Visiting boaters will get temporary anchorage near Lido Isle, council decides

Residents who live near the Turning Basin in Newport Harbor will soon notice a few more boats on the water outside their homes.

The Newport Beach City Council voted 5 to 1 to approve a 2 1/2-month temporary anchorage area in the Turning Basin, located in the harbor area west of Lido Isle. It would be the second anchorage area in the basin.

Both areas provide a free space for boaters who want to visit the area for a few days.

Mayor Pro Tem Diane Dixon voted against the proposal after hearing concerns from residents on Lido Isle and the Balboa Peninsula about the potential for increased noise drifting from the anchorage area to their nearby homes.

The council also recently relocated Jetpack America, which operates water propelled jet packs in the harbor, to the Turning Basin. The move upset some residents who say the operation brings unwanted noise to an otherwise peaceful section of the harbor.

Newport Harbor’s other anchorage spot sits between the eastern tip of Lido Isle and the west side of Bay Island.

The space often becomes overcrowded with vessels during the busy summer boating season, which led the city’s Harbor Commission to recommend a second anchorage, said Harbor Resources Manager Chris Miller.

Councilman Marshall Duffield said the anchorage area would be a great amenity and help make the harbor more user-friendly for transient boaters.

After the 2 1/2-month trial period, the anchorage area, which will take up about 5.5 acres in the Turning Basin, will be closed and the Harbor Commission will put together a report on the results of the trial.

“The goal is to give it a try,” said Harbor Commissioner Brad Avery. “If it doesn’t work, then it doesn’t work. We’ll roll up and go home.”

This isn’t the first time an anchorage area has been attempted in the space. In 2012 when the city was dredging portions of the bay, the existing visitor anchorage was relocated to the portion of the Turning Basin west of Lido Isle.

Several residents complained to the council that the 2012 trial resulted in loud music, partying and boats drifting from the anchorage area and crashing into docks while their owners were ashore.

“The result of the trial was that the anchorage was out of control and detrimental to the residents’ quality of life...,” resident Pam Whitesides wrote in a letter to the council.

Councilman Tony Petros said while he’s in favor of testing out the additional anchorage area, he said harbor staff must ensure that noise doesn’t become an issue. The area will be monitored by Harbor Patrol.

“I would like to see actual enforcement when someone complains about noise or the other potential problems that could arise,” he said.

The anchorage area is expected to open within the next several weeks, according to harbor staff.