What's Up
NEWPORT - COSTA MESA DAILY PILOT
Saturday, September 2, 2000
STEVE SMITH -- What's Up
Confusion crops up in the midst of antigrowth and
development debates
These are very confusing times for the residents of
Newport Beach. On one hand, the City Council is
determined to limit the growth of John Wayne Airport --
not at any cost, as we see by their stubborn reluctance
to admit the defeat in El Toro. And on the other hand,
we see that all but one of the council members appears
to have voiced opposition to the no-growth Measure S.
That opposition is a clear signal there are developments
to be developed and that they are good for Newport
Beach.
I'm confused, but that's not too difficult a trick these
days.
According to the Newport Beach City Council,
growth appears to be good if it's more and bigger office
buildings, more homes, more hotels to get the tourist
dollar and more and bigger shopping centers to increase
the tax base. But growth is not good if it means a bigger
John Wayne to bring all those people here. As I said,
I'm confused.
The competing growth Measures S and T (have you
noticed that that "growth" is also the word used to
indicate something foreign on the body which needs to
be removed?) are backed by the forces which stand to
benefit most from their passage. In the case of the
developer-supported measure T, there is a short list of
local companies that have sent in $5,000 or more to help
it along. These companies have every right to do so and
should not be chastised for their support of the measure.
I do not support Measure T, but if it is in the best
interests of these firms to see it pass, they should be free
to spend every legal cent they wish to ensure its
passage. To demand otherwise would open the door to
the constant financial regulation of such measures. Do
we want private schools to be forbidden to support a
voucher initiative? And do we then bar the teacher
organizations from contributing money to fight its
passage?
No, we do not.
Moderate development, thoughtful, planned
construction, is a common theme in this space. Anyone
who needs an example of how the process should work
need only review the recent exchanges between
Standard Pacific Homes, the Costa Mesa City Council
and the residents near Adams and Mesa Verde to see
how the process should work. After much public debate
and negotiation, a dirt lot will soon be 69 beautiful
homes, down from the 90 that was planned only a few
weeks ago. Just down the street, Harbor Center went
through some trying times to emerge as a beautiful,
vibrant addition to the city. The developer, ICI, worked
closely with its neighbors to ensure their peace and
quiet.
This is the way it is supposed to work. Locals should
not have to force a referendum down the throat of an
out-of-touch City Council in order to get their way. The
residents of Newport Beach clearly do not want an
expanded John Wayne Airport, and they may soon send
a signal to the council that they also do not want a hotel
at the Dunes, a busier Fashion Island or any other
"people magnet."
The airport issue is an easy one. The City Council,
which has already decided that it can approach the
county's board of supervisors for support to limit John
Wayne's expansion, should get its fingers on the helping
hands of the El Toro Reuse Planning Authority. Either
silly pride or the insistence of developers, or both, has
prevented them from doing so. In the meantime, the
2005 John Wayne curfew clock ticks and instead of
spending time fighting a bigger airport with the rest of
the county -- most of which also does not want a larger
airport -- they'll spend their time in court. And when
Measure S passes, instead of obeying the wishes of their
constituents, my guess is that they'll take that one to
court, too. What a good time to be an attorney.
The stubborn, arrogant, poorly planned El Toro
position of the Newport Beach City council has been
exposed by their conflicting opposition to Measure S.
The El Toro tide has turned and now most residents
believe plans for an airport at El Toro should be
scrapped (no scientific study here, just my analysis from
reading and listening) in favor of an all-out assault
against curfew expansion by county, state or federal
means. This process should have begun the day after
Measure F won.
A City Council that does not obey the command of
its constituents should not expect their support at
election time. On that, there is no confusion.
* STEVE SMITH is a Costa Mesa resident and
freelance writer. Readers can leave a message for him
on the Daily Pilot hotline at (949) 642-6086.
