Protesters Fail to Halt Plan Shifts Along Coast

Over the protests of some Orange County environmentalists, the California Coastal Commission on Thursday approved changes to the land-use plan for the Newport coast.

The amended plan shifts future development to the north and south in the hilly coastal area and changes some road plans.

Commission planners had objected to one piece of the plan, which would allow all 2,150 potential units of tourist housing to be individually owned condominiums or time-shares. That did not mesh with the state Coastal Act’s emphasis on public opportunities for coastal recreation, planners concluded.

A compromise calls for no more than 1,800 units to be individually owned, with the remaining 350 units earmarked for hotel, motel or similar accommodations. The area’s primary landowner, the Irvine Co., has agreed to the change, planners said.

But environmentalists still see the plan as flawed, saying it will increase residential density in some areas, boost traffic and destroy some views. They urged commissioners to research the plan more thoroughly before a vote.