What’s next for Cannery site?

Noaki Schwartz

NEWPORT BEACH -- Before Bill Hamilton is even done clearing out the

now-closed Cannery Restaurant, the community already is divided about

what to do with the landmark site.

The restaurant’s neighbors -- many of whom fought for restrictions on the

business, which Hamilton maintains contributed to the closure -- are in

favor of a residential use. Rumblings in the community suggest the site

will be turned into condominiums.

But developer Russell Fluter of Cannery Realty has not yet submitted a

formal application.

“A whole host of people are very supportive [of the

condominiums],” said Councilman Tod Ridgeway, whose district covers the

Cannery property.

While many residents around Cannery Village would prefer condominiums

over a “noisy” restaurant, other community members, such as former

Coastal Commissioner Judy Rosener, would like to keep what she believes

is a local landmark.

She said she plans to protest any attempt to turn the restaurant, which

is not officially a historic monument or on state-controlled tidelands,

into anything else. She said she would like it to remain a restaurant

that is open to the public, and hopes someone will step in and take over

where Hamilton left off.

“In the eyes of the people, it’s a landmark. The Lido theater is not a

historical monument but it’s certainly a landmark,” Rosener said. She

said she is concerned that if all the local sites are consistently

bulldozed, Newport Beach will lose its distinctive character.

Other residents also have said the site should remain open to the public,

as much of the city’s bay front is being swallowed up in private

development.

According to the city’s general plan, the property is zoned as a

commercial site. For Fluter to build condominiums, he would have to apply

for an amendment, which could take several months if an

environmental-impact report is necessary, said Patrick Alford, a senior

planner. An initial study would have to be performed to determine if such

a report needs to be filed.

The report would examine the potential effects the condominiums would

have on the surrounding environment, including increased noise, lighting

and traffic fumes, Alford said. It would then be reviewed by the Planning

Commission, City Council and Coastal Commission for approval.

Coastal Commission approval is necessary because the property is in a

coastal zone, Alford said.

The community’s first chance to voice an opinion on the matter will come

if and when a report is submitted to the Planning Commission.