INSIDE CITY HALL Here are some decisions...

INSIDE

CITY HALL

Here are some decisions coming out of Tuesday’s City Council

meeting.

MESA-BIRCH REDEVELOPMENT

The City Council will ask Orange County to turn two parcels in

Santa Ana Heights into a passive park instead of a parking lot to

serve nearby offices. Santa Ana Heights residents protested plans to

redevelop the county-owned property at Mesa Drive and Birch Street as

parking for office space planned by Newport Executive Corp., LLC.

After hearing city staff members say parking would likely fit on

the property where the offices are proposed, council members

unanimously voted to send a letter to county Supervisor Jim Silva,

asking him to support the park, which Newport Beach would agree to

maintain.

WHAT IT MEANS

Council members agreed the park would be “a healthy project,” as

Councilman Steve Bromberg put it, so they’ll lobby Silva to make

their case to the Board of Supervisors, who are slated to vote on the

parking-lot proposal Tuesday.

WHAT THEY SAID

“We’ve been fighting this for over three years,” said resident

Barbara Venezia. “The community does not want to see a parking lot at

the entrance to our community.”

NEWPORT LEXUS STUDY

The city will spend $152,800 to hire Irvine-based Hogle-Ireland

Inc. and Environmental Services Associates Inc. of Los Angeles to

work with the developer and study the environmental impact of a

$55-million Lexus dealership proposed for the corner of Jamboree Road

and MacArthur Boulevard. Council members approved the contracts, with

Mayor Tod Ridgeway recusing himself because he owns property near the

dealership site.

WHAT IT MEANS

The environmental report is the first step in moving the coveted

dealership through the city development process. Officials expect the

business to be a lucrative one for the city, even with an agreement

to share 50% of sales tax from the project with the dealership’s

owner. The council approved the tax-sharing arrangement last month.

CITY FEE INCREASES

The council approved a routine annual increase in the city’s

master fee schedule, which covers a range of services from the

recreation, police, building and other departments. On average, city

fees were hiked 3.48% to keep up with inflation and cover increased

costs to the city.

WHAT IT MEANS

Residents will pay a little more for things like bike licenses,

which went from $3.70 to $4, and fingerprinting, which will cost

$25.80 rather than $24.50, but fees for most recreation and senior

services stayed the same. Other fees also increased, including some

building and planning permit and service fees.