Newport Beach hires constultant to help with ‘airport area’ redevelopment plans
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The sliver of Newport Beach that abuts John Wayne Airport may not look like much of a village now, containing wide thoroughfares dotted with corporate plazas, office buildings, hotels and a handful of dining options for white-collar workers.
But with state mandates requiring cities to plan for more housing, Newport Beach officials have long eyed the “airport area” as a practical place for redevelopment.
Toward that end, the Newport Beach City Council Tuesday unanimously approved a contract for the Orange-based Kimley-Horn and Associates consulting firm to aid in the preparation of a specific plan.
“We kind of have a blank canvas up there,” Councilmember Erik Weigand said of the airport area. “You can’t just have a bunch of housing. You have to have services, amenities and things that people will utilize [while] living there.”
Developer Ken Picerne is the sole funder listed for the Coalition for Responsible Housing, a group that recently qualified a ballot measure to amend Newport Beach’s state-required housing plan.
Weigand added that he would like to see the plan include shopping and entertainment amenities that woud help turn the area into a destination, rather than an arrival and departure zone for airport travelers.
Twenty years ago, Newport Beach’s general plan outlined an opportunity to transform the airport area into a mixed-use district with parks, paseos and residential villages contributing 2,200 housing units.
But piecemeal development has made the need for a specific plan more urgent, as only about 1,900 units have been entitled or constructed since that time.
The current housing cycle has identified nearly 2,600 units of potential housing that need to be accommodated in the city’s zoning code, in addition to those prescribed in the 2006 general plan.
Four firms competed for the consulting contract after Newport Beach issued a request for proposals last year. The $610,000 agreement with Kimley-Horn is for a two-year term with an option to renew for another year.
Consultants will assess the airport area’s current conditions, carry out public outreach and draft a specific plan that aligns with the city’s goals and vision.
Councilmembers approved a $100,000 budget amendment to fully fund the contract.
Adriana Fourcher, a Newport Beach resident and airport area property owner, encouraged the consultants to include stakeholders like those who own real estate and businesses in their outreach efforts.
A study presented to the Newport Beach City Council this month recommended policy changes to bring more restaurants, visitors and parking in an effort to revitalize Corona del Mar’s commercial corridor.
“If we’re talking about integrated uses, infrastructure and entertainment, where are we going to put it?” she asked. “Someone [will] have to sell their property…and there’s not a lot of open space over there.”
Newport Beach Mayor Lauren Kleiman and Councilmember Joe Stapleton recused themselves from the contract vote due to potential conflicts of interest.
Councilmember Noah Blom recognized the hiring of consultants as a key first step.
“It’s very important, especially as we look at some of the forced building we’re doing from Sacramento,” he said. “Part of the glory and everything we are in Newport is about defining our villages, making sure that they fit within who we are and making sure that they have the amenities that are needed for any residents that come to them.”
