Debate heats up over rival traffic measures

Mathis Winkler

NEWPORT BEACH -- Is Greenlight a grass-roots initiative backed by the

people, or a threat to democracy?

And is the countermeasure just a developer-backed initiative or a

legitimate solution to the city’s traffic problems?

At the conclusion of Wednesday’s first public debate between

proponents of the opposing growth-control measures on the November

ballot, few answers to those questions could be found.

“We’ve heard a lot of pros and cons on the issues,” Clarence J.

Turner, co-chairman of Measure T, told an audience of more than 100 that

packed the Riverboat Restaurant for the debate sponsored by Speak Up

Newport.

“Until November, we’ll hear quite a bit more. But I hope you

understand that you will be casting a very, very important vote. It will

play an important role for decades to come.”

Measure T, also known as the Traffic Phasing initiative, would add

parts of the city’s traffic phasing ordinance to the City Charter and

nullify Measure S -- the so-called Greenlight initiative -- should voters

approve both measures.

Measure S proposes to put developments that allow an increase of more

than 100 peak-hour car trips or dwelling units or 40,000 square feet over

the general plan allowance before a citywide vote.

“It’s time to put a cork in the cyclic madness and bring it under

control, once and for all,” said Tom Hyans, a Measure S supporter

participating in the debate.

Disagreements between the two sides over the number of votes

Greenlight would have triggered during the past decade became a focal

point of the debate.

While Greenlight supporters have stated that residents would have

voted on 15 projects over the last 10 years, Measure T proponents

countered that 55 projects would have actually brought citizens to the

polls.

Turner said that while Greenlight had based its 15 votes on a “clean

slate” -- not considering general plan amendments before 1990 -- Measure

T’s calculation of 55 votes was based on accumulative growth over the

last 20 years.

Measure S proponents were outraged over their opponents’ comments.

“I can make up numbers, too,” Phil Arst, a spokesman for Greenlight,

said Thursday. “Fifty-five [votes] is just plain wrong.”

While many in the audience said they found the debate informative,

some added that Greenlight advocates would need to clean up their act if

they wanted to win.

“People in support of Measure T are still public speakers,” said Steve

Titus, referring to Turner’s and co-chairman Thomas C. Edwards’ past

tenures on the City Council.

Titus, who began spending summers in Newport Beach in 1926 and has

owned a home in the city since the 1950s, added that Greenlight should

improve its campaign in the coming weeks.

They should “work harder and try to raise more money,” he said. “And

have fancy slide shows instead of a piece of paper [to present the

facts.]”

FYI

The debate will be televised at 8:30 p.m. Mondays, Thursdays and

Saturdays though September on local access Channel 3.