HomeMy WebLinkAbout19 - Authorizing an Appeal of the RHNA and Amending the Purpose of the Housing Element Update Advisory Committee - CorrespondenceOrange Coast River Park
Conservancy
PO Box 12932
Newport Beach, CA
92658-5079
http://ocriverpa rk.o rg/
President
Robert Wilson
Vice President
Nancy Gardner
Treasurer
Bo Glover
Secretary
Dennis Baker (acting)
Assistant Secretary
Vacant
Past President
Dennis Baker
Board Members
Dean Abernathy
Phillip Greer
John Villa
Robyn Vettraino
Communications
Manager
Samantha Washer
Advisory Board
Members
Lizz Flowers
Ann Harmer
Lena Hayashi
John Kappeler
Sarah Kimball
Rory Paster
Kristen Petros
Everette Phillips
Ed Siebel
Robert Staples
Jean Watt
Dedicated to uniting
communities around
the creation of a
greater Orange Coast
River Park,
Received After Agenda Printed
October 13, 2020
Item No. 19
City Council, City of Newport Beach
100 Civic Center Drive
Newport Beach, CA 92660
October 9, 2020
RE: October 13, 2020 Meeting, Current Businees Item 19: Resolution Nos. 2020-92
and 2020-93: Authorizing an Appeal of the Regional Housing Needs Assessment and
Amending the Purpose of the Housing Element Update Advisory Committee
Honorable Mayor O'Neill and Council Members of the City Of Newport Beach:
The Orange Coast River Park Conservancy (OCRP) understands the City's need and
rationale for directing the Housing Element Update Advisory Committee (HEUAC) to
focus on updates to the Housing Element of the General Plan and to assign responsibility
for the Circulation Element to the Planning Commission. However, we are concerned that
this focus may downplay the need for HEUAC and the Planning Commission to
adequately review proposed changes to ensure that they do not ignore, minimize,
contradict, or override purposes and provisions in other Elements of the General Plan,
such as the Natural Resources Element, for example.
As the past months have shown, open space provides not just habitat and aesthetic
benefits but provides critical public health benefits. While understanding the rationale
for the city's focus on the Housing and Circulation Elements of the General Plan, however,
we have a concern. As you know, all elements in the General Plan are considered equal,
but developing these two without reference to the others gives those two undue weight,
especially once the Housing Element is certified. While the emphasis on these Elements
is justified in this situation, we urge the Council to also provide direction to the HEUAC
and the Planning Commission that their proposed changes also be analyzed in regards to
the impact they may have on the other General Plan Elements. Our intent is that
unintended consequences of changes might not provide or might hinder the protections
that will ensure the continuing existence of our open space and may make it difficult, if
not impossible, to optimally plan for new areas such as Banning Ranch.
We encourage the city to broaden the perspective of the General Plan process so that
even if the other elements cannot be fully completed by the state's arbitrary deadline for
the Housing Element they will be considered hand-in-hand with Housing and Circulation
so that we have a well-balanced plan giving equal importance to each Element.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on this update.
Respectfully,
a _11�
Bob Wilson
Current Board President
Orange Coast River Park Conservancy
Cc: (via email): Seimone Jurjis, Community Development Director