Harbor Commission to review project plans
The Newport Beach Harbor Commission will review a plan Wednesday for about $100 million worth of projects.
The projects range from more dredging in Newport Harbor to replacing Balboa Island’s seawalls.
Maintenance of Newport’s tidelands, areas including the beaches, bays and marshes, is partially paid by fees levied on harbor users and businesses, but city leaders say the needs far exceed that budget. This list, produced by the Tidelands Management Committee, is an effort to quantify all of the projected costs.
“The harbor has never had a complete plan for specific projects,” Harbor Resources Manager Chris Miller said. “It has always been reactionary.”
In anticipation of rising sea levels, engineers have said the city should replace or extend the Balboa Island seawalls. That project alone is estimated to cost $68 million, but Miller said that is a rough estimate and much work remains in the planning.
The committee pegged more detailed dates and costs to other projects, like $10 million for building the Marina Park marina, beginning in 2013, and $1.5 million to dredge the Semeniuk Slough in 2015.
The grand total includes about $9 million of dredging projects that were either completed or already approved by the City Council.
The commission will review the findings at its 6 p.m. meeting Wednesday in the Council Chambers, 3300 Newport Blvd.
After the commission reviews the plan, the committee and council still have to formally approve it.
Twitter: @mreicher
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