Amending Our General Plan

Topics

• Focus of presentation

• Background

• What we’re looking at today

• Conclusions

• Call to action

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Focus

• Changes to the City’s General Plan Land Use Element are substantial.

• Changes are being considered in a piecemeal fashion.

• Proposed policy changes represent a significant departure from the past.

• Need to fully understand changes and potential for significant traffic impacts.

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Background

City’s land use policy focus

• Needs of its residents

• Special character and quality of life in Newport Beach

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Background

• Greenlight Initiative - 2000

– Over 100 peak hour trips, or

– Over 100 dwelling units (density), or

– Over 40,000 sq. ft. of floor area (intensity)

• Proposed General Plan Land Use Element Amendment triggered Greenlight.

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Background

• 2006 General Plan Objectives – “Preserve and enhance Newport Beach’s character as a

beautiful, unique residential community.”

– “Modify land uses, densities, and intensities so that traffic generation is controlled.”

• Today, the General Plan Land Use Element needs to be updated to…. – “Reflect changes in the economy and market, recent

legislation, and emerging best practices.”

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What We’re Looking at Today

• Cumulative traffic impacts

• Departure from 2006 General Plan vision, goals and policies.

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Cumulative Traffic Impacts

• Increased development combined with other ‘piecemeal projects’ (projects tracked separately in City’s pipeline) result in significant traffic impacts.

• ‘Phantom trips’ (trips from unbuilt capacity converted to real trips on paper) are used to offset traffic increases.

• Traffic data is derived from CEQA documents and other city resources.

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1. The Hangars 2. Saunders 3. MacArthur at Dolphin-Striker Way 4. Newport Business Plaza Project 5. Uptown Newport 6. Lyon Communities 7. Seashore Village 8. Newport Banning Ranch 9. Coastline Community College 10. King’s Liquor 11. Gateway Park 12. Lido House Hotel 13. Newport Bay Marina Etco Development 14. Old Newport General Plan Amendment Project 15. Lido Villas 16. Old Post Office 17. Mariner's Pointe 18. Westcliff Plaza

19. Back Bay Landing 20. 813 East Balboa 21. Bayside Center 22. Hyatt Regency Expansion 23. Beauchamp Project 24. Newport Beach Country Club Planned Community 25. Santa Barbara Condominiums (Lennar Homes) 26. AERIE Condominium Project 27. 100 Newport Center Drive 28. Newport Center/Fashion Island-no specific locations 29. 150 Newport Center Drive 30. City Center 31. North Newport Center San Joaquin Plaza 32. Harbor View Center 33. The Bluffs 34. Harbor Day School 35. Newport Coast Hotel 36. Newport Coast Center 37. Newport Ridge

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locations

Red Triangles – Increase Average Daily Trips (ADT) Green Rectangles – Decrease real ADT Blue Ovals – Decrease allotted ADT (Phantom trips)

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Newport Coast Center36

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5 1. The Hangars 2. Saunders 3. MacArthur at Dolphin-Striker Way 4. Newport Business Plaza Project 5. Uptown Newport 6. Lyon Communities 7. Seashore Village 8. Newport Banning Ranch 9. Coastline Community College 10. King’s Liquor 11. Gateway Park 12. Lido House Hotel 13. Newport Bay Marina Etco Development 14. Old Newport General Plan Amendment Project 15. Lido Villas 16. Old Post Office 17. Mariner's Pointe 18. Westcliff Plaza

19. Back Bay Landing 20. 813 East Balboa 21. Bayside Center 22. Hyatt Regency Expansion 23. Beauchamp Project 24. Newport Beach Country Club Planned Community 25. Santa Barbara Condominiums (Lennar Homes) 26. AERIE Condominium Project 27. 100 Newport Center Drive 28. Newport Center/Fashion Island-no specific locations 29. 150 Newport Center Drive 30. City Center 31. North Newport Center San Joaquin Plaza 32. Harbor View Center 33. The Bluffs 34. Harbor Day School 35. Newport Coast Hotel 36. Newport Coast Center 37. Newport Ridge

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All locations with

ADT

size

Red Triangles – Increase Average Daily Trips (ADT) Green Rectangles – Decrease real ADT Blue Ovals – Decrease allotted ADT (Phantom trips) Heights proportional to ADTs.

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Average Daily Trips

Increase ADT

Decrease real ADT

Decrease allotted ADT(Phantom)

Closing graph

Departure from 2006 General Plan

Foundation for Amendment

• Preserved and enhanced character as a unique residential community

• Conservative growth strategy

• Changes in land use and/or density in areas that are

– Economically underperforming

– Reduce commuting between home and jobs

– Enhance values distinguishing Newport Beach as a special place to live for its residents

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Policy Changes are Inconsistent with 2006 General Plan

Goals and Policies related to “Role and Character (‘Who We Are’)”

• Existing: LU 1 “A unique residential community with diverse coastal and

upland neighborhoods, which values its colorful past, high quality of life, and community bonds, and balances the needs of residents, businesses, and visitors through the recognition that Newport beach is primarily a residential community."

• Changed to “A unique, primarily residential community with diverse coastal and upland neighborhoods, which values its colorful past, high quality of life, and community bonds, and balances the needs of residents, businesses, and visitors."

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Policy Changes are Inconsistent with 2006 General Plan

Goals and Policies related to “Role and Character (‘Who We Are’)”

• Existing: LU 1.4 “Implement a conservative growth strategy that enhances the quality of life of residents and balances the needs of all constituencies with the preservation of open space and natural resources.”

• Changed to “Implement a growth strategy that enhances the quality of life of residents and balances the needs of all constituencies with the preservation of designated open space and natural resources.”

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Conclusions

• Does the reason for this amendment support the proposed land use element changes?

• 2006 General Plan Commitments – Are We on Track? • How will we benefit? • Roadway Reality. • Is our unique residential community and quality of life at

risk? • Piecemeal approach to land use planning is becoming a

trend. • Would it be better to take a holistic approach and review

the General Plan in its entirety?

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Call to Action • Support the SPON campaign

– Become a member, make a donation – Join in SPON’s Treasure Hunt – Ask SPON to meet with you or your organization – Help us distribute flyers

• City meetings of interest – May 22, 4 pm Planning Commission – Review EIR – June 5, 6:30 pm Planning Commission – Public Hearing and

Recommendation to City Council – July 8, 7 pm City Council Public Hearing

• Email, write, call, or meet with Planning Commission, the Mayor and City Council

• Query City Council candidates

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info@SPON-NewportBeach.org

Stop Polluting Our Newport (SPON) is a 501.c.3 non-profit public education corporation

working to protect and preserve the residential and environmental qualities of Newport Beach.