Newport council considers potential operator for Balboa Peninsula Trolley

The Newport Beach City Council on Tuesday will consider approving a service agreement for an operator of the Balboa Peninsula Trolley.

City staff recommends that Professional Parking Corp. run the shuttle, which is set to begin transporting visitors and residents around the popular recreation district this summer.

The Signal Hill-based company would be paid $116,910 for the first year and have the option to renew the agreement through 2023. The funds would come largely from Measure M, Orange County’s half-cent sales tax for transportation projects, with some money coming from the city’s Balboa Village parking revenue.

The free-to-ride shuttle is planned to run between Hoag Hospital and Balboa Village on weekends from June 17 to Sept. 3, plus July 4.

In other agenda items Tuesday:

Sculptures

Arts Orange County could remain the manager of the next two phases of the sculpture garden in Civic Center Park.

The council could extend a $105,731 contract to Arts OC, a nonprofit countywide arts council, to provide coordination, site management and artist payments.

Sculptures created by artists from across the nation are selected to sit in the park for two years on a rotating schedule. Ten sculptures for the third phase of the project will be installed this fall, and the sculptures from the second phase will be removed this summer.

Funding comes from the Visit Newport Beach Arts Contributions budget.

Parking and beaches

The city may add its Balboa Parking Management overlay district and beachfront encroachment policies to its coastal plan on file with the California Coastal Commission.

The city adopted the Balboa Parking Management district in 2015 as part of the zoning code. It was included in initial drafts of the Local Coastal Program but dropped at the request of commission staff.

The district affects Balboa Village between Adams and A streets by eliminating required off-street parking for offices, retail and restaurants, maintaining existing off-street parking facilities and allowing shared use of parking facilities in the densely developed, popular beach and harbor recreation corner of the Balboa Peninsula.

The city approved a beach encroachment program in July for the stretch of coastal homes between 1400 E. Ocean Front and the Wedge. But the approval happened after the city’s Local Coastal Program was submitted to the Coastal Commission. A vote Tuesday could forward the encroachment plan to make the Local Coastal Program internally consistent.

Encroachments typically are grass or other plants but sometimes walkways, patio furniture and yard adornments that extend beyond the property line and onto the public beach. Under city policy, they are allowed up to 15 feet past the property line through that stretch.

Mooring

The council will take its second and final vote on updated mooring regulations.

Two key updates to the regulations: unlimited mooring transfers, up to once a year over the life of a permit; and an increase in the transfer fee from half the annual rent to 75% of the rent.

The council gave its initial OK to the changes March 28.

Tuesday’s regular meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 100 Civic Center Drive.

hillary.davis@latimes.com

Twitter: @Daily_PilotHD