HomeMy WebLinkAbout01 - Minutes - AmendedCity of Newport Beach
City Council Meeting
May 23, 2023
and Corona del Mar open mooring Melds to support that mooring boaters need room to navigate
safely.
Dick Andrews opposed the proposal, noted the weight of his boat, and expressed safety concerns for
stopping his boat within 30 feet of the next boat.
Jim Palmer supported the pilot program, but opposed the changes to NBMC Title 17 relative to
transferability.
Michael Lawler questioned when a new mooring permittee becomes nontransferable and the
definition of who the permit can be transferred to, and suggested the terms of the mooring permit
transferability be addressed.
Chris Bliss was unaware of safety issues in Mooring Field C and expressed concerns about the strong
currents, the ability to get on and off the moorings with a double mooring design, and navigational
challenges. He noted he has not seen a double row mooring in his 50 years of sailing and expressed
opposition to the proposal.
Captain James Haley indicated he submitted a letter, addressed safety and boat handling issues
relative to wind and currents, and expressed the opinion that Americas Cup Harbor and Newport
Harbor are not comparable and the new configuration would not offer increased safety.
John Fradkin, Newport Mooring Association (NMA) Board Member, expressed the opinion that the
proposed plan compromises boating safety, referenced Captain Haley's letter, noted efforts by the
NMA to educate the Harbor Commission on the nuances of getting on and off the moorings in
Newport Harbor, relayed the response from the Harbor Commission, and reviewed the U.S. Coast
Guard's designation for mooring fields as special anchorages.
Norman MacLeod opposed the proposed mooring configuration and revisions to NBMC Title 17, and
suggested parceling out the items for more discussion instead of bundling the proposal in one
approval.
Jennifer Krestan expressed concern for safety if all the boats f-aeed are unable to face the same
direction.
George Hylkema, NMA Board Member, noted a letter he sent expressing concerns for the double
mooring plan, emphasized that safety is his biggest concern with the proposed plan, expressed the
opinion that nothing is wrong with the current configuration that has been used for 100 years, and
suggested a review of the project goals and having a competent coastal engineering design review.
Charles Leahy suggested relocating the mooring weights and cans to create a more even
configuration, explained the issues with boats going through the mooring rows and placing boats in
close proximity, and noted differences between the Newport Harbor and Americas Cup Harbor.
Drew Colome noted challenges with the proposed plan and expressed his concerns for safety.
Scott Karlin, NMA Board Member, expressed the opinion that the changes to NBMC Title 17 do not
need to be included in this approval in order to begin the pilot program and noted concerns regarding
the transferability language, the description by the Harbor Commission for navigational concerns
and criteria for moving boats on and off, and missing row length procedures. He requested more
time to work with the City to improve the document.
Jerry LaPointe, NMA Board Member, expressed the opinion that all of the frontline stakeholders
would oppose the proposal due to the safety concerns, noted NMA's support for a better mooring
field and more effective plan, and indicated that NMA's NAIBC NBMC Title 17 suggestions were
not included in the document. He asked Council to consider a safety review and questioned the
Volume 65 - Page 558