Newport council’s vote on fire rings ignites confusion

The Newport Beach City Council was awash in confusion this week after a vote that returned controversial wood burning to many of the city’s beach fire rings.

After about an hour of public comments Tuesday night, Councilman Scott Peotter made a motion for the council to approve a plan immediately allowing wood to be burned in 30 rings — 15 on the east side of the Balboa Pier and 15 at Corona del Mar State Beach, also known as Big Corona.

During discussion of Peotter’s motion, the council also discussed a staff proposal to eventually allow wood burning at 60 rings among Big Corona, Balboa Pier, Newport Pier and Newport Dunes.

Peotter’s motion did not mention 60 rings, but because the council discussed both plans after the motion was made, the panel’s 5-2 vote approved both, City Manager Dave Kiff said. Councilman Keith Curry and Mayor Pro Tem Diane Dixon cast the dissenting votes.

However, Councilman Tony Petros said Friday that he wouldn’t have supported the plan for 60 rings had he known it was part of the vote. That proposal should include a California Environmental Quality Act review and public outreach, Petros said.

He said there has been enough study to presume that 30 fire rings in their current locations wouldn’t affect residents as much as 60 rings spread throughout the community.

“But the [60-ring] plan was not part of his motion, and I was quite shocked that there was even a consideration of that,” Petros said.

Petros and any other council member who voted in favor of the proposals can motion for reconsideration of the topic during the next council meeting.

Peotter could not be reached for comment Friday afternoon.

To put the 60-ring plan in motion, the city must first amend its Coastal Development Permit application to ask the California Coastal Commission to approve 18 wood-burning rings at Corona del Mar State Beach, 26 at the Balboa Pier, nine at the Newport Pier and seven at Newport Dunes.

Kiff said the city will begin the process in coming weeks and emphasized that there is still time for community input on the issue.

Residents near the Newport Pier, an area that has never had fire rings, expressed disappointment with the council’s decision.

“They have a chance to weigh in and adjust this,” Kiff said. “This is at the 20-yard line and we still have 80 yards to go.”

The debate over wood fires has pitted residents against one another in many parts of the city. Neighbors of fire rings, citing respiratory problems stemming from smoke, have urged the city to continue the charcoal-only policy it adopted in 2013.