HomeMy WebLinkAboutIV(a)_Additional Materials Received_Mosher_Minutes of July 11, 2022August 8, 2022, GPUSC Agenda Comments
These comments on an item on the Newport Beach General Plan Update Steering Committee agenda
are submitted by: Jim Mosher ( jimmosher@yahoo.com ), 2210 Private Road, Newport Beach 92660
(949-548-6229)
Item III. PUBLIC COMMENTS ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS
The City website and the Newport, Together site have been cleaned up considerably since the
Steering Committee’s first meeting, although I continue to think their structure would merit
review, for at least some minor frustrations remain in trying to navigate it.
For example, the first link on the General Plan Update page, to the GPUSC under “Resources”
goes to the dissolved GPUSC rather than the currently active one. And the link to “Resolution
No. 2022-2” on the GPUSC page actually links to Resolution No. 2019-7, initiating the update
and creating the earlier GPUSC.
I found especially puzzling the implication on the cleaned-up “Newport, Together” home page
that the update process remains confined to the Housing Element, Circulation Element, Land
Use Element and Environmental Justice Policies.
Is that correct? Is the GPUSC really overseeing only a “focused” update?
That would be inconsistent with the RFP of agenda Item IV.d which seeks a consultant to assist
with a comprehensive update.
Item IV.a. Minutes of July 11, 2022
The passages shown in italics below are from the draft minutes. Suggested corrections are
indicated in strikeout underline format.
Page 1, Item III (Public Comments on Non-Agenda Items): “None Jim Casey expressed his
appreciation for the opporunity to participate and for the posted staff reports.” [See video
at 0:1:39. It is not clear why this is shown as “None” for there was definitely a comment.]
Page 1, Item IV.b, paragraph 2, sentence 5: “The last one, delivered on June 28, 2022,
addressed three four main comments: affirmatively furthering fair housing, disrepair for of
senior housing, mixed use zoned property development, and residential care facility/group home
issues.”
Page 2, paragraph 4: “Next steps include working with HCD to receive a substantial
substantially compliant letter and return to Council for readoption in September 2022.”
Page 2, paragraph 6: “In response to Nancy Scarbrough’s question about how overlay
allowances, once enacted, can be rescinded, Deputy Community Development Director
Campbell indicated that the intent will be that no more housing is required or allowable in the
focus areas once the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) number is satisfied which
would be written into the overlay and General Plan policies.”
Page 2, paragraph 7: “In response to Jim Mosher’s question about the Council’s rejection of
a proposal to initiate code changes to allow housing closer to the airport, Community
Development Director Jurjis explained that the Council was not ready to reduce the inclusionary
General Plan Update Steering Committee - August 8, 2022 Item No. IV(a) - Additional Materials Received Draft Minutes of July 11, 2022
August 8, 2022, GPUSC agenda item comments - Jim Mosher Page 2 of 4
zoning percentage at the time of review which resulted in a rejected request along with other
General Plan elements that were grouped together on the Consent Calendar.” [This response
would be particularly unintelligible without knowing what the question was.]
Page 3, Item IV.d, paragraph 1, sentence 3: “It is comprised of 10 elements with six required by
state law for land use, safety, noise and natural resources, and housing and circulation, and for
four optional elements addressing the harbor and bay, historical resources, recreations
recreation, and arts and cultural culture.” [The name is “Arts and Cultural Element” but it
addresses arts and culture.]
Page 3, Item IV.d, paragraph 2, sentence 2: “He further explained that the Land Use Element
and Rezoning section describes how the City will implement the Housing Element, and that
density penned planned for mixed use property must be consistent with the density in the
General Plan and Rezoning and requires a Charter Section 423 vote on the March 2024 ballot
which is consistent with the Housing Element timeline.”
Page 4, first full paragraph: “Jim Mosher questioned if the ballot measure vote could take place
during the normal municipal election in November 2024 and the missing 45-day time gap
between the land use commission Airport Land Use Commission override notice and
approval date.”
Item IV.b. Update on the Schedule for Adoption of the Housing and
Circulation Elements
If we are trying to achieve a General Plan consisting of citizen-driven elements working
harmoniously together, I continue to be unclear why the Circulation Element is being pushed
forward ahead of the others – especially ahead of the Land Use Element it is supposed to
support.
And although a draft Circulation Element has been posted online1 for some time, it doesn’t seem
to me it’s had much real public review or that anyone has actually read it.
Based on a very cursory examination, prompted by a hope to learn something about expected
future traffic volumes on the arterial road above which I live, I would guess the few who have
read the document must be puzzled by its references to “Figure CE1” and “Figure CE2,”
purportedly showing the “Newport Beach Circulation Element - Master Plan of Streets and
Highways” and “cross-section” – when no such figures are (as best I can tell) provided.
The Figure CE1 of the existing Circulation Element adopted in 2006 is a Master Plan of Streets
and Highways last updated in 1999. It shows roads through Banning Ranch and the 19th Street
bridge connecting that area to Huntington Beach. Are any changes to that being proposed
through adoption of a new 2022 Circulation Element? It would seem important to know.
1 There may even be a printed copy near the Planning Division counter at City Hall. I don’t know. But I
can find none listed in our library catalog. Nor do I see any copies of the draft Housing Element listed. Or
of any parts of our current General Plan.
General Plan Update Steering Committee - August 8, 2022 Item No. IV(a) - Additional Materials Received Draft Minutes of July 11, 2022