Manager says annex not wise

Newport Beach’s city manager will tell the City Council next week not to annex a country club and adjacent neighborhood that want to become part of the city.

Absorbing the land could strain relations with Costa Mesa, Newport Beach City Manager Homer Bludau said Thursday.

“We are entering a new era of cooperation with the city of Costa Mesa and it would be the wrong thing to do to foster that relationship,” Bludau said.

Santa Ana Country Club and a residential neighborhood south of Mesa Drive gathered more than enough signatures last year to petition for annexation to the county agency that oversees the process.

Costa Mesa has a sphere of influence over the two areas and tried to annex them in 2002, but faced widespread opposition from property owners who petitioned against the annexation.

Newport Beach will have to work together with Costa Mesa in the future on a number of large projects including the possible development of Banning Ranch, a piece of land both cities hope to annex parts of, and the extension of the 55 freeway, Bludau said.

Taking steps to annex the country club and neighborhood south of Mesa Drive could spark unneeded tension between the two cities, he said.

Representatives from the country club and neighbors will ask the council at its Tuesday meeting not to base its decision on Bludau’s recommendation, said Paul Watkins, chairman of the country club annexation committee.

Newport Beach Mayor Ed Selich agreed with many of the points raised in a report to the council but he would like to confer with his fellow council members before making up his mind about proceeding with an annexation attempt.

The country club and neighborhood, about a 290-acre area, have closer political and cultural ties to Newport Beach than Costa Mesa, Watkins said.

“We just believe there’s a better match with our quality of life that Newport evidences,” Watkins said.

Costa Mesa City Manager Allan Roeder said Costa Mesa would move to oppose any Newport Beach annexation attempts in the two areas. Costa Mesa, or other parties, such as county officials, could try to get the land annexed again to Costa Mesa somewhere down the road, he said.