said.

“I think the community would like to see a solution that comes from both cities [and] that’s mutually agreed upon.”