Measure X cost estimates rise

If Newport Beach voters approve the growth-control initiative known as Measure X in November, it could cost the city up to $875,690 over 10 years, and property owners could pay more than a quarter-million dollars to develop their land, new city estimates show.

Measure X, a.k.a. Greenlight II, would require a public vote on developments that add more than 100 homes, 40,000 square feet or 100 peak-hour car trips a day. It’s a follow-up to Measure S, a similar measure voters approved in 2000.

Supporters tout it as a way to keep the city’s residential beach town character and avoid high-rise buildings and huge increases in traffic.

Critics say the measure will not deter traffic and could lead the city into lawsuits over property rights.

City staff members made some rough estimates of Measure X’s potential costs in July, but they revised those upward in a report issued this week.

Assistant City Manager Sharon Wood said that in the new report she used more accurate costs of staff hours to review projects and added other possible costs — preparing guidelines for the measure and the city’s legal defense, for example.

The new estimates show the city might have to spend between $95,300 and $139,200 in one-time costs to administrate the measure and defend it in court. Ongoing costs to the city could range from $47,253 to $73,649 a year.

Property owners who propose development could be charged between $37,150 and $290,600 to have their plans reviewed and hold an election.

Phil Arst, a leader of the Greenlight residents group that proposed Measure X, said the possible costs weren’t a concern when the measure was drafted.

“We didn’t feel they would be large enough to worry about,” he said. “We had the same kind of dire predictions with Measure S. They can come up and name all these hypothetical costs, but when push comes to shove, most of them go away.”

Newport Beach City Councilman Steve Rosansky, who has argued against the measure, said the possible costs are a factor voters should consider when they vote on Measure X, but they’re not the biggest issue.

“The money is secondary to the uncertainty created by the vote” required to build some projects, he said.

“With this vote thing you never know until you’ve done all the work, you’ve spent all you’ve money, you’ve had all your plans approved.”

QUESTION

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