NEWPORT BEACH : Pier Cleanup Gets Council’s Go-Ahead

The City Council on Monday gave the green light to several proposals for cleaning up Newport Pier, the site of recent nighttime crime and littering.

City workers will design and post signs in four languages--English, Spanish, Vietnamese and Hmong--instructing fishermen to clean up after themselves.

The city will also remove the wooden benches at the end of the pier, which are used more for cutting bait than sitting. Lastly, the city will begin cleaning the pier three mornings each week.

“It is a pigsty out there,” said council member John W. Hedges in the Monday afternoon meeting. No formal vote was taken Monday, but the City Council did give a clear indication that these steps should be taken immediately.

The Newport pier is popular for fishermen and others who spend the night on the pier fishing and sleeping. Because of that, the pier is riddled with remnants of bait, bloody fish heads, and sometimes lawn furniture and sleeping bags.

And twice this summer, shots were fired at night on the pier.

In August, gunfire erupted between rival gangs at the foot of the pier. One person was killed. About a month later, bystanders had to duck when a gang member opened fire on rivals. Another person died in that incident.

Though the seven-member council appeared divided, the panel will probably vote next month on whether to close both the Newport Pier and the Balboa Pier between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m.

The city also is studying ways to improve lighting in the area and whether to charge a fee for pier use.