City Council cracks down on zoning code violations

Newport Beach City Council members have endorsed what Councilman Michael Henn called “a sea change” in how the city deals with violations of the zoning code, water quality rules and other issues under its jurisdiction.

The new, more aggressive approach could include shorter grace periods to fix problems, and more citations rather than friendly warnings.

The effort will cast a wide net to make sure everyone is complying with city rules, but among the targets will be “intense residential uses” such as drug and alcohol recovery homes, sober living facilities and summer rentals, if they’re not good neighbors.

— Alicia Robinson