HomeMy WebLinkAbout16 - Height Overlay District Zoning Code Amendment in West Newport Mesa - CorrespondenceReceived After Agenda Printed
May 12, 2015
Item No. 16
From: Stop Polluting Our Newport <Info @SPON- NewportBeach.org>
Sent: Friday, May 08, 2015 8:09 AM
To: Dept - City Council
Cc: Brown, Leilani
Subject: Height Overlay District Zoning Code Amendment for West Newport Mesa (PA2015 -047)
Attachments: City Council _150507.pdf
Dear Mayor Selich and Members of the City Council:
Please consider the attached comments as a follow -up to the SPON letters of March 18 and April 6 to the Planning
Commission. We submit them as Public Comments to Agenda Item #16 for the May 12 City Council Meeting.
If you would like to receive copies of our comments to the Planning Commission as well, let me know and we'll forward
them to you.
lea jDa
President
STOP POLLUTING OUR NEWPORT (SPON) is a 501.c.3 non - profit public education organization working to protect and preserve the residential and
environmental qualities of Newport Beach.
Still Protecting ur Newport
Inspiring The Next
Generation
PO Box 102 I Balboa Island, CA 92662 1 949.864.6616
OFFICERS
May 8, 2015
PRESIDENT
Marko Popovich
City of Newport Beach City Council
c/o Ed Selich, Mayor
VICE PRESIDENT
Elaine Linhoff
SUBJECT: Height Overlay District Zoning Code Amendment for West Newport
Mesa (PA2015 -047)
TREASURER
Dennis Baker
Dear Mayor Selich and Members of the City Council:
SECRETARY
Allan Beek
Please consider these comments as a follow -up to the SPON letters of March 18
and April 6 to the Planning Commission.
BOARD MEMBERS In lieu of assuming a height overlay is the solution, the request we continue to
Nancy Alston make is for a Specific Area Plan or a comprehensive plan for a cohesive
Iryne Black neighborhood with public amenities for the subject area, Statistical Area A2 in the
Sandy Genis West Newport Mesa.
Don Harvey
Dorothy Kraus
Donald Krotee In prior letters we have listed various policies found currently in our General Plan.
Andrea Lingle Those policies all state the desire to implement goals to reduce emissions as
Bobby Lovell required by State laws — while at the same time providing the additional benefit
Jeanne Price of a "livable, walkable" neighborhood.
Melinda Seely
Jack Most recently the need to implement these goals has become more urgent.
Nancy Skinner
Jean Watt Governor Jerry Brown has set tough new targets to make sure California actually
Portia Weiss meets its climate goal of an 80% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050. The new
Terry Welsh interim target is 40% by 2030. "To reach that goal, we have to tackle
transportation, the biggest source of carbon emissions."
ST P
o A 501.c.3 non - profit public education organization working to protect and preserve the residential and
m/ environmental qualities of Newport Beach.
a
oue www.SPON- NewportBeach.org I infO@SPON- NewportBeach.org
Facebook SPON- Newport Beach 1 Twitter @SPONNewport
Still Protecting ur Newport
Inspiring The Next
Generation
PO Box 102 1 Balboa Island, CA 92662 1 949.864.6616
May 8, 2015
Page Two
Interpreting these goals into planning for neighborhoods in Newport Beach is the City's responsibility
and since our City has limited ways to provide mass transit, the reduction of vehicle miles traveled
needs to come from more integrated neighborhoods allowing for shorter commutes and trips for
daily needs.
The opportunity that presents itself currently is the West Newport Mesa neighborhood which is
undergoing a piecemeal transition through development applications. With attention to the goal of
"a cohesive community with public amenities" the neighborhood could transition to a walkable,
livable community where residents could walk or bike tojobs and local services and, at the very least,
only have to drive short distances for daily needs and activities.
The West Newport Mesa is also unique in that the primaryjobs are at Hoag Hospital and surrounding
medical offices. A survey of those jobs and the housing needs of those workers could lead to a
jobs /housing balance and considerable reduction in commuting time.
Consideration should also be given to the 2006 General Plan which, after a great deal of community
outreach, continues to see this as one of the very few areas in the City for non - water - dependent
harbor - related industrial land uses.
Contrary to the statement made by the Planning Commission that multiple owners preclude doing a
Specific Area Plan, we hope you will see the unique opportunity here to do some laudable cohesive
and strategic planning — something the City Council can point to with pride.
Sincerely,
il2anl¢a �a�iovie�i
President
ST P
ON1 A 501.c.3 non - profit public education organization working to protect and preserve the residential and
/ environmental qualities of Newport Beach.
oue www.SPON- NewportBeach.org I Info @SPON- NewportBeach.org
Facebook SPON- Newport Beach 1 Twitter @SPONNewport