Newport, shopping center owner settle property dispute

The Newport Beach City Council on Tuesday approved a settlement with Lido Partners that ends a yearlong dispute over property access at the site of the former City Hall.

Lido Partners, owner of Via Lido Plaza, claimed to have an easement that allowed trucks to cross the old City Hall property at 3300 Newport Blvd. to reach the shopping center, which sits at the entrance to the Balboa Peninsula.

The city expressed concern that noise from the trucks would bother future guests at the 130-room Lido House Hotel, which is slated to be built in place of the old City Hall. In January, the city filed a lawsuit against Lido Partners in Orange County Superior Court in an attempt to bar the trucks.

After Mayor Pro Tem Diane Dixon took office in November, she began working with city staff and Lido Partners to reach an agreement, according to a city staff report.

The city agreed to build a driveway from the Lido Partners property to Via Oporto to enable trucks to get to the shopping center without having to pass the hotel site.

Lido Partners agreed to reconfigure parking at the shopping center to accommodate the new driveway.

“I commend both Lido Partners and staff for saving taxpayer dollars and avoiding a costly legal process,” Dixon said.

The city has spent about $78,000 on the lawsuit in the past year, City Atty. Aaron Harp said.

Revenue estimate rises

The City Council also approved a midyear budget adjustment that increases revenue estimates for the city’s general fund by about $5.1 million for the 2014-15 fiscal year.

The money is from higher-than-expected revenue from sales taxes, hotel occupancy taxes, property taxes and parking fees.

“It’s clear that the local economy in Newport Beach is doing quite well,” City Manager Dave Kiff said in a statement.

The council voted to move about $3.5 million from the general fund to two savings account-type funds to cover future liabilities.