NEWPORT BEACH : Battle Over Ballot Measure A Heats Up

With two weeks remaining before Election Day, the contentious campaign in Newport Beach for a ballot measure to purchase 138 acres of open space has arrived at people’s doorsteps and mailboxes.

The environmental group called the Newport Conservancy sent brochures to the city’s property owners last weekend and plans to send out another one. They hope to persuade voters to purchase two bluff-top properties surrounding the Upper Newport Bay from the Irvine Co. for $68 million.

On the other side, the Newport Taxpayers Alliance, with the help of the Chamber of Commerce in Newport Beach and Corona del Mar, also have an eleventh-hour strategy to bolster the opposition to the land deal projected to cost each single-family residence $120 per year for the next 30 years.

To literally drive home their message, hundreds of volunteers from both sides of the Measure A debate plan to knock on every door in town to make a personal campaign pitch.

“The battle of Election Day will be done in the mail, precinct walking and conversations over the back fence in the next two weeks,” said Paul Freeman, a political consultant working for the conservancy.

At stake on Nov. 2 is a proposed assessment district to finance the purchase of open space property known as Upper Castaways, Lower Castaways and Newporter North. In addition to the $120 per year assessment on homeowners, owners of apartments would pay $104 per unit and commercial property owners would have to pay $120 for every 2,000 square feet of space.

The measure must win at least 60% support to pass.

If it fails, the Irvine Co. could build 363 townhomes on the land, while setting aside about 60% of the land area for open space.

Since the public campaign began this summer, the conservancy has spent about $29,000 on advertising, staff costs and various other expenses, according to Jean H. Watt, president of the conservancy. The Newport Taxpayer’s Alliance has spent about $10,000 thus far, said Vic Sherreitt, co-chairman of that group, which sprang up this summer specifically to oppose this ballot measure. Sherreitt said there is very little money left in their war chest.

“We feel that the more information we get out to people, the more people will realize that this is not a good deal,” Sherreitt said.

The conservancy’s mailing campaign focuses on their proposal to set aside the vast majority of bluff-tops as open space while building a parking lot and athletic field on Upper Castaways near Dover Drive. The brochure also lists prominent community members who support Measure A, including Mayor Clarence J. Turner and Councilwomen Watt and Evelyn Hart.