NEWPORT BEACH — Spelling “Newport Beach” without the word “port” leaves you with, well, “New Beach.” The city of Newport Beach probably isn’t changing its name to New Beach anytime soon. Yet Newport Beach’s city leaders and lobbyists were unsuccessful in their attempts to convince the California Coastal Commission to re-classify the Central Orange County harbor as a port.
Newport Beach and the Coastal Commission squared off against each other at the quasi-judicial agency’s April meetings in Redondo Beach, with city representatives and commissioners debating the merits of “port” versus “harbor.”
The debate specifically centered around Assembly Bill 1196 (AB 1196), which was proposed by Assembly member Matthew Harper, R-Newport Beach, earlier this year. AB 1196 specifically sought to amend The Coastal Act of 1976 to create the Port of Newport Beach.
Establishment of the “Port of Newport Beach” would have taken Newport Beach Harbor out of the Coastal Commission’s original permit jurisdiction.
Commissioners did not support the proposal and voted on April 12 to oppose AB 1196. Newport Beach’s City Council retreated less than two weeks later, deciding to revisit the issue and figure out a new strategy.
The Coastal Act
Sarah Christie, a legislative analyst with the California Coastal Commission, said the Coastal Act...
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One Response
Your story misleading and sends the wrong message.
Of course Newport Harbor is not a Port. Proposed AB 1196 would designate it one, if approved. The Coastal Commission did not vote on an action.
Why would the City of Newport Beach want to have Newport Harbor designated as a Port?
The reasons were stated at prior Newport Beach City Council hearings and are part of the public record. Currently, the City first processes and approves an application (an example given was dock repair and maintenance) then forwards the City approved application to the Coastal Commission for their review and approval. This process cost the applicant lots of money and due to the permit processing backup at the Coastal Commission, months to obtain approval. Not only does the cost and permit timeline discourage applicants from filing applications for needed repairs and maintenance, but the lack of maintenance impacts the environment, the City’s image and tourism revenue.
By having Newport Harbor designated a Port the City hopes to take over these routine responsibilities from the Coastal Commission subject to Coastal Commission rules with any action(s) taken by the City appeal-able to the Coastal Commission. These routine actions are identified in a Port Master Plan approved by the Coastal Commission in a similar process to a Local Coastal Plan.
Why would the City want to take on this responsibility?
The City believes it can process these routine permits faster and cheaper than the Coastal Commission is.
Who approves the Port Master Plan?
The Coastal Commission does similar to a Local Coastal Plan. The Port Master Plan would be approved subject to the terms and conditions of the Coastal Commission. It is as if the City is taking two Coastal Commission staff and having them work only for the City.
Historically, the Coastal Commission backlog led to the adoption of Local Coastal Plans. This is another step in the evolution of the role of the Coastal Commission. Should the Coastal Commission have concerns? Yes, justifiably so. A trusted working relationship has developed between local coastal governments and the state Coastal Commission. The transfer of responsibility from the state Coastal Commission to local governments under the control of the state Coastal Commission will allow our tax dollars to be better used by the Coastal Commission while benefiting the City of Newport.
Is passage of AB 1196 the correct path to accomplish the City’s objectives?
Current regulations do not allow the City to take over these routine repair and maintenance activities. For example, this type of repair and routine maintenance cannot be added to the approved Local Coastal Plan. This is what the City and Coastal Commission will be working on. Various alternatives are being discussed. Let’s wait and see what is worked out.