HomeMy WebLinkAbout01 - Minutes - PowerPoint (Staff)January 27, 2015
Agenda Item No. 1
Item #14: Fire Rings in Newport Beach: Compliance with AQMD Rule #444 and Intended Compliance
with the California Coastal Act.
Motion by Council Member Peotter, seconded by Council Member Muldoon, to:
A) Authorize staff to implement an Interim Plan that would allow wood- burning upon adoption of the
Interim Plan, resulting in 15 wood - burning rings Citywide separated by at least 50'. Eight would be near
the Balboa Pier (to the eastern side) and seven at CdM State Beach; and
B) Authorize staff to ask AQMD to allow the City to define "Contiguous Beach Area" as being interrupted
by a specific distance of at least one mile or the Newport Harbor jetty entrance (for example). If AQMD
concurs, authorize staff to modify the Interim Plan to allow up to 30 wood - burning rings citywide, with
15 rings at Balboa E/W and 15 at CdM State Beach;
Interpreting the totality of the discussion that followed, City staff deemed that the next two
recommended actions (c) and (d) were included in the ending roll call vote for this item. Items(c)and
d are:
C) Authorize staff to amend the City's Coastal Development Permit (CDP) application for a Permanent
Plan that would return 60 wood - burning rings to the community, with: • 18 wood - burning rings at CclM
State Beach (13 separated by 100' within the 700' of residences, and five more outside of the 700' line);
• 26 wood - burning rings at the Balboa Pier area, with 13 on each side, all separated by 100'; • 9 wood -
burning rings at the Newport Pier /North area, separated by 100% • 7 wood- burning rings at Newport
Dunes, separated by 100'; and
D) If the Council deems the Permanent Plan ready for the Coastal Development Permit (CDP) process,
authorize staff to amend the CDP accordingly.
Council Member Peotter commented on the benefits of the proposed plan, noting that it would bring
the City into compliance with both the AQMD and the Coastal Commission, and addressed the cost of
implementing the plans. He added that the all -wood plan is the most economical.
In response to Mayor Pro Tern Dixon's inquiry regarding implementing a maximum distance between
fire rings, City Manager Kiff reported that they can be spread out throughout the extent of the City's
beaches and is something that staff could look at.
Council Member Curry commented on the number of fire rings in Huntington Beach and up and down
the coast throughout Southern California. He added that there are none in the City of Long Beach. He
reported that City Council and staff has worked with the community to develop a strategy that would
address the significant health issues related to wood smoke and noted that these health impacts cannot
be denied. He indicated that staff and City Council found a strategy that worked and noted a significant
increase in visitors to City beaches. Council Member Curry stated there should be an alternative for
people who want to use the fire rings but do so using clean fuel. He spoke against implementing all
wood fire rings and stated this is a manufactured campaign with paid, political people to generate this
interest. He commented on fire pit waste that would go into the ocean at high tide with the proposed
plan.
Council Member Muldoon stated that Mr. Ahmanson is a good American and patriot and thanked him
for his contributions. He noted that people will continue to have a choice in terms of the fuel used in the
fire rings and hoped there will continue to be respect and civil discourse on the matter.
Council Member Curry noted that there will be new rings in front of houses where they were not there
before. He commented on the issue of visitation to the beach and that if anyone thought that regulating
fire rings kept people away from beaches, it is simply not true. The beach experience should be
something that everyone can enjoy.
Mayor Selich noted this is a difficult situation and that the AQMD is the expert. He stated he is intrigued
regarding the idea of spreading the fire rings out along the beach to disperse their concentration. The
motion — as initially offered by Council Member Peotter to include items (a) and (b) and as interpreted
by staff to also include Items (c) and (d) - carried by the following roll call vote:
Ayes: Council Member Peotter, Council Member Petros, Council Member Duffield, Council Member
Muldoon, Mayor Selich
Noes: Council Member Curry, Mayor Pro Tern Dixon