Sand Berm Shaved to Appease Residents

Susan Rinek, a 23-year resident of west Newport, knows what can happen when heavy winter storms whip up the waves along the Newport Beach coast.

“In 1983, we had seaweed and sand all down the streets,” she said.

It was with that in mind, when weather forecasters sounded early warnings of a possible El Nino winter, that the city built a 9-foot-high berm in October to prevent flooding.

But the city’s protective move was not appreciated by everyone, and on Tuesday, after receiving complaints, workers bulldozed part of the berm.

As one resident wrote to a local newspaper: “Why in the world was it necessary to construct this unsightly berm three months before predicted storms? In the meantime, some of us are having house guests who we would like to show off our shoreline at its best.”

Some residents complained that the berm would diminish their property values, while others just didn’t like the way it looked.

“We felt it was a prudent thing to do at the time,” said City Manager Kevin J. Murphy. “Some people thanked us, but a lot were really unhappy with the berm.”

The city agreed to shave off enough sand from the top to allow residents to see over it. Murphy said the city will rebuild the berm if there are serious threats of storms and flooding.