City Aims to Improve Newport Boulevard

Saying that parts of Newport Boulevard have become unsafe and unsightly, the City Council approved a policy this week aimed at improving the stretch of road north of downtown.

Because the number of tourists staying at motels along the boulevard has dwindled in recent years, many of those lodgings have fallen into disrepair, and some have become havens for prostitutes, officials said.

The city will not shut down any existing motels, officials said, but in the future it will give permits only to those that fall under the new guidelines.

Also, saying that the strip has enough auto repair shops, council members declared that no new ones may open.