City may allow homes

The Newport Beach City Council will consider lifting its moratorium on the construction of new rehabilitation homes in the city, while implementing new ordinances that seek to curb some of the residual effects of their operation on Tuesday.

The plan will allow the city to regulate any such homes that are operated integrally with other homes, as well as set up zoning restrictions on the construction of new facilities.

“The city council is looking to adopt a valid and effective ordinance to regulate this land use,” Councilwoman Leslie Daigle said.

The proposal focuses primarily on the regulation of homes operated integrally with one another, as it would be illegal for the council to regulate individual facilities, which fall under the same zoning laws and protections of a single-family home, Assistant City Manager Dave Kiff said. Following a majority vote by council, the city could enact ordinances aimed at mitigating the secondary effects of these homes, such as cigarette smoking, the frequency of delivery trucks and other issues.

The regulation could turn the page in a controversy that has brewed in Newport Beach for several months, concerning the high level of rehab facilities in the community.

“Almost all of our homes in Newport Beach are operated integrally with other facilities,” he said.

If a rehab home has six or fewer patients it must be regulated like a single-family house, according to state rules, Kiff added.

He added that, given the “exhaustive” attention the city’s legal team gave to the proposal, he expected the board to grant its approval.

The board will also consider street improvements for Superior Avenue and the purchase of a new police dog.