Rosansky remodel complete

When Newport Beach Councilman and former Mayor Steve Rosansky was campaigning in 2008 to be reelected to the City Council, some voters had made up their minds against him. Not because they disliked his politics, they said, but because he let vermin infest his house.

The single-story, three-room house in the Newport Shores neighborhood has been given a long-awaited makeover, and Rosansky and his family have since moved in.

“Everything is virtually brand new,” Rosansky said. “I believe the neighbors are happy; they seem happy.”

The District 2 councilman bought the house about six years ago in poor condition from its previous owners. Rosansky left it unoccupied and untended for years, leaving neighbors frustrated with the city having to issue building violation notices.

The councilman planned on remodeling the Lugonia Street house, but his business and work obligations on the council took up most of his time, he said.

“I bought the house thinking it was going to be a quick remodel,” Rosansky said. “Unfortunately, it sat longer than I thought it would.”

It took a year to remodel the house. Rosansky replaced the old stucco, the heating, the plumbing, the air conditioning and the gas lines, he said.

Although Rosansky won the 2008 election in the city, he lost in his own district. But he doesn’t blame the loss on the previous condition of the house.

“I think that it was a campaign that was waged against me by two people that were disgruntled because of the group home issue,” he said. “They certainly took full advantage of their constitutional rights.”

During the campaign, Rosansky was accused of renting the house to a drug rehab home operator, which were all lies, he said.

Rosansky said he spent a lot of money to renovate the house, but he would not disclose the amount.

“The house looks great,” he said. “It’s as good as any home in the neighborhood. We intend to live there for a long time in the future.”