Housing plans at Lower Bayview scaled down

June Casagrande

City officials have revised their plans for an affordable senior

housing complex at Lower Bayview Landing in hopes that the California

Coastal Commission will approve the scaled-down project.

The plans, which once called for three buildings containing a

total of 150 apartments, now call for two buildings with 120 units

that won’t cut as far into the bluff. City officials met with the

project developer and others on Wednesday to craft the revised

project after the Coastal Commission rejected the larger project last

month.

“I have concerns about the Coastal Commission’s motivations in

dealing with the city,” Mayor Steve Bromberg said. “I truly believe

that there is a stigma that they’ve attached to Newport Beach and

they’re determined to see how many hoops they can make us jump

through. I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t think so.”

Bromberg said that he considers it a “do or die” project and that

it’s unfortunate that the delay will add hundreds of thousands of

dollars to the project cost because of prevailing wage laws and added

planning and lobbying costs.

The commission rejected the city’s request for a permit to develop

the housing project on Lower Bayview Landing and a park atop the

adjacent bluff after environmentalists raised concerns about possible

wetlands at the site at Coast Highway and Jamboree Road.

Commissioners last month were split on the significance of several of

the supposed wetlands sites and allowed the city to submit a revised

permit request at the commission’s October meeting.

Another reason the commissioners opposed the original plan was

because it cut into the bluff to create space for one of the three

buildings. The revised plan does not call for cutting into the bluff.

Commissioners also shot down the city’s request to lower the bluff

to create better views for motorists and other passersby on Coast

Highway -- a longtime hope of Councilman Don Webb.

“I’m a little disappointed at the possibility of losing the

opportunity to improve our views,” Webb said. “I feel really strongly

that we need to go forward with the affordable housing, but I’m still

hopeful that we can at least create some view.”