A good vision for the future of Newport

Two hundred people out of a population of 75,000 may not sound

like much, but when they are gathered together for a “visioning

summit,” it is.

The meeting, held last Saturday at the Oasis Senior Center, was

the latest piece to the complex puzzle that is Newport Beach’s

general plan update process. The general plan sets forth guidelines

for everything from coastal access to traffic to tourism, with

particular emphasis on development. It has not been updated since

1988.

Given the document’s importance to development, and given

Newport’s contentious atmosphere when it comes to how much more

growth the city can handle, it has been no surprise that the

mundane-sounding process has seen its share of fireworks over who

will be involved, what kinds of questions residents should be asked

and whether the city’s growth control law, Greenlight, will force the

plan before voters for approval.

That contentiousness was evident at the meeting, with some in

attendance skeptical about whether city leaders would listen to what

they had to say. It is a spark of skepticism that has been shared

throughout the process by leaders of the Greenlight movement, who

have watched the city’s actions closely.

Such oversight is healthy during important government action --

and make no mistake, changes to the general plan will color how much

traffic there is, whether more hotels are built and how the character

of Newport’s neighborhoods shift when houses are renovated.

But the city appears to be keeping the process up front and out in

the open. City leaders are not making these changes without resident

participation. The committee of residents involved has been a diverse

one, with members coming from a variety of backgrounds. Some have

development interests. Many do not. Meetings such as the visioning

fair offer another way for residents to learn about, and contribute,

to the future of the city.

The city deserves commendation for involving people in the

process. And those Newport Beach residents who attended the visioning

meeting deserve congratulations, and thanks, for taking the time to

do so.