NEWPORT BEACH Lawsuit to reverse El Toro...

NEWPORT BEACH

Lawsuit to reverse El Toro

initiative reaches settlement

The Airport Working Group and other organizations came to a

settlement in a legal battle over the Measure W vote that prevents

the former El Toro Marine Air Base from becoming a commercial

airport. Two more lawsuits by the working group over environmental

studies of the site could be resolved as soon as next week.

* City officials might want to change some of the guidelines that

determine when a Greenlight vote comes into play for a new project.

Council members will consider changing the guidelines, especially in

terms of how the city measures hotels’ effects on traffic. But

changes to the guidelines don’t affect the wording of the

voter-approved initiative.

* The Narconon drug- and alcohol-recovery group home on the Balboa

Peninsula got a verbal lashing from council and community members.

The city council will consider changing local zoning rules to give

them more control over group homes.

* Proponents of a community center for Newport Coast got their

wish on Tuesday when council members approved the site and concept

for the center planned for Newport Coast Drive and San Joaquin Hills

Road. At the same time, however, council members said that the

current $10 million project will have to be scaled back to meet the

group’s $7 million budget.

-- June Casagrande

COSTA MESA

County fair board reopens swap meet bidding process

Gentlemen, start your bidding: The Orange County Fair Board

decided to re-open the bidding process for the lease of the high-end,

weekend swap meet at the fairgrounds. The previous competition

between Tel Phil Enterprises, which created the Orange County Market

Place and has been running it for the past 35 years, and Delaware

North, was nixed because of various charges and allegations.

* The Westside Redevelopment Oversight Committee is exploring the

range of economically feasible possibilities necessary to spark the

conversion from industrial to residential use without redevelopment

in the area south of 19th Street and west of Monrovia Ave.

-- Deirdre Newman

ENVIRONMENT

Crystal Cove cottages

closer to remodeling

Restoration of cottages and other improvements to Crystal Cove

State Park will begin in a few weeks, following the awarding of an

$8-million construction contract to Newport Beach firm Metro Builders

and Engineers Group Ltd. The state Department of Parks and Recreation

granted the contract, which is the first phase of a two-part

restoration project that will make 46 cottages and other park

amenities available for public use.

* Orange County has received the necessary permits to proceed with

dredging and clearing vegetation from San Diego Creek but workers

were not expected to resume the clearing until after storms expected

this week. The county in December undertook an emergency project to

clear the creek after flood control officials said it was overgrown

and full of sediment, putting a nearby sewage treatment plant at risk

of flooding in heavy rains. Environmentalists have protested the

creek clearing, which they said destroys valuable habitat for

endangered animals.

-- Alicia Robinson

EDUCATION

Groups kick off drive to build athletic facilities

Costa Mesa took a first step to getting its own athletic stadium

and new swimming pool with a kick off reception by fundraisers

Thursday night.

Costa Mesa United and Costa Mesa Community Athletic Foundation,

two organizations that are seeking donations for the facilities,

raised nearly $2,000 in their first official event. Organizers hope

it generated enough buzz in the city to make people want to help

raise money to build a new swimming pool at Costa Mesa High School

and an athletic stadium at Estancia High School.

* Christian broadcaster Daystar Television Network filed a lawsuit

Wednesday against the Coast Community College District claiming the

district did not comply with state law when they agreed to sell

KOCE-TV to its fundraising wing.

In a Wednesday press conference, Daystar’s attorney said that the

district should have named his client, not the KOCE Foundation, as

the highest responsible bidder. The suit asks a judge to rule that

the current sale should stop and that Daystar can go ahead with its

$25.1 million offer.

* A team from the Newport Harbor High School Culinary Academy have

been training and preparing every day for a statewide student

competition, sponsored by the California Restaurant Association.

They will have 60 minutes to make a salad, main course and dessert

-- without using an oven or any electricity. Using only two

butane-fired burners, a blowtorch and food and equipment they bring

to the competition, the team will make a warm ratatouille salad with

balsamic glaze, poached mussels and prawns with lime saffron rice and

crispy hazelnut towers with chocolate malt sauce and creme fraiche.

-- Marisa O’Neil