City panel concerned about traffic, noise

Susan McCormack

NEWPORT BEACH -- Increases in traffic, noise and lighting are the main

concerns of an advisory committee that discussed Monday night an

environmental report on the proposed expansion of the Newport Dunes.

The proposed project is a $100-million, 500-room hotel and time-share

complex to be built at the Newport Dunes recreational vehicle resort.

The Environmental Quality Affairs Committee was expected to vote on a

recommendation to present to the City Council, but postponed making any

decisions after about two hours of questions by committee members and

input from residents.

The group is expected to form a list of specific questions, which they

will vote to submit to the city’s consultant on Nov. 15.

Sharon Wood, assistant city manager, said the consultant will then

incorporate the information into a final report, which the Planning

Commission and then the City Council will certify. Wood said she expects

planners to consider the report in January.

The committee seemed most intent on getting answers to questions about

the increased traffic the project is expected to produce.

“We’re going to hammer them on traffic,” said Earl McDaniel, chair of the

committee.

Committee members Gayle Demmer and Elaine Linhoff agreed.

Demmer said she wanted more mitigation from the developer for the

increased traffic. Linhoff said she did not understand how the consultant

calculated the number of motorist trips the project would create.

According to the report, 4,800 daily trips will be expected on Bayside

Drive, which handles about 3,900 daily trips now.

Bayside Village resident Mary Jane Dugan agreed with Linhoff, saying she

can’t believe that many cars pass down Bayside Drive.

“No way is there that kind of traffic,” Dugan said.

McDaniel also said he was concerned that overnight lights in the parking

lot of the project would cause disruptive glare.

Nearby residents from Dover Shores and Villa Point said they were

concerned about increased noise created by tourists and a proposed 9-foot

wall, which may alleviate some noise and lighting problems, but will

eliminate scenic views.

Robert Gleason, chief financial officer for Evans Hotels, which owns

Newport Dunes Resort, said his company has already considered the

concerns about traffic, noise and light and has come up with solutions.

“It’s easy to make sweeping generalizations that say there are all these

potential problems,” Gleason said. “But that is the role of the

[environmental report] -- to analyze them and see if they have [merit].

The [report] says they do not.”

Gleason said his company addressed these concerns not only to maintain a

high quality of life for nearby residents, but also because the project

would not be successful and attract guests if it caused these problems.

Since committee members primarily discussed concerns about the project

itself -- not the specifics of the environmental report -- McDaniel

suggested postponing a recommendation.

Wood said members of the public will have the opportunity to raise their

own questions and concerns about the report when the commission and the

city council conduct public hearings on the project.

Councilman John Noyes, who attended the meeting with Councilman Gary

Adams, echoed the fact that the committee’s meeting was not the last for

residents to voice their opinions on the proposal and report.

“This is going to be a long process,” Noyes said, “and there will be a

lot of hearings.”

The council will make a final vote on the project after the environmental

report is certified.