Plan could streamline some Newport development
The process of renovating a home or business in Newport Beach could soon become easier for some under a plan to be considered by the City Council on Tuesday.
The council is expected to vote on the city’s draft Local Coastal Program Implementation Plan, a regulatory document that the California Coastal Commission required all coastal cities to create to guide development in the state’s coastal zone. Roughly half of Newport Beach’s land is inside the coastal zone.
The Coastal Commission, which has been charged with enforcing the mandates of the state’s Coastal Act, has long asked cities along the coast to prepare local coastal programs to cover the ground rules for development and protection of coastal resources to give cities more control over projects in their areas, which would in turn lessen the state agency’s workload.
The plan gives the city more control over issuing permits for building projects in the coastal zone. Residents who live in the coastal zone of the city who want to complete a renovation to their home currently have to seek approval from the city and obtain the necessary permits from the Coastal Commission. The whole process can often take up to 18 months, according to Community Development Director Kim Brandt.
However, if the City Council and the Coastal Commission approve the document as drafted, many homeowners who don’t live directly by the water will not have to wait for the state agency’s permission to get started on home improvement projects. Homeowners and businesses who are directly on public tidelands will likely still be required to go through the Coastal Commission for permits, according to city staff.
“There’s a big burden on commission staff and resources permitting things that could be handled in Newport Beach,” Brandt said. “This will be a much more efficient and effective way to get a permit from the city and not have to go through the Coastal Commission.”
Permits issued by the city can still be appealed to the Coastal Commission, city staff say.
Though Newport Beach started crafting the document in the 1970s, the Coastal Commission began pushing cities to finalize the plans in the early 2000s. Since then, the city has been paying fines of $12,000 annually because its plan has not yet been approved by the commission.
Newport Beach staff has ramped up the process of finalizing the document over the past two years. If the City Council approves it, the plan will be submitted to the Coastal Commission for final OK. Brandt said the commission could vote on the document next year.
The City Council will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall, 100 Civic Center Drive.
