Annexation plan revealed

SANTA ANA — Orange County Supervisor John Moorlach’s plan for Newport Beach and Costa Mesa annexations would resolve ongoing disputes between the cities, but it may not win universal approval.

Costa Mesa and Newport Beach have fought for years over four main unincorporated areas — West Santa Ana Heights, the Santa Ana Country Club, a neighborhood south of Mesa Drive, and Banning Ranch, the part of Moorlach’s deal that could cause it to unravel.

“I think we’ve been very clear that Banning Ranch is not something we were looking to put in the mix,” Newport Beach Mayor Steve Rosansky said.

Moorlach worked for months with leaders from both cities, representatives of the unincorporated areas and other interested parties. Here are the key points of the proposal he announced Wednesday.

Costa Mesa also wants a triangular piece of land on the northeast corner of Banning Ranch to develop bluff-top homes.

In addition, Moorlach proposed that Newport get a small parcel known as the Emerson tract, and that if supervisors agree to let the city take over Harbor Patrol services from the sheriff, some county money would come with it, such as income from Newport Dunes.

The Orange County Local Agency Formation Commission on Wednesday voted to postpone any decisions on the annexations until July. Moorlach wanted that time to do a little more negotiating.

Commission members, Costa Mesa officials, and Barbara Venezia, who represents Santa Ana Heights residents, said the plan is a good start, but others were underwhelmed.

People who live in the area south of Mesa Drive and members of the Santa Ana Country Club have applied to be annexed to Newport Beach, and they aren’t likely to agree to anything else.

Under state law, residents of an unincorporated area can hold a protest vote to prevent being annexed, and that’s what may happen if officials force the issue here.

Cal McLaughlin, who lives in the tract south of Mesa Drive, wrote in an e-mail after Wednesday’s meeting that he considers Moorlach’s plan “a nonstarter” as far as his neighborhood is concerned.

“It is exactly what we rejected in 2002,” he wrote. “If they try to implement that plan we will protest out of the annexation to Costa Mesa.”