Mailbag: We’re experiencing BRF, ‘Banning Ranch Fatigue’

Last week, hundreds of people crammed into the Seaside Ballroom at the Long Beach Convention Center to argue about the Banning Ranch Development and plead their case to the California Coastal Commission.

It was standing-room only as representatives within this large group included environmentalists, anthropologists, descendants of Native Americans, scientists, biologists, developers, architects, Realtors, attorneys, a mayor, citizens of Newport-Mesa and Huntington Beach and the notable and persevering Coastal Commission.

It was quite an impressive group of people who came together that were either proponents or opponents of the Banning Ranch development. There was an array of evidence, testaments, evaluations, scientific data, analysis and assessments that were delivered by both sides, and every word was heard by the commissioners for almost 12 hours.

One thing that was apparent is that this arduous journey has taken its toll on both the Banning Ranch Conservancy, whose wish is to preserve the largest piece of open coastal land that exists from Orange County, as well as the Newport Banning Ranch LLC, whose intent is to develop this land into a community.

Meanwhile, the Coastal Commission’s undertaking is to aim for a balance between the developers and the environmentalist, without violating the Coastal Act, which mandates that the commission protect and conserve environmentally sensitive habitat areas (ESHA) from significant disruption. This is despite that fact that the recent staff report requested that the commission deny the Banning Ranch development in its entirety.

At this time it is evident that most people, pro or con, have come down with a case of BRF, or “Banning Ranch Fatigue,” and it is hoped that the environmentalists, the developers and the Coastal Commission will recover quickly, as the next hearing will be in San Diego within the next three months, and after that the case will likely be heard by the California State Supreme Court.

Peggy V. Palmer

Newport Beach