Housing project goes to council

The Newport Beach Planning Commission approved a multimillion dollar development agreement with the Irvine Co. Thursday night to create a new planned community in Newport Center.

Six of the city’s seven planning commissioners voted to pass the deal up to Newport Beach City Council for final review. Commissioner Michael Toerge was absent.

A few residents expressed concern the deal was moving rapidly through city government without enough time for public discussion. City officials expect the council’s approval of the deal by the end of the year.

“The people don’t know what’s going on,” said Dolores Otting, a Newport Beach community activist. “I think this is a travesty of justice.”

Commissioners debated the finer points of the deal late into the night Thursday, including where affordable housing should be located, height limits for office and residential buildings and parking requirements.

Local advocates of affordable housing expressed concern over where and how much affordable housing would be built.

“We encourage you to develop new units and existing units to include more affordable housing,” said Scott Darrell, executive director of the Kennedy Commission on Affordable housing.

The commission added a provision into the deal to specify how affordable housing should be distributed in the new community. Such housing is vital for housing workers in Newport with low-paying jobs as well as senior citizens, said Assistant City Manager Sharon Wood.

The commission finalized documents Thursday for a new zoning code; approved the development agreement, a traffic study, a plan to implement affordable housing; and rearranged the Irvine Co.’s development rights to accommodate the plan.

Newport Beach residents voted last year to allow new housing in Newport Center, but the commission’s actions laid the groundwork for a formal agreement with the city.

As part of the deal, zoning for the area will create a new planned community that merges two blocks of Newport Center, Fashion Island and San Joaquin Plaza to form North Newport Center Planned Community.

The deal includes about $43 million in development fees, road and park improvements and other public benefits from the Irvine Co.

The development agreement also includes an option for Newport Beach to purchase property in the Newport Center block between Santa Rosa and San Nicholas drives for a new city hall at the city’s appraised price of about $7.7 million.

Irvine Co. officials said Thursday they expect the council to discuss the pending deal at its next scheduled meeting Dec. 11.

PLANS - AT A GLANCE

 The proposed Irvine Co. development agreement with Newport Beach includes a $27 million development fee for the city to use to build a new city hall, regardless of location.

 The deal includes also $5.6 million earmarked for building a new OASIS Senior Center, $5.6 million for city park improvements and $2.5 for road improvements.

 The specifics of the proposal, including 430 units of housing in Newport Center, are part of the updated General Plan Newport Beach voters passed last year.

BRIANNA BAILEY may be reached at (714) 966-4625 or at brianna.bailey@latimes.com.