Bay Knolls Denied Bid to Be Under City Sway
A plea from the Bay Knolls neighborhood to be included in Newport Beach’s sphere of influence has been rejected by the City Council in a split vote.
“It doesn’t make sense geographically,” Councilman John W. Hedges said.
The unincorporated area west of the Upper Newport Bay was originally considered in Newport Beach’s sphere, but several years ago it began to fall under Costa Mesa’s.
Dozens of residents who attended the council’s meeting said they wanted to be included in Newport Beach because their property documents list their addresses in the city. They already succeeded in being dropped from Costa Mesa’s sphere of influence, which determines which city would have first chance to annex the neighborhood.
Hedges, Councilwoman Norma Glover and Councilman John E. Noyes Jr. voted against change. Mayor Thomas C. Edwards, Councilman Dennis D. O’Neil and Councilwoman Janice A. Debay voted in favor. Councilman Tom Thomson abstained. The deadlock meant the request failed to pass.
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