NEWPORT BEACH : Plans for College in Eastbluff Area OKd

Residents of the Eastbluff neighborhood angrily threw agendas to the floor and stormed out of a late-night meeting as a school board approved a controversial project in their area.

After months of testimony from residents who do not want Coastline College to operate at a former elementary school in their neighborhood, the board late Tuesday approved a lease that will bring the district a much-needed $100,000 this school year.

“We need to generate $100,000 this year,” said Newport-Mesa Unified School District Trustee Sherry Loofbourrow. The board approved the plan 6 to 0, with Trustee Edward H. Decker abstaining because he is employed by the district that oversees the college.

Trustees said suggested alternatives, such as use of the site as a day-care center, would require renovations that would delay a lease for at least a year. They noted that college officials had scaled back much of their earlier proposal to meet residents’ concerns.

Coastline agreed to close the facility at 6 p.m. rather than 9 p.m. nightly, and promised not to install outdoor lighting, which residents feared would glare into their homes. College officials also promised to offer day care at the site and agreed to restrict student parking to areas that would not affect neighbors.

Many residents said they were not convinced that the college would hold true to its scaled-down plan.

The college plans to open its doors in fall, offering a range of courses, including traditional community college classes and others in creative arts and career development.