HomeMy WebLinkAboutF-4 - Report From City Manager On View Site Properties On Cliff Drive. ---,
CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
January 24, 1972
TO: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
FROM : City Manager
SUBJECT: VIEW-SITE PROPERTIES ON CLIFF DRIVE
RECOMMENDATION:
COUNCIL AGENDA
·1 TEM #F-4
~ .. .,. _____ _
That the staff pursue acquisition of the state property and further
pursue Alternate four explained herein.
DISCUSSION:
Attached you will find a copy of a report from the Community Development
Director concerning four possible methods to preserve the public view on Cliff
Drive and a copy of a memo from the Public Works Department concerning the history
of the grading on the Arthofer property. The four possible methods to preserve
views as described by the Community Development Director are:
l. Fee title acquisition.
2. Air space acquisition
3. Imposing of height limits by amending the zoning ordinance.
4. Compromise with the property owners to permit other than
R-1 development in return for a low profile building.
With respect to one above, the assessed valuation multiplied by four
gives an appraised value of approximately $200,000. It is my personal belief
that the land acquisition would exceed $200,000.
With respect to two above, the acquisition of air space is considered
to be nearly as expensive as fee title acquisition. Naturally the value and ,
the r efore, the cost to the City, would vary depending upon the extent of the air
space acquisition. Time has not permitted an appraisal of this possibility.
With respect to the third alternate, the Planning Commission has been
briefed and the Commission has indicated an extreme reluctance to establish such
height limits, particularly if it is for the view preservation of only the ad -
jacent property owners.
With respect to the fourth possibility, the property owner has indicated
a willingness to limit the height of the building to curb level, provided he can
construct a convalescent home .
Page -2-
A fifth possibility of preserving a view site for the public is the
acquisition by the City of excess state right-of-way property. Attached you
will find a copy of a letter sent to the State Division of Highways concerning
this possibility. A telephone conversation with the State Division of High-
ways indicated either the possibility of the City acquiring the parcel through
purchase, or of the City leasing the site. Section 104.15 of the Streets and
Highways Code authorizes the State Division of Highways to lease recreation
sites for $100.00 per year. The State Division of Highways indicated that
they could have a more definitive answer to the City 1 s request within two
weeks. In the meantime, I have been contacted by the Minister of the Baptist
Church. They indicated a desire to acquire the church building, but also
indicated an interest to cooperate with the City.
RLW:mm
Attachments
CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
TO! City Manager
FROM: Community Development Director
SUBJECT: View-site Properties on Cliff Drive
There are four possible methods to preserve the views on Cliff
Drive for adjacent property owners or for the general public .
The first of these and probably the most desirable is outright
acquisition. The second is the acquisition of development
rights above the height which would inhibit views from the
street. This probably would cost somewhat less than outright
acquisition and would not prevent development of the properties .
The third would be restricting of height by the adopting of
zoning regulations establishing a height limit or a view plane.
Under present regulations the property owner could construct
a dwelling at a height approximately twenty-fi~e feet above
the curb . Structures of this height would inhibit views :@4'
from the street and all the properties on the north side of
Cliff Drive . A height limit of ten feet above the curb would
permit views from those properties built on high land on the
north side of Cliff Drive. A height limit of three feet would
allow views from all properties across the street and from
automobiles on Cliff Drive and pedestrians using the sidewalks
in the area. In order to be most effective, the height limit
should be established at three feet with a view plane running
at an angle to the bulkhead line of the north side of the bay.
This would prevent a building extending outward from the bluff
to such an extent that it would cut off the view in spite of
the lower height limit . Mr. Fowler has prepared a report for
me, which I have attached, demonstrating how a structure could
be built on the slope.
I have informally discussed the idea of a height limit with the
Planning Commission, and they have indicated an extreme reluc-
tance to establish such height limits, particularly if its
only effect would be the preservation of the view for adjacent
property _ owners at the expense of the owners of undeveloped
property.
There is the additional problem of the
both sides of Coast Highway. Property
Coast Highway in this general vicinity
permits a height of thirty-five feet.
property fronting on
on the north side of
is zoned C-1-H which
The property on the bay
TO: Ci ty Manager -2.
side of Coast Highway is zoned C-0 -Z which permits a height
of eighty-five feet . Even if that on the bay side of Coast
Highway were reduced permanently to a height limit of thirty -
five feet, it would effectively block all views to the bay
if it were fully developed . From Cliff Drive any view to the
bay is blocked by the Stuft Shirt Restaurant. If the property
in this general vicinity is more intensively developed, the
reduction of views will be subsequently effected regardless
of what is done on Cliff Drive .
The fourth possibility is that of working with the property
owners to permit other development ,other than sin g le -family
residential, provided he is willing to voluntarily r e strict
the height. Such a possibility could enable the City to
secure the view at a reduced cost without reducing t h e value
of the properties to the owners .
C--January 18, 1972
DATE
V. Hogan RVH/kk