HomeMy WebLinkAbout2/4/2014 - Land Use Element Amendment Adv. Comm.
CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH
LAND USE ELEMENT AMENDMENT ADVISORY
COMMITTEE AGENDA
NEWPORT BEACH CENTRAL LIBRARY, FRIENDS ROOM
1000 AVOCADO AVENUE
April 1, 2014 - 2:30 PM
Committee Members Staff Members
Ed Selich, Council Member (Chair) Kim Brandt, Community Development Director
Nancy Gardner, Council Member Brenda Wisneski, Deputy Community Development Director
Kory Kramer, Planning Commissioner Gregg Ramirez, Senior Planner
Larry Tucker, Planning Commissioner Leonie Mulvihill, Assistant City Attorney
Craig Batley, Member-At-Large Tony Brine, Traffic Engineer
Michael Melby, Member-At-Large Woodie Tescher, The Planning Center (consultant)
Patricia Moore, Member-At-Large Marissa Aho, The Planning Center (consultant)
Jim Walker, Member-At-Large
Paul Watkins, Member-At-Large
I.CALL MEETING TO ORDER
II.APPROVAL OF MINUTES
1.MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 4, 2014
(Attachment 1)
Recommended Action: Approve Meeting Minutes of February 4, 2014
III.CURRENT BUSINESS
1.REVISED GENERAL PLAN GLOSSARY AND IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAM
(Attachments 2 & 3)
Recommended Action: Review and Finalize.
2.ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW FINDINGS
The draft Screencheck Environmental Impact Report may be accessed at:
http://www.newportbeachca.gov/index.aspx?page=2289
Recommended Action: No formal action required.
3.LAND USE ELEMENT AMENDMENT RECOMMENDATIONS
a. Land Use Changes (Attachment 4)
Recommended Action: 1) Finalize Recommended Land Use Changes
b. Policy Amendments (Attachment 5)
Recommended Action: 1) Finalize Recommended Policy Amendments
4.PUBLIC COMMENTS & CORRESPONDENCE
(Attachment 6)
Recommended Action: Review and File
IV.PUBLIC COMMENTS ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS
V.ADJOURNMENT
This Committee is subject to the Ralph M. Brown Act. Among other things, the Brown Act requires that the Committee's agenda be posted at least seventy-two
(72) hours in advance of each regular meeting and that the public be allowed to comment on agenda items before the Committee and items not on the agenda
but are within the subject matter jurisdiction of the Committee. The Committee may limit public comments to a reasonable amount of time, generally three (3)
minutes per person.
It is the intention of the City of Newport Beach to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act ("ADA") in all respects. If, as an attendee or a participant at
this meeting, you will need special assistance beyond what is normally provided, the City of Newport Beach will attempt to accommodate you in every
reasonable manner. If requested, this agenda will be made available in appropriate alternative formats to persons with a disability, as required by Section 202
of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. Sec. 12132), and the federal rules and regulations adopted in implementation thereof. Please contact
the City Clerk's Office at least forty-eight (48) hours prior to the meeting to inform us of your particular needs and to determine if accommodation is feasible
(949) 644-3005 orcityclerk@newportbeachca.gov.
NEWPORT BEACH
ITEM TITLE: MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 4, 2014
ITEM SUMMARY: (Attachment 1)
Recommended Action: Approve Meeting Minutes of February 4, 2014
ATTACHMENTS:
Description
Attachment 1 Meeting Minutes
City of Newport Beach
Land Use Element Amendment Advisory Committee Minutes
Date: February 4, 2014
Location: Newport Beach Central Library – 1000 Avocado Avenue
Friends Room
Members Present: Edward Selich, Council Member (Chair)
Nancy Gardner, Council Member
Larry Tucker, Planning Commission
Craig Batley, At-Large
Patricia Moore, At-Large
Paul Watkins, At-Large
Michael Melby, At-Large
Members Absent: Kory Kramer, Planning Commission
Jim Walker, At-Large
Staff: Kim Brandt, Community Development Director
Brenda Wisneski, Deputy Community Development Director
Gregg Ramirez, Senior Planner
Leonie Mulvihill, Assistant City Attorney
Tony Brine, Traffic Engineer
Woodie Tescher, The Planning Center|DC&E (consultant)
Marissa Aho, The Planning Center|DC&E (consultant)
Marlie Whiteman, Urban Crossroads (consultant)
I. Call Meeting to Order
The meeting was called to order at 2:36 p.m. by Chair Selich.
II. Approval of the Minutes
Watkins moved to approve the minutes from January 7th as augmented by the audio tapes and comments received
from Walker and Jim Mosher.
Action: Minutes for January 7th, as amended, were unanaimously approved.
III. Finalize Goals & Policies
Tescher reviewed the additional policies including the group of sustainability policies and policy LU 6.14.4
(Development Scale).
Leonie Mulvihill reviewed the Memo from the City Attorney’s Office related to the sustainability policies (Attachment 3).
The City Attorney’s Office concurs with the recommendations from The Planning Center|DC&E. Subsequently Tescher
summarized The Planning Center|DC&E’s Memo dated February 3, 2014 to clarify mandates for climate change and
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions related to citywide and project specific applications.
Tescher, after discussion with Watkins in response to his policy recommendation, recommended further
documentation for incorporating additional climate change and GHG clarity within an implementation strategy, which
could include a Climate Action Plan or other documentation.
Mulvihill discussed the practical effect of the State requirements of CEQA related to the updated Land Use Element
Amendment.
Gardner moved to accept the language on page (handwritten) 10/11 and the draft policies as a whole as presented.
Selich seconded.
Land Use Element Amendment Advisory Committee
February 04, 2014 Minutes
Page 2
The committee engaged in further discussion on the Land Use Element Amendment process, additional resources for
the committee members to review and clarification of projects that would and would not be be subject to policies.
Public Comment:
A letter dated February 4, 2014 from Jean Watt was summarized. Watt called the committee’s attention to the
preservation of natural resources as a mitigation measure and asked to meet with staff.
Jim Mosher requested clarification on the committee’s ability to make policy recommendations if the ballot measure on
the entitlement portion of the update fails. Mulvihill provided additional clarification.
Moore asked to make a substitute motion to remove the following language pertaining to Policy LU X and approve the
sustainability policies.
LU X Land use development practices that contribute to a sustained natural environment fpr use by future
generations, economy, and well-being of Nrewport Beach’s residents, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and
impact on climate change.
Action: The substitute motion accept the policy language, but amend LU X, was unanimously approved.
The committee recommended final language for LU 6.14.4 that says:
LU 6.14.4 Development Scale CTo enable distinguished and quality architectural design to provide for increased
height for the development of a hotel on the eastern portion of the 100 block.
Gardner moved, Watkins seconded.
Public Comment:
Jim Mosher made a comment pertaining to spot zoning.
Action: Final language for LU 6.14.4, unanimously approved.
IV. Preliminary Traffic Analysis Findings
Marlie Whiteman reviewed and summarized the initial findings related to intersection deficiencies. She also discussed
the evaluation of VMT (Vehicles Miles Traveled). Tony Brine indicated that this is preliminary output from the traffic
study and there may be some slight changes after additional analysis is completed.
The only impacted intersection is in the City of Irvine at Von Karman Avenue and Alton Parkway. Initial analysis shows
the intersection with a Level of Service of “F”. Selich asked for further clarification on how the traffic study analyzes
intersections in Irvine. Brine and Whiteman discuss additional detailed analysis with the committee. Tucker asked what
the Committee options are regarding the intersection in Irvine. Brine indicated that there are not physical mitigations
that can be done and there may be other discussions with the City of Irvine to see what may be acceptable to them.
Tucker recommends a reduced project alternative.
19th Street Bridge is included in the analysis because it is part of the City’s Circulation Element, but additional traffic
model runs will be done without the 19th Street Bridge. Selich asked that the recommended mitigation be based on
impacts without the 19th Street Bridge. These numbers will be incorporated into the Final EIR.
Public Comment:
Jim Mosher asked that the presentation from the meeting be posted online.
Dorothy Krauss expressed concern related to the 2006 General Plan Introduction and Vision section.
Denys Oberman requests that changes to Design and Development for Lido Village (page 31) which references the
Lido Village Design Guidelines be removed.
Brandt discussed next steps for the traffic analysis, including complete analysis, identify appropriate alternatives, and
publishing the DEIR in mid-March. That document will be available for committee members and the public. The
committee will reconvene in early April to make their final recommendations.
Land Use Element Amendment Advisory Committee
February 04, 2014 Minutes
Page 3
Watkins discussed trip neutrality. Brandt reminded the committee that they recommended consideration of projects for
the environmental analysis. The project, recommended by the committee for analysis, was not trip neutral.
Brandt clarified that a trip neutral project will be incorporated as an alternative.
Melby discussed the importance of keeping the identity of Newport Beach in mind as the committee is making
recommendations and ensuring the best for the residents.
Public Comment:
The approveal procees was discussed in further detail.
V. Pubic Comment on Non Agenda Items
Gary Picket Recommended the following language for LU 6.19.10X Guiding Development of a District Corridor.
Initiate a process immediately to review and, as appropriate, revise existing development standards and the Mariners’
Mile Strategic Vision and Design Framework to ensure they adequately implement the vision for the form and quality of
Mariners’ Mile’s coastal and inland development for such elements as viewshed and resource protection; building
location, scale, mass, and height; architectural character and design; streetscape amenities; site access and parking;
traffic and connectivity to the bayfront while allowing for economically feasible improvements to the area.
Selich indicated that the Council has included this in their goals for next year.
VI. Adjournment Next Meeting Date: April 1, 2014, at 2:30 p.m.
NEWPORT BEACH
ITEM TITLE: REVISED GENERAL PLAN GLOSSARY AND IMPLEMENTATION
PROGRAM
ITEM SUMMARY: (Attachments 2 & 3)
Recommended Action: Review and Finalize.
ATTACHMENTS:
Description
Attachment 2 Glossary
Attachment 3 Implementation Program
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CHAPTER 14 Glossary
Access—A way of approaching or entering a property, including ingress (the right to enter) and
egress (the right to leave).
Accrete—To add new material gradually to pre-existing material; opposite of erode.
Accretion—Enlargement of a beach area caused by either natural or artificial means. Natural
accretion on a beach is the build-up or deposition of sand or sediments by water or wind. Artificial
accretion is a similar build-up due to human activity, such as the accretion due to the construction of a
groin or breakwater, or beach fill deposited by mechanical means.
Acres, Net—The portion of a site that can actually be built upon. The following generally are not
included in the net acreage of a site: public or private road right-of-way, public open space, and
floodways.
ADT—See Average Daily Traffic
Air Basin—One of 14 self-contained regions in California minimally influenced by air quality in
contiguous regions.
Air Pollutant Emissions—Discharges into the atmosphere, usually specified in terms of weight per
unit of time for a given pollutant from a given source.
Air Pollution—The presence of contaminants in the air in concentrations that exceed naturally
occurring quantities and are undesirable or harmful.
Airport-related Business—A use that supports airport operations including, but not limited to,
aircraft repair and maintenance, flight instruction, and aircraft chartering.
Air Quality Standards—The prescribed level of pollutants in the outside air that cannot be exceeded
legally during a specified time in a specified geographical area.
Alley—A narrow service way, either public or private, that provides a permanently reserved but
secondary means of public access not intended for general traffic circulation. Alleys typically are
located along rear property lines.
Alluvial—Soils deposited by stream action.
Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zoning Act—California state law that mitigates the hazard of
surface faulting to structures for human occupancy.
Ambient—Surrounding on all sides; used to describe measurements of existing conditions with
respect to traffic, noise, air and other environments.
Ambient Noise Level– The combination of noise from all sources near and far. In this context, the
ambient noise level constitutes the normal or existing level of environmental noise at a given location.
Anaerobic Soil—Soil that is devoid of interstitial oxygen. In wetlands this condition most normally
occurs because of the sustained presence of water, which limits contact with the atmosphere.
Anchorage Area—A water area outside of navigation channels designated for the temporary
anchorage of vessels, using their own anchoring tackle.
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Annexation—The incorporation of a land area into an existing city with a resulting change in the
boundaries of that city.
Apartment—(1) One or more rooms of a building used as a place to live, in a building containing at
least one other unit used for the same purpose. (2) A separate suite, not owner occupied, that includes
kitchen facilities and is designed for and rented as the home, residence, or sleeping place of one or
more persons living as a single housekeeping unit.
Appealable Area—That portion of the coastal zone within an appealable area boundary adopted
pursuant to Section 30603 of the California Coastal Act and approved by the Coastal Commission and
depicted on the Permit and Appeal Jurisdiction Map.
Approach Zone—The air space at each end of a landing strip that defines the glide path or approach
path of an aircraft and which should be free from obstruction.
Aquifer—An underground bed or layer of earth, gravel, or porous stone that contains water.
Area; Area Median Income—As used in California housing law with respect to income eligibility
limits established by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), “area” means
metropolitan area or nonmetropolitan county. In non-metropolitan areas, the “area median income”
is the higher of the county median family income.
Armor—To fortify a topographical feature to protect it from erosion (e.g., constructing a wall to
armor the base of a sea cliff).
Arterial—A major street carrying the traffic of local and collector streets to and from freeways and
other major streets, with controlled intersections and generally providing direct access to
nonresidential properties.
Artificial Hard Structure—Docks, floats, boat bottoms, bulkheads, seawalls, and other hard surfaces
that provide attachment surfaces for marine organisms.
ASBS—Area of Special Biological Significance designation by the California Water Resources Control
Board for a coastal habitat that is susceptible to the effects of waste discharge.
Assisted Housing—Generally multi-family rental housing, but sometimes single-family ownership
units, whose construction, financing, sales prices, or rents have been subsidized by federal, state, or
local housing programs, including, but not limited to, federal Section 8 (new construction, substantial
rehabilitation, and loan management set-asides), federal Sections 213, 236, and 202, federal Section
221(d)(3) (below-market interest rate program), federal Section 101 (rent supplement assistance),
CDBG, FmHA Section 515, multi-family mortgage revenue bond programs, local redevelopment and
in lieu fee programs, and units developed pursuant to local inclusionary housing and density bonus
programs.
Average Daily Traffic (ADT)—Number of vehicles (cars, trucks, etc.) on a road over a 24-hour
period (measured in vehicles per day).
A-Weighted Decibel or dB(A)—A numerical method of rating human judgment of loudness. The
A-weighted scale reduces the effects of low and high frequencies in order to simulate human hearing.
Backbeach (Dry Beach)—The sand area inundated only by storm tides or extreme high tides. These
areas supply sands to the dune system.
Base Flood Elevation—The highest elevation, expressed in feet above sea level, of the level of flood
waters expected to occur during a 100-year flood (i.e., a flood that has one percent likelihood of
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occurring in any given year).
Beach Nourishment Program—Plan for conducting a series of beach nourishment projects at a
specific location, typically over a period of 50 years. The program would be based on establishing the
technical and financial feasibility of beach nourishment for the site and would include plans for
obtaining funding and sources of sand for its duration.
Beach Nourishment Project—Placement of sand on a beach to form a designed structure in which
an appropriate level of protection from storms is provided and an additional amount of sand
(advanced fill) is installed to provide for erosion of the shore prior to the anticipated initiation of a
subsequent project. The project may include dunes and/or hard structures as part of the design.
Beach—The expanse of sand, gravel, cobble or other loose material that extends landward from the
low water line to the place where there is distinguishable change in physiographic form, or to the line
of permanent vegetation. The seaward limit of a beach (unless specified otherwise) is the mean low
water line.
Bed and Breakfast—Usually a dwelling unit, but sometimes a small hotel, that provides lodging and
breakfast for temporary overnight occupants, for compensation.
Bedrock—Solid rock underlying soil and younger rock layers; generally the oldest exposed geological
unit.
Berm—A nearly horizontal portion of the beach or backshore formed by the deposit of material by
wave action. Some beaches have no berms and others may have one or several.
Berth—A generic term defining any location, such as a floating dock, slip, mooring and the related
water area (berthing area) adjacent to or around it, intended for the storage of a vessel in water.
Best Management Practices (BMPs)—Schedules of activities, prohibitions of practices, operation
and maintenance procedures, and other management practices to prevent or reduce the conveyance of
pollution in stormwater and urban runoff, as well as, treatment requirements and structural treatment
devices designed to do the same.
Bicycle Lane (Class II facility)—A corridor expressly reserved for bicycles, existing on a street or
roadway in addition to any lanes for use by motorized vehicles.
Bicycle Path (Class I facility)—A paved route not on a street or roadway and expressly reserved for
bicycles traversing an otherwise unpaved area. Bicycle paths may parallel roads but typically are
separated from them by landscaping.
Bicycle Route (Class III facility)—A facility shared with motorists and identified only by signs, a
bicycle route has no pavement markings or lane stripes.
Bikeways—A term that encompasses bicycle lanes, bicycle paths, and bicycle routes.
Biodiversity—A term used to quantitatively or qualitatively describe the species richness and
abundance of plants and animals within an ecosystem.
Biological Community—A naturally occurring group of different plant and animals species that live
in a particular environment.
Bluff Edge—The upper termination of a bluff, cliff, or seacliff: In cases where the top edge of the
bluff is rounded away from the face of the bluff as a result of erosional processes related to the
presence of the steep bluff face, the bluff line or edge shall be defined as that point nearest the bluff
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beyond which the downward gradient of the surface increases more or less continuously until it
reaches the general gradient of the bluff In a case where there is a steplike feature at the top of the
bluff face, the landward edge of the topmost riser shall be taken to be the bluff edge. Bluff edges
typically retreat landward due to coastal erosion, landslides, development of gullies, or by grading
(cut). In areas where the bluff top or bluff face has been cut or notched by grading, the bluff edge
shall be the landward most position of either the current of historic bluff edge. In areas where fill has
been placed near or over the historic bluff edge, the original natural bluff edge, even if buried beneath
fill, shall be taken to be the bluff edge.
Bluff Face—The portion of a bluff between the bluff edge and the toe of the bluff.
Bluff Top Retreat (or cliff top retreat)—The landward migration of the bluff or cliff edge, caused
by marine erosion of the bluff or cliff toe and subaerial erosion of the bluff or cliff face.
Bluff, Coastal—A bluff overlooking a beach or shoreline or that is subject to marine erosion. Many
coastal bluffs consist of a gently sloping upper bluff and a steeper lower bluff or sea cliff. The term
“coastal bluff” refers to the entire slope between a marine terrace or upland area and the sea. The
term “sea cliff” refers to the lower, near vertical portion of a coastal bluff. For purposes of
establishing jurisdictional and permit boundaries coastal bluffs include, (1) those bluffs, the toe of
which is now or was historically (generally within the last 200 years) subject to marine erosion; and (2)
those bluffs, the toe of which is not now or was not historically subject to marine erosion, but the toe
of which lies within an area otherwise identified as an Appealable Area.
Bluff—A high bank or bold headland with a broad, precipitous, sometimes rounded cliff face
overlooking a plain or body of water. A bluff may consist of a steep cliff face below and a more
sloping upper bluff above.
Breach—A breakthrough of part, or all, of a protective wall, beach sand barrier, beach berm, or the
like by ocean waves, river or stream flow, mechanical equipment, or a combination of these forces.
Breaching is sometimes purposefully done to protect a region from river overflow.
Breakwater—A structure or barrier protecting a shore area, harbor, anchorage, or basin from waves,
usually constructed as a concrete or riprap (rock wall) structure.
Buffer—A strip of land designated to protect one type of land use from another incompatible use.
Where a commercial district abuts a residential district, for example, additional use, yard, or height
restrictions may be imposed to protect residential properties. The term may also be used to describe
any zone that separates two unlike zones, such as a multi-family housing zone between single- family
housing and commercial uses.
Building—Any structure having a roof supported by columns or walls and intended for the shelter,
housing or enclosure of any individual, animal, process, equipment, goods, or materials of any kind or
nature.
Building Height—The vertical distance from the average contact ground level of a building to the
highest point of the coping of a flat roof or to the deck line of a mansard roof or to the mean height
level between eaves and ridge for a gable, hip, or gambrel roof. The exact definition varies by
community. For example, in some communities building height is measured to the highest point of
the roof, not including elevator and cooling towers.
Buildout; Build-out—Development of land to its full potential or theoretical capacity as permitted
under current or proposed planning or zoning designations. (see “Carrying Capacity (3).”)
Bulkhead Line—Harbor land/water perimeter lines established in Newport Harbor by the federal
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government, which define the permitted limit of filling or solid structures that may be constructed in
the Harbor.
Bulkhead—Vertical walls built into and along the Harbor shoreline preventing the erosion of land
into the water and to protect the land from wave, tide and current action by the water, similar to a
“retaining wall” on land. Bulkheads may be directly bordered by water, or may have sloped stones
(riprap) or sand beach between the bulkhead and the water and land areas.
Busway—A vehicular right-of-way or portion thereof—often an exclusive lane—reserved exclusively
for buses.
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)—A state law (California Public Resources Code
Section 21000 et seq.) requiring state and local agencies to regulate activities with consideration for
environmental protection. If a proposed activity has the potential for a significant adverse
environmental impact, an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) must be prepared and certified as to
its adequacy before taking action on the proposed project. General Plans usually require the
preparation of a “Program EIR.”
California Housing Finance Agency (CHFA)—A state agency, established by the Housing and
Home Finance Act of 1975, authorized to sell revenue bonds and generate funds for the development,
rehabilitation, and conservation of low- and moderate-income housing.
California Least Tern—An endangered bird species that nests on beaches and in salt marshes along
California; smallest of the terns.
Caltrans—California Department of Transportation.
Canyon Edge—The upper termination of a canyon: In cases where the top edge of the canyon is
rounded away from the face of the canyon as a result of erosional processes related to the presence of
the canyon face, the canyon edge shall be defined as that point nearest the canyon beyond which the
downward gradient of the surface increases more or less continuously until it reaches the general
gradient of the canyon. In a case where there is a steplike feature at the top of the canyon face, the
landward edge of the topmost riser shall be taken to be the canyon edge.
Capital Improvement Program (CIP)—A proposed timetable or schedule of all future capital
improvements (government acquisition of real property, major construction project, or acquisition of
long lasting, expensive equipment) to be carried out during a specific period and listed in order of
priority, together with cost estimates and the anticipated means of financing each project. Capital
improvement programs are usually projected five or six years in advance and should be updated
annually.
Carbon Dioxide—A colorless, odorless, non-poisonous gas that is a normal part of the atmosphere.
Carbon Monoxide—A colorless, odorless, highly poisonous gas produced by automobiles and other
machines with internal combustion engines that imperfectly burn fossil fuels such as oil and gas.
Caulerpa Algae—An invasive Mediterranean seaweed introduced to southern California in 2000 that
has a potential to cause severe ecological damage to coastal and nearshore waters.
CDFG—California Department of Fish and Game (also known as DFG).
Census—The official decennial enumeration of the population conducted by the federal government.
Channel—A water area in Newport Harbor designated for vessel navigation, with necessary width
and depth requirements, and which may be marked or otherwise designated on federal navigation
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charts, as well as in other sources.
Charter Vessel—A vessel used principally for charter purposes, a “charter” being a rental agreement,
generally for a period of one day or more.
City—City, with a capital "C," generally refers to the government or administration of a city. City,
with a lower case "c" may mean any city.
City Council—The governing board of the City. The five-member elected council is responsible to
the electorate for keeping pace with changing community needs, for establishing the quality of
municipal services through the open conduct of public affairs, and for encouraging constructive
citizen participation.
Clast—An individual constituent, grain, or fragment of a sediment or rock, produced by the
mechanical weathering (disintegration) of a larger rock mass.
Cliff—A high, very steep to perpendicular, or overhanging face of rock.
Climate Action Plan (CAP)—A policy document enabling Newport Beach to comply with State
requirements for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions including Executive Order S-3-05;
Assembly Bill 32, The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006; and Senate Bill 375 and
consistency with the Orange County Sustainable Communities Strategy. CAPs provide analyses of the
GHG emissions attributable to the community; estimates of how those emissions are expected to
increase to 2020 and the horizon year of the General Plan; and recommended policies and actions that
can reduce GHG emissions to meet regional and state targets.
Climate Change—Increased average winter and spring temperatures during the past 50 years, with
reduction in snowpack coverage, water runoff and supply, and drier vegetative cover.
Cluster Development—Development in which a number of dwelling units are placed in closer
proximity than usual, or are attached, with the purpose of retaining an open space area.
CNDDB—California Natural Diversity Database.
Coastal Access—The ability of the public to reach, use or view the shoreline of coastal waters or
inland coastal recreation areas and trails.
Coastal Commission—The California Coastal Commission, the state agency established by state law
responsible for carrying out the provisions of the California Coastal Act and for review of coastal
permits on appeal from local agencies.
Coastal Development Permit (CDP)—A permit for any development within the coastal zone that
is required pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 30600.
Coastal Plan—The California Coastal Zone Conservation Plan prepared and adopted by the
California Coastal Zone Conservation Commission and submitted to the Governor and the
Legislature on December 1, 1975, pursuant to the California Coastal Zone Conservation Act of 1972
(commencing with Section 27000).
Coastal Zone—That land and water area of California from the Oregon border to the border of the
Republic of Mexico, specified on the maps identified and set forth in Section 17 of that chapter of the
Statutes of the 1975/76 Regular Session enacting this division, extending seaward to the state's outer
limit of jurisdiction, including all offshore islands, and extending inland generally 1,000 yards from the
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mean high tide line of the sea. In significant coastal estuarine, habitat, and recreational areas it extends
inland to the first major ridgeline paralleling the sea or five miles from the mean high tide line of the
sea, whichever is less, and in developed urban areas the zone generally extends inland less than 1,000
yards. The coastal zone does not include the area of jurisdiction of the San Francisco Bay
Conservation and Development Commission, established pursuant to Title 7.2 (commencing with
Section 66600) of the Government Code, nor any area contiguous thereto, including any river, stream,
tributary, creek, or flood control or drainage channel flowing into such area.
Coastal-dependent Development or Use—Any development or use which requires a site on, or
adjacent to, the sea to be able to function at all.
Coastal-related Development—Any use that is dependent on a coastal-dependent development or
use.
Collector—A street for traffic moving between arterial and local streets, generally providing direct
access to properties.
Collector Roadway—A collector roadway is a two-to-four-lane, unrestricted access roadway with
capacity ranging from 7,000 VPD to 20,000 VPD. It differs from a local street in its ability to handle
through traffic movements between arterials.
Community Care Facility—Any facility, place, or building which is maintained and operated to
provide non-medical residential care, day treatment, adult day care, or foster family agency services for
children, adults, or children and adults, including, but not limited to, the physically handicapped,
mentally impaired, incompetent persons, and abused or neglected children, and includes residential
facilities, adult day care facilities, day treatment facilities, foster family homes, small family homes,
social rehabilitation facilities, community treatment facilities, and social day care facilities.
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)—A grant program administered by the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on a formula basis for entitlement
communities, and by the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) for
non-entitled jurisdictions. This grant allots money to cities and counties for housing rehabilitation and
community development, including public facilities and economic development.
Community Noise Equivalent Level (CNEL)—The average equivalent sound level during a 24-
hour day, obtained after addition of five decibels to sound levels in the evening from 7 p.m. to 10
p.m. and after addition of 10 decibels to sound levels in the night after 10 p.m. and before 7 a.m. See
also "A-Weighted Decibel."
Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA)—A local agency created under California
Redevelopment Law, or a local legislative body that has elected to exercise the powers granted to such
an agency, for the purpose of planning, developing, re-planning, redesigning, clearing, reconstructing,
and/or rehabilitating all or part of a specified area with residential, commercial, industrial, and/or
public (including recreational) structures and facilities. The redevelopment agency’s plans must be
compatible with adopted community general plans.
Compatibility—The characteristics of different uses or activities that permit them to be located near
each other in harmony and without conflict. The designation of permitted and conditionally permitted
uses in zoning districts are intended to achieve compatibility within the district. Some elements
affecting compatibility include: intensity of occupancy as measured by dwelling units per acre; building
heights and mass; architectural design; pedestrian or vehicular traffic generated; volume of goods
handled; and such environmental effects as noise, vibration, glare, air pollution, or the presence of
hazardous materials. On the other hand, many aspects of compatibility are based on personal
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preference and are much harder to measure quantitatively, at least for regulatory purposes.
Condominium—A building, or group of buildings, in which units are owned individually, and the
structure, common areas and facilities are owned by all the owners on a proportional, undivided basis.
Congestion Management Plan (CMP)—A mechanism employing growth management techniques,
including traffic level of service requirements, development mitigation programs, transportation
systems management, and capital improvement programming, for the purpose of controlling and/or
reducing the cumulative regional traffic impacts of development. AB 1791, effective August 1, 1990,
requires all cities, and counties that include urbanized area, to adopt and annually update a Congestion
Management Plan.
Congregate Care Housing—Generally defined as age-segregated housing built specifically for the
elderly that provides services to its residents, the minimum of which is usually an on-site meal
program, but which may also include housekeeping, social activities, counseling, and transportation.
There is generally a minimum health requirement for acceptance into a congregate facility as most do
not offer supportive health care services, thus differing from a nursing home. Residents usually have
their own bedrooms and share common areas such as living rooms, dining rooms, and kitchens;
bathrooms may or may not be shared.
Conservation—The management of natural resources to prevent waste, destruction, or neglect.
Contour—A line on a topographic map or bathymetric (depth) chart representing points of equal
elevation with relation to a datum (point or set of points). Contour lines are usually spaced into
intervals for easier comprehension and utilization.
Council of Governments (COG)—A regional planning and review authority whose membership
includes representation from all communities in the designated region. The Southern California
Association of Governments (SCAG) is an example of a COG in Southern California.
Coverage—The proportion of the area of the footprint of a building to the area of the lot on which
its stands.
Cretaceous—A period of geologic time spanning 136-64 million years ago.
Critical Facility—Facilities housing or serving many people which are necessary in the event of an
earthquake or flood, such as hospitals, fire, police, and emergency service facilities, utility "lifeline"
facilities, such as water, electricity, and gas supply, sewage disposal, and communications and
transportation facilities.
Cul-de-sac—A short street or alley with only a single means of ingress and egress at one end and
with a turnaround at its other end.
Cumulative Effect (Cumulative Impacts)—The incremental effects of an individual project shall
be reviewed in connection with the effects of past projects, the effects of other current projects, and
the effects of probable future projects.
Current—A flow of water in a particular direction. Such flows can be driven by wind, temperature or
density differences, tidal forces, and wave energy. Currents are often classified by location, such as
longshore current, surface current, or deep ocean currents. Different currents can occur in the same
general area, resulting in different water flows, for example, a rip current can flow perpendicular to
the shore through the surf zone, a long shore current may flow southerly, parallel to the coast and a
seasonal deep water current may flow to the north.
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Day-Night Average Level (Ldn)—The average equivalent sound level during a 24-hour day,
obtained after addition of 10 decibels to sound levels in the night after 10:00 P.M. and before 7:00 A.M.
See also “Community Noise Equivalent Level.”
Decibel (dB)—A unit for describing the amplitude of sound, as it is heard by the human ear. See
also “A-Weighted Decibel,” “Community Noise Equivalent Level,” and “Day-Night Average Level.”
Dedication—The turning over by an owner or developer of private land for public use, and the
acceptance of land for such use by the governmental agency having jurisdiction over the public
function for which it will be used. Dedications for roads, parks, school sites, or other public uses
often are made conditions for approval of a development by a city.
Dedication, In lieu of—Cash payments that may be required of an owner or developer as a
substitute for a dedication of land, usually calculated in dollars per lot, and referred to as in lieu fees of
in lieu contributions.
Demolition—The deliberate removal or destruction of the frame or foundation of any portion of a
building or structure for the purpose of preparing the site for new construction or other use.
Density—The number of families, individuals, dwelling units or housing structures per unit of land;
usually density is expressed "per acre." Thus, the density of a development of 100 units occupying 20
acres is 5 units per acre.
Density Bonus—The allocation of development rights that allow a parcel to accommodate
additional square footage or additional residential units beyond the maximum for which the parcel is
zoned, usually in exchange for the provision or preservation of an amenity at the same site or at
another location.
Density Transfer—A way of retaining open space by concentrating densities, usually in compact
areas adjacent to existing urbanization and utilities, while leaving unchanged historic, environmentally
sensitive, or hazardous areas.
Developable Acres, Net—The portion of a site that can be used for density calculations. Some
communities calculate density based on gross acreage. Public or private road rights-of-way are not
included in the net developable acreage of a site.
Developable Land—Land that is suitable as a location for structures and that can be developed free
of hazards to, and without disruption of, or significant impact on, natural resource areas.
Developer—An individual who or business which prepares raw land for the construction of
buildings or causes to be built physical building space for use primarily by others, and in which the
preparation of the land or the creation of the building space is in itself a business and is not incidental
to another business or activity.
Development—The division of a parcel of land into two or more parcels; the construction,
reconstruction, conversion, structural alteration, relocation or enlargement of any structure; any
mining, excavation, landfill or land disturbance, and any use or extension of the use of land.
Development Impact Fees—A fee or charge imposed on developers to pay for the costs to the city
of providing services to a new development.
Development Plan—A plan, to scale, showing uses and structures proposed for a parcel or multiple
parcels of land. It includes lot lines, streets, building sites, public open space, buildings, major
landscape features, and locations of proposed utility services.
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Development Rights—The right to develop land by a landowner that maintains fee-simple
ownership over the land or by a party other than the owner who has obtained the rights to develop.
Such rights usually are expressed in terms of density allowed under existing zoning. For example, one
development right may equal one unit of housing or may equal a specific number of square feet of
gross floor area in one or more specified zone districts.
Disturbed—A term used to identify a biological habitat that has been altered by natural or man-made
events.
Dock—A structure generally linked to the shoreline, to which a vessel may be secured. A dock may
be fixed to the shore, on pilings, or floating in the water.
Dominant—The major plant or animal species in a community.
Downcoast—In the United States usage, it is the coastal direction generally trending toward the
south; also the way in which current flows.
DPR—California Department of Parks and Recreation.
Dry Storage—Dry storage of vessels includes all on-land storage of vessels including vessels normally
stored in open or enclosed rack structures, on trailers, on cradles, on boat stands, or by other means.
Dune—Ridges or mounds of loose, wind-blown material usually sand. A dune structure often has a
back and foredune area. Stable dunes are often colonized by vegetation.
Duplex—A detached building under single ownership that is designed for occupation as the
residence of two families living independently of each other.
Dwelling—A structure or portion of a structure used exclusively for human habitation.
Dwelling Unit—One or more rooms, designed, occupied or intended for occupancy as separate
living quarters, with cooking, sleeping and sanitary facilities provided within the unit for the exclusive
use of a single family maintaining a household.
Dwelling, Multi-family—A building containing two or more dwelling units for the use of individual
families maintaining households; an apartment or condominium building is an example of this
dwelling unit type.
Dwelling, Single-family Attached—A one-family dwelling attached to one or more other one-
family dwellings by a common vertical wall; duplexes and townhomes are examples of this dwelling
unit type.
Dwelling, Single-family Detached—A dwelling which is designed for and occupied by not more
than one family and surrounded by open space or yards and which is not attached to any other
dwelling by any means.
DWR—California Department of Water Resources.
Easement—A limited right to make use of a land owned by another, for example, a right of way
across the property.
Ebb Tide—The period of tide between high water and the succeeding low water; a falling tide
(opposite = flood tide).
Economic Base—The production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services within a
planning area.
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Eelgrass—A marine flowering plant (Zostera marina) that is found primarily in coastal bays and
estuaries on soft substrate.
Elderly Housing—Typically one- and two-bedroom apartments or condominiums designed to meet
the needs of persons 62 years of age and older or, if more than 150 units, persons 55 years of age and
older, and restricted to occupancy by them. (See “Congregate Care.”)
El Niño—A term used to describe a cyclic weather pattern caused by changes in tropical ocean
current patterns that result in worldwide changes in weather patterns.
Element—A division of the General Plan referring to a topic area for which goals, policies, and
programs are defined (e.g., land use, housing, circulation).
Emergency Shelter—A facility that provides immediate and short-term housing and supplemental
services for the homeless. Shelters come in many sizes, but an optimum size is considered to be 20 to
40 beds. Supplemental services may include food, counseling, and access to other social programs.
(See “Homeless” and “Transitional Housing.”)
Eminent Domain—The authority of a government to take, or to authorize the taking of, with
compensation, private property for public use.
Emission Standard—The maximum amount of pollutant legally permitted to be discharged from a
single source, either mobile or stationary.
Endangered Species—A species of animal or plant is endangered when its prospects for survival
and reproduction are in immediate jeopardy from one or more causes.
Energy Facility—Any public or private processing, producing, generating, storing, transmitting, or
recovering facility for electricity, natural gas, petroleum, coal, or other source of energy.
Entertainment/Excursion Vessels—Commercial vessels engaged in the carrying of passengers for
hire for hire for the purposes of fishing, whale watching, diving, educational activities, harbor and
coastal tours, dining/drinking, business or social special events and entertainment.
Environment—The sum of all external conditions and influences affecting the life, development, and
survival of an organism.
Environmental Impact Report (EIR)—A report required of general plans by the California
Environmental Quality Act and which assesses all the environmental characteristics of an area and
determines what effects or impacts will result if the area is altered or disturbed by a proposed action.
(See “California Environmental Quality Act.”)
Environmental Study Area (ESA)—Relatively large, undeveloped areas containing natural habitats
and may be capable of supporting sensitive biological resources.
Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Area (ESHA)—Any area in which plant or animal life or their
habitat are either rare or especially valuable because of their special nature or role in an ecosystem and
which could be easily disturbed or degraded by human activities and development (PRC 30107.5).
Eocene—A period of geologic time spanning 54-38 million years ago.
Ephemeral—Short-lived (e.g., an ephemeral stream only flows immediately after rainfall).
Equilibrium Beach Width—The mean distance between the shoreline and backbeach line at which
sand contributions and losses are balanced.
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Equivalent Sound Level (LEQ)—The sound level corresponding to a steady noise level over a
given sample period with the same amount of acoustic energy as the actual time varying noise level.
The energy average noise level during the sample period.
Erode—The gradual wearing away and removal of land surface by various agents such as waves;
opposite of accrete.
Erosion—The wearing away of land by natural forces. On a beach, the carrying away of beach
material by wave action, currents or the wind.
Estuarine System—Deepwater tidal habitats and adjacent tidal wetlands that are usually semi-
enclosed by land but have open, partly obstructed, or sporadic access to the ocean, with ocean water
at least occasionally diluted by freshwater runoff from the land. The upstream and landward limit is
where ocean-derived salts measure less than 0.5 parts per thousand during the period of average
annual low flow.
Estuary—The region near a river mouth in which the fresh water of the river mixes with the salt
water of the sea.
Evaluation—Process by which a project's performance is determined relative to criteria developed
for this purpose.
Exaction—A contribution or payment required as an authorized precondition for receiving a
development permit; usually refers to mandatory dedication (or fee in lieu of dedication) requirements
found in many subdivision regulations.
Exclusion Area—That portion of the coastal zone within an exclusion area boundary adopted
pursuant to the California Coastal Act and approved by the Coastal Commission after the effective date
of the delegation of development review authority and depicted on the certified Permit and Appeal
Jurisdiction Map. Development within this area is excluded from coastal development permit
requirements if certain criteria identified in the adopted exclusion are met.
Exclusion Areas Map—A map depicting those areas where specified development types are
excluded from the coastal development permit requirements.
Fast-food Restaurant—Any retail establishment intended primarily to provide short-order food
services for on-site dining and/or take-out, including self-serve restaurants (excluding cafeterias where
food is consumed on the premises), drive-in restaurants, and formula restaurants required by contract
or other arrangement to offer standardized menus, ingredients, and fast-food preparation.
Fault, Active—A fault that has moved within the last 11,000 years and that is likely to move again
within the next 100 years.
Fault, Inactive—A fault which shows no evidence of movement in the last 11,000 years and no
potential for movement in the relatively near future.
Fault, Potentially Active—A fault that last moved within the Quaternary Period (the last 2,000,000
to 11,000 years) before the Holocene Epoch (11,000 years to the present); or a fault that, because it is
judged to be capable of ground rupture or shaking, poses an unacceptable risk for a proposed
structure.
Fault—A rock fracture accompanied by displacement.
Feasible—Capable of being accomplished in a successful manner within a reasonable period of time,
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taking into account economic, environmental, social, and technological factors.
Federal Coastal Act—The federal Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1451, et seq.), as
amended.
FEMA—Federal Emergency Management Agency.
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Fen—A unique type of wetland characterized by a saturated substrate dominated by organic material
in which acidic conditions (pH < 7) prevail. Contrast with a bog, which has a saturated substrate
dominated by organic material in which basic conditions (pH > 7) prevail.
FHWA—Federal Highway Administration.
Fill—Earth or any other substance or material, including pilings placed for the purposes of erecting
structures thereon, placed in a submerged area.
Finding(s)—The result(s) of an investigation and the basis upon which decisions are made. Findings
are used by government agents and bodies to justify action taken by the entity.
Fire Flow—A rate of water flow that should be maintained to halt and reverse the spread of a fire.
Fire Hazard Zone—An area where, due to slope, fuel, weather, or other five related conditions, the
potential loss of life and property from a fire necessitates special fire protection measures and
planning before development occurs.
Fire-resistive—Able to withstand specified temperatures for a certain period of time, such as a one-
hour fire wall; not fire-proof.
First Public Road Paralleling the Sea—The road that is nearest the sea, as defined in this chapter,
and that meets all of the following criteria:
1. The road is lawfully open and suitable for uninterrupted use by the public
2. The road is maintained by a public agency
3. The road contains an improved all-weather surface open to motor vehicle traffic in at least one
direction
4. The road is not subject to any restrictions on use by the public except during an emergency or
for military purposes
5. The road connects with other public roads providing a continuous access system and generally
parallels and follows the shoreline of the sea so as to include all portions of the sea where the
physical features such as bays, lagoons, estuaries and wetlands cause the waters of the sea to
extend landward of the generally continuous coastline
Fiscal Impact Analysis—A projection of the direct public costs and revenues resulting from
population or employment change to the local jurisdiction(s) in which the change is taking place.
Enables local governments to evaluate relative fiscal merits of general plans, specific plans, or
projects.
Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM)—For each community, the official map on which the Federal
Insurance Administration has delineated areas of special flood hazard and the risk premium zones
applicable to that community.
Flood, Regulatory Base—Flood having a one percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any
given year (100-year flood).
Floodplain—A lowland or relatively flat area adjoining the banks of a river or stream which is subject
to a one percent or greater chance or flooding in any given year (i.e., 100-year flood).
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Floodway—The channel of a watercourse or river, and portions of the flood plain adjoining the
channel, which are reasonably required to carry and discharge the base flood of the channel.
Floor Area Ratio (FAR)—The gross floor area of all buildings on a lot divided by the lot area;
usually expressed as a numerical value (e.g., a building having 5,000 square feet of gross floor area
located on a lot of 10,000 square feet in area has a floor area ratio of 0.5:1).
Forebeach (Wet Beach)—The sand area affected regularly by tides and wave action.
Foreshore (or Beach Face)—Region of the coast extending from the berm crest (or the highest
point of wave wash at high tide) to the low-water mark that is measured at low tide.
Formation—A unit of rock that is distinctive and persistent over a large area.
Fossiliferous—Rock units containing fossils.
Frequency—The number of times per second that a sound pressure signal oscillates about the
prevailing atmosphere pressure. The unit of frequency is the hertz. The abbreviation is Hz.
General Plan—A legal document that takes the form of a map and accompanying text adopted by
the local legislative body. The plan is a compendium of policies regarding the long-term development
of a jurisdiction. The state requires the preparation of seven elements or divisions as part of the plan:
land use, housing, circulation, conservation, open space, noise, and safety. Additional elements
pertaining to the unique needs of an agency are permitted.
Geographic Information System (GIS)—A GIS is a computer system capable of assembling,
storing, manipulating, and displaying geographically referenced information. A GIS allows analysis of
spatial relationships between many different types of features based on their location in the landscape.
Geohazard—A risk associated with geologic processes or events.
Giant Kelp—A large brown seaweed (Macrocystis pyrifera) that grows primarily on rocky substrate and
forms a underwater “forest” in which a diverse group of algae, invertebrates, and fishes are found.
Global Positioning System (GPS)—A satellite-based navigational system.
Goal—The ultimate purpose of an effort stated in a way that is general in nature and immeasurable; a
broad statement of intended direction and purpose (e.g., "Achieve a balance of land use types within
the city").
Grade—The degree of rise or descent of a sloping surface.
Gravity Walls—Massive, self-supporting walls which resist horizontal wave forces through their
sheer mass.
Greenbelt—An open area that may be cultivated or maintained in a natural state surrounding
development or used as a buffer between land uses or to mark the edge of an urban or developed
area.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG)— Greenhouse Gas(es). Scientists have concluded that human
activities are contributing to global climate change by adding large amounts of heat-trapping gasses,
including water vapor, carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and ozone (O3). The primary sources of
GHG emissions are the combustion of fossil fuels for energy and transportation.
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Greenhouse Gas Emission (GHG) Reduction—The California Air Resources Board (CARB)
established regional targets for the reduction of GHG emissions in compliance with Senate Bill 375.
These were incorporated in the Orange County Sustainable Communities Strategy (OCSCS),
developed as a sub-area component of the Southern California Association of Governments’ (SCAG)
SCS. While SB 375 and the OCSCS do not regulate land in Newport Beach, it is obligated to reduce
GHG emissions for compliance with Executive Order S-03-05 and AB 32. Effectively this is achieved
through the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which mandates that lead agencies must
analyze a proposed project’s (including a general plan) GHG emissions, must reach a conclusion
regarding the significance of these, specify mitigation measures when exceeding this threshold, and,
when appropriate, incorporate these into the general plan.
Grid—City of Newport 2,000 x 3,000-foot aerial reference grid.
Groin—A shoreline protection structure built, usually perpendicular to the shoreline, to trap
nearshore sediment or retard erosion of the shore. A series of groins acting together to protect a
section of beach is known as a groin system or groin field.
Ground Failure—Mudslide, landslide, liquefaction (see this Glossary), or the compaction of soils due
to ground shaking from an earthquake.
Ground Shaking—Ground movement resulting from the transmission of seismic waves during an
earthquake.
Groundwater—Subsurface water occupying the zone of saturation usually found in porous rock
strata and soils.
Group Quarters—A dwelling that houses unrelated individuals.
Growth Management—Techniques used by government to control the rate, amount, and type of
development.
Habitat—The physical location or type of environment in which an organism or biological
population lives or occurs.
Harbor Lines—All established Bulkhead, Pierhead, and Project Lines as defined within Newport
Harbor by the federal, state, county and city governments.
Harbor Maintenance Uses, Equipment, and Facilities—All uses, and their related equipment,
vessels, docking and land storage facilities and access which provide: dredging and beach
replenishment; demolition, repair and new construction of docks, piers, bulkheads and other in-and-
over-water structures; mooring maintenance and repair; waterborne debris and pollution control,
collection and removal. This category also includes environmental, survey or scientific vessels and
related equipment based, or on assignment, in Newport Harbor: All vessels under this definition may
also be referred to as “work boats.”
Harbor Permit Policies—City of Newport Beach City Council Policy Manual Section H-1,
governing permits for structures bayward of the bulkhead line, and related parking, sanitary, utility and
related support requirements
Harbor Regulations—Title 17 of the Newport Beach Municipal Code governing structures, uses
and activities within the Harbor.
Hardscape Habitat—Hard surfaces of pilings, docks, floats, wharves, seawalls, bulkheads, jetties,
and rock groins, and natural intertidal and subtidal reefs that are colonized by marine organisms
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Hazardous Materials—An injurious substance, including pesticides, herbicides, toxic metals and
chemicals, liquefied natural gas, explosives, volatile chemicals and nuclear fuels.
HCD—California Department of Housing and Community Development.
HDC—Nonprofit Housing Development Corporation.
Headland (Head)—A high, steep-faced projection extending into the sea, usually marking an area of
fairly stable and rigid landform.
High Occupancy Vehicle—Vehicle transporting more than one person (at least one passenger, in
addition to the driver).
Historic Building or Structure—See Historic Resource.
Historic District—A geographic area which contains a concentration of historic buildings,
structures, or sites united historically, culturally, or architecturally.
Historic Preservation—The preservation of historically significant structures and neighborhoods
until such time as, and in order to facilitate, restoration and rehabilitation of the building(s) to a
former condition.
Historic Resource—Any object, building, structure, site, area, place, record, or manuscript which is
historically or archeologically significant, or which is significant in the architectural, engineering,
scientific, economic, agriculture, educational, social, political, military, or cultural history of the City of
Newport Beach and/or California and/or the United States.
Holocene—n geologic time, less than 11,000 years ago; also called Recent.
HOME—Home Investment Partnership Act.
Homeless—Persons and families who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.
Includes those staying in temporary or emergency shelters or who are accommodated with friends or
others with the understanding that shelter is being provided as a last resort. California Housing
Element law, §65583(c)(1) requires all cities and counties to address the housing needs of the
homeless. (See “Emergency Shelter” and “Transitional Housing.”)
Hotel—A facility in which guest rooms or suites are offered to the general public for lodging with or
without meals and for compensation, and where no provisions is made for cooking in any individual
guest room or suite. (See “Motel.”)
Household—According to the U.S. Census, a household is all persons living in a dwelling unit
whether or not they are related. Both a single person living in an apartment and a family living in a
house are considered households.
Household Income—The total income of all the people living in a household. Households are
usually described as very low income, low income, moderate income, and upper income for that
household size, based on their position relative to the regional median income.
Housing Affordability—Based on state and federal standards, housing is affordable when the
housing costs are no more than 30 percent of household income.
Housing Unit—A room or group of rooms used by one or more individuals living separately from
others in the structure, with direct access to the outside or to a public hall and containing separate
toilet and kitchen facilities.
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HUD—U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Hydric Soil—A type of soil with characteristics resulting from prolonged saturation and chemically
reducing conditions such as occurs under anaerobic conditions.
Hydrology—The dynamic processes of the water within an environment including the sources,
timing, amount, and direction of water movement.
Hydrophytic Vegetation—Plants that have adapted to living in aquatic environments. These plants
are also called hydrophytes. In wetlands, hydrophytic species occur where at least the root zone of the
plant is seasonally or continually found in saturated or submerged soil.
Impact—The effect of any direct man-made actions or indirect repercussions of man-made actions
on existing physical, social, or economic conditions.
Implementation Measure—An action, procedure, program, or technique that carries out general
plan policy.
In Situ—A Latin phrase meaning "in place." Archaeologically it refers to an artifact or object being
found in its original, undisturbed position.
Income Categories—Four categories for classifying households according to income based on the
median income for each County. The categories are as follows: Very Low (0-50% of County median);
Low (50-80% of County median); Moderate (80-120% of County median); and Upper (over 120% of
County median).
Industrial—The manufacture, production, and processing of consumer goods. Industrial is often
divided into “heavy industrial” uses, such as construction yards, quarrying, and factories; and “light
industrial” uses, such as research and development and less intensive warehousing and manufacturing.
Infill Development — Building within unusedon vacant and underutilized landsproperties within
existing development patterns, typically but not exclusively in urban areas.
Infrastructure—The physical systems and services which support development and population, such
as roadways, railroads, water, sewer, natural gas, electrical generation and transmission, telephone,
cable television, storm drainage, and others.
Intensity—A measure of the amount or level of development often expressed as the ratio of building
floor area to lot area (floor area ratio) for commercial, business, and industrial development, or units
per acre of land for residential development (also called "density").
Intersection—A location where two or more roads meet or cross at grade.
Intertidal—Located between the low and high tide tidal extremes.
Invertebrates—Animals without backbones.
Issue—A problem, constraint, or opportunity requiring community action.
Jetty—On open seacoasts, a structure extending away from the shore, which is designed to prevent
shoaling of a channel and to direct and confine the stream or tidal flow. Jetties are built at the mouths
of rivers, harbors, or tidal inlets to help deepen and stabilize the access channel.
Jobs/Housing Balance; Jobs/Housing Ratio—The jobs/housing ratio divides the number of
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jobs in an area by the number of employed residents. A ratio of 1.0 indicates a balance. A ratio greater
than 1.0 indicates a net in-commute of employed persons; less than 1.0 indicates a net out-commute
of employed persons.
Lacustrine System—Wetlands and deepwater habitats (1) situated in a topographic depression or
dammed river channel; (2) lacking trees, shrubs, persistent emergents, emergent mosses, or lichens
with greater than 30% area coverage; and (3) whose total area exceeds 8 hectares (20 acres); or area
less than 8 hectares if the boundary is active wave-formed or bedrock or if water depth in the deepest
part of the basin exceeds 2 meters (6.6 ft) at low water. Ocean-derived salinities are always less than
0.5 parts per thousand.
Lagoon—A shallow body of water, such as a pond or lake, usually located near or connected to the
sea.
Land Use—A description of how land is occupied or used.
Land Use Plan—The relevant portions of a local government's general plan, or local coastal element
which are sufficiently detailed to indicate the kinds, location, and intensity of land uses, the applicable
resource protection and development policies and, where necessary, a listing of implementing actions.
Landslide—A general term for a falling or sliding mass of soil or rocks.
Launching Facility—A generic term referring to any location, structures (ramps, docks) and
equipment (cranes, lifts, hoists, etc.) where vessels may be placed into, and retrieved from the Harbor
waters.
LCP—See Local Coastal Program.
LEED Certified— A certification program, in full Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design,
devised in 1994 by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) to encourage sustainable practices design
and development by means of tools and criteria for performance measurement.
Leeward—The direction toward
which the wind is blowing.
Liquefaction—A process by which water-saturated granular soils transform from a solid to a liquid
state due to groundshaking. This phenomenon usually results from shaking from energy waves
released in an earthquake.
Littoral Cell—A region that encompasses most features affecting sediment transport. The
boundaries of the cell are usually delineated by river drainage areas, promontory headlands, or
submarine canyons on the periphery, the continental shelf-continental slope boundary on the seaward
side and by inland ridges and river inlets on the landward side. Sediment within these cells generally
travel seaward by river drainage, southward (downcoast) by longshore currents, and are eventually lost
to the continental slope area or submarine canyon.
Littoral Drift—The sedimentary material moved in the littoral zone under the influence of waves and
currents; consisting of silt, sand, gravel, cobbles, and other beach material.
Littoral Transport—The movement of sediment in the littoral zone by waves, currents, and tides.
This includes movement parallel (longshore transport) and perpendicular (on-offshore transport) to
the shore.
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Littoral Zone—The region where waves, currents, and winds interact with the land and its
sediments. This region comprises a backshore, foreshore, inshore, and offshore and is broken down
into littoral cells.
Littoral—Of or pertaining to a shore, especially of the sea.
Liveaboard—Any person who uses a vessel as a domicile as that term is defined in Section 200 of
the Elections Code of California, including permanently or on a temporary basis for a period
exceeding 3 days.
Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO)—A five or seven-member commission within
each county that reviews and evaluates all proposals for formation of special districts, incorporation
of cities, annexation to special districts or cities, consolidation of districts, and merger of districts with
cities. Each county's LAFCO is empowered to approve, disapprove, or conditionally approve such
proposals.
Local Coastal Program—A local government’s (a) land use plans, (b) zoning ordinances, (c) zoning
district maps, and (d) within sensitive coastal resources areas, other implementing actions, which,
when taken together, meet the requirements of, and implement the provisions and policies of, the
California Coastal Act at the local level.
Local Government—Any chartered or general law city, chartered or general law county, or any city
and county.
Local Street—A street providing direct access to properties and designed to discourage through-
traffic.
Longshore Current—A flow of water in the breaker zone, moving essentially parallel to the shore,
usually generated by waves breaking at an angle to the shoreline.
Longshore—Parallel to and near the shoreline.
LOS—Level of Service, a descriptor of traffic operating conditions based on an intersection’s
volume-to-capacity ratio.
Lot—The basic unit of land development. A designated parcel or area of land established by plat,
subdivision, or as otherwise permitted by law, to be used, developed, or built upon as a unit.
Major Arterial—A Major arterial highway is typically a six-lane divided roadway. A Major arterial is
designed to accommodate 45,000 to 65,000 vehicles per day. Major arterials carry a large volume of
regional through traffic not handled by the freeway system.
Marina—A berthing facility (other than moorings or anchorage) in which five or more vessels are
wet-stored (in water) and/ or dry-stored (on land/racks or on floating docks).
Marine Conservation Area—A "state marine conservation area," is a non-terrestrial marine or
estuarine area that is designated so the managing agency may achieve one or more of the following:
1. Protect or restore rare, threatened, or endangered native plants, animals, or habitats in marine
areas
2. Protect or restore outstanding, representative, or imperiled marine species, communities,
habitats, and ecosystems
3. Protect or restore diverse marine gene pools
4. Contribute to the understanding and management of marine resources and ecosystems by
providing the opportunity for scientific research in outstanding, representative, or imperiled
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marine habitats or ecosystems
5. Preserve outstanding or unique geological features
6. Provide for sustainable living marine resource harvest
Marine Park—A “state marine park,” is a nonterrestrial marine or estuarine area that is designated so
the managing agency may provide opportunities for spiritual, scientific, educational, and recreational
opportunities, as well as one or more of the following:
1. Protect or restore outstanding, representative, or imperiled marine species, communities,
habitats, and ecosystems
2. Contribute to the understanding and management of marine resources and ecosystems by
providing the opportunity for scientific research in outstanding, representative, or imperiled
marine habitats or ecosystems
3. Preserve cultural objects of historical, archaeological, and scientific interest in marine areas
4. Preserve outstanding or unique geological features
Marine Protected Area (MPA)—A named discrete geographic area that has been designated by law,
administrative action, or voter initiative to protect or conserve marine life and habitat.
Marine Reserve—A “state marine reserve,” is a nonterrestrial marine or estuarine area that is
designated so the managing agency may achieve one or more of the following:
1. Protect or restore rare, threatened, or endangered native plants, animals, or habitats in marine
areas
2. Protect or restore outstanding, representative, or imperiled marine species, communities,
habitats, and ecosystems
3. Protect or restore diverse marine gene pools
4. Contribute to the understanding and management of marine resources and ecosystems by
providing the opportunity for scientific research in outstanding, representative, or imperiled
marine habitats or ecosystems
Marine Sales and Service Uses & Vessels—Uses and vessels, as well as related equipment, which
provide repair, maintenance, new construction, parts and supplies, fueling, waste removal, cleaning,
and related services to vessels berthed in, or visiting, Newport Harbor. Typical service uses include,
but are not limited to, all uses and vessels described under Section 20.05.050 of the City of Newport
Beach Municipal Code.
Marine System—Open ocean overlying the continental shelf and coastline exposed to waves and
currents of the open ocean shoreward to (1) extreme high water of spring tides; (2) seaward limit of
wetland emergents, trees, or shrubs; or (3) the seaward limit of the Estuarine System, other than
vegetation. Salinities exceed 30 parts per thousand.
Marine Terrace—A flat or gentle seaward sloping wave-cut bench, which is a remnant of an old
coastline. Marine terraces are conspicuous along most of the California coast where uplift has
occurred.
Market Value—For purposes of determining “substantial improvement,” the replacement cost as
determined by its replacement value according to the valuation figures established by the City of
Newport Beach.
Maximum Credible Earthquake (MCE)—The largest possible earthquake that could reasonably
occur along recognized faults or within a particular seismic source.
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Mean High Water—The 19-year average of all high water heights (if the tide is either semidiurnal or
mixed) or the higher high water heights if the tide is diurnal. For diurnal tides high water and higher
high water are the same.
Mean Higher High Water—The 19-year average of only the higher high water heights.
Mean Low Water—The 19-year average of all low water heights (if the tide is either semidiurnal or
mixed) or the lower low water heights if the tide is diurnal. For diurnal tides low water and lower low
water are the same.
Mean Lower Low Water—The 19-year average of only the lower low water heights.
Mean Sea Level—The 19-year average height of the surface of the sea for all stages of the tide,
usually determined from hourly height readings (see NGVD of 1929).
Median Income—The annual income for each household size which is defined annually by the
federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. Half of the households in the region have
incomes above the median and half are below.
Mesa—An isolated, relatively flat geographical feature, often demarcated by canyons (from Spanish
mesa, table).
MGD—Million gallons per day.
Miocene—A period of geologic time spanning 27-26 million years ago.
Mitigate—To ameliorate, alleviate, or avoid to the extent reasonably feasible.
Mitigation Measures—Measures imposed on a project consistent with Section 15370 of the State
Guidelines for Implementation of the California Environmental Quality Act to avoid, minimize, eliminate,
or compensate for adverse impacts to the environment.
Mitigation—As defined in Section 15370 of the State Guidelines for Implementation of the California
Environmental Quality Act, mitigation includes the following:
1. Avoiding the impact altogether by not taking a certain action or parts of an action.
2. Minimizing impacts by limiting the degree or magnitude of the action and its implementation.
3. Rectifying the impact by repairing, rehabilitating, or restoring the impacted environment.
4. Reducing or eliminating the impact over time by preservation and maintenance operations
during the life of the action.
5. Compensating for the impact by replacing or providing substitute resources or environments."
Monitoring—The systematic collection of physical, biological, or economic data or a combination of
these data in order to make decisions regarding project operation or to evaluate project performance.
Monitoring is typically required for beach nourishment projects and habitat restoration projects.
Mooring Area—An area designated for a group of moorings.
Mooring—A device consisting of a floating ball, can, or other object that is secured permanently to
the Harbor bottom by an anchor system for purposes of securing a vessel.
MS4—Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems. MWD—
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.
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MWDOC—Municipal Water District of Orange County.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)—The National Flood Insurance Program, managed
by FEMA, makes Federally-backed flood insurance available in communities that agree to adopt and
enforce floodplain management ordinances to reduce future flood damage.
National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD)—A fixed reference for elevations, equivalent
to the 1929 Mean Sea Level Datum. The geodetic datum is fixed and does not take into account the
changing stands of sea level. NGVD should not be confused with mean sea level (see Mean Sea
Level).
National Historic Preservation Act—A 1966 federal law that establishes a National Register of
Historic Places and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and that authorized grants-in-aid
for preserving historic properties.
National Register of Historic Places—The official list, established by the National Historic
Preservation Act, of sites, districts, buildings, structures, and objects significant in the nation’s history
or whose artistic or architectural value is unique.
Nearshore Zone—An indefinite zone extending seaward from the shoreline well beyond the breaker
zone; it defines the area of nearshore currents.
Newport Bay—The terms “Newport Bay” and “Newport Harbor” are often used interchangeably.
However, Newport Bay is an estuary consisting of the Lower Newport Bay (south of Pacific Coast
Highway) and the Upper Newport Bay (north of Pacific Coast Highway). Newport Harbor generally
refers to all the water area within Lower Newport Bay and within the Upper Newport Bay, exclusive
of the Upper Newport Bay Ecological Reserve.
Newport Bay—The terms “Newport Bay” and “Newport Harbor” are often used interchangeably.
However, Newport Bay is an estuary consisting of the Lower Newport Bay (south of Pacific Coast
Highway) and the Upper Newport Bay (north of Pacific Coast Highway). Newport Harbor generally
refers to all the water area within Lower Newport Bay and within the Upper Newport Bay, exclusive
of the Upper Newport Bay Marine Park.
NMFS—National Marine Fisheries Service.
Noise—Any undesired audible sound.
Noise Attenuation—The ability of a material, substance, or medium to reduce the noise level from
one place to another or between one room and another. Noise attenuation is specified in decibels
Noise Exposure Contours—Lines drawn about a noise source indicating constant energy levels of
noise exposure. CNEL and Ldn are the metrics utilized to describe community noise exposure.
Noise Referral Zones—Such zones are defined as the area within the contour defining a CNEL
level of 60 decibels. It is the level at which either state or federal laws and standards related to land use
become important and , in some cases, preempt local laws and regulations. Any proposed noise
sensitive development which may be impacted by a total noise environment of 60 dB CNEL or more
should be evaluated on a project specific basis.
Noise Sensitive Land Use—Those specific land uses which have associated indoor and/or outdoor
human activities that may be subject to stress and/or significant interference from noise produced by
community sound sources. Such human activity typically occurs daily for continuous periods of 24
hours or is of such a nature that noise is significantly disruptive to activities that occur for short
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periods. Specifically, noise sensitive land uses include: residences of all types, hospitals, rest homes,
convalescent hospitals places of worship and schools.
Non-Attainment—The condition of not achieving a desired or required level of performance.
Frequently used in reference to air quality.
Non-conforming Structure—A structure that was lawfully erected, but which does not conform
with the property development regulations prescribed in the regulations for the district in which the
structure is located by reason of adoption or amendment of this code or by reason of annexation of
territory to the City.
Non-conforming Use—A use of a structure or land that was lawfully established and maintained,
but which does not conform with the use regulations or required conditions for the district in which it
is located by reason of adoption or amendment of this code or by reason of annexation of territory to
the City.
Nourishment—The process of replenishing or enlarging a beach. It may be brought about naturally
by longshore transport or artificially by the deposition of dredged materials.
NPDES—National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System.
NPS—National Park Service.
NPS—Nonpoint source pollution or polluted runoff.
OC—Orange County.
OCFCD—Orange County Flood Control District.
Offer to Dedicate (OTD)—An OTD is a document, recorded against the title to a property, which
is an offer of dedication to the people of California of an easement over the property or a portion of
the property. Generally, an OTD allows for specific uses in of the area of the property involved (for
example, allowing the public to walk across the area). The offer conveys an easement in perpetuity
only upon its acceptance on behalf of the people by a public agency or by a nonprofit private entity
approved by the executive director of the Coastal Commission.
Offshore—Off or away from the shore. This area extends from beyond the breaker zone to the outer
limit of the littoral zone and beyond.
Oil Seep—Natural springs where liquid hydrocarbons (mixtures of crude oil, tar, natural gas, and
water) leak out of the ground.
Onshore (Inshore)—The region between the seaward edge of the foreshore and the seaward edge of
the breakers or waves.
Open Coastal Waters—The area composed of submerged lands at extreme low-water of spring tide
extending seaward to the boundaries of the Exclusive Economic Zone (12-200 miles). This includes
navigation channels, turning basins, vessel berthing, anchorage, and mooring areas of Newport Bay.
Open Space—Any parcel or area of land or water essentially unimproved and set aside, designated,
dedicated, or reserved for public or private use or enjoyment.
Ordinance—A law or regulation set forth and adopted by a governmental authority, usually a city or
county.
Overcrowding—As defined by the California Department of Housing and Community
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Development, a household with greater than one person per room, excluding bathrooms, kitchens,
hallways, and porches.
Overlay—A land use designation on the Land Use Map, or a zoning designation on a zoning map,
that modifies the basic underlying designation in some specific manner.
Palustrine System—All non-tidal wetlands dominated by trees, shrubs, persistent emergents,
emergent mosses, or lichens, and all such tidal wetlands where ocean-derived salinities are below 0.5
parts per thousand. This category also includes wetlands lacking such vegetation but with all of the
following characteristics: (1) area less than 8 hectares (20 acres); (2) lacking an active wave-formed or
bedrock boundary; (3) water depth in the deepest part of the basin less than 2 meters (6.6 ft) at low
water; and (4) ocean-derived salinities less than 0.5 parts per thousand.
Para-transit—Refers to transportation services that operate vehicles, such as buses, jitneys, taxis, and
vans for senior citizens, and/or mobility-impaired.
Parcel—A lot or tract of land.
Parking, Shared—A public or private parking area used jointly by two or more uses.
Parking Area, Public—An open area, excluding a street or other public way, used for the parking of
automobiles and available to the public, whether for free or for compensation.
Parking Management—An evolving TDM technique designed to obtain maximum utilization from
a limited number of parking spaces. Can involve pricing and preferential treatment for HOVs, non-
peak period users, and short-term users. (see “High Occupancy Vehicle” and “Transportation
Demand Management.”)
Parking Ratio—The number of parking spaces provided per 1,000 square of floor area, e.g., 2:1 or
“two per thousand.”
Permit and Appeal Jurisdiction Map—A map depicting those areas where the Coastal Commission
retains permit and appeal jurisdiction.
Permit—Any license, certificate, approval, or other entitlement for use granted or denied by any
public agency.
Person—Any individual, organization, partnership, limited liability company, or other business
association or corporation, including any utility, and any federal, state, local government, or special
district or an agency thereof.
Pier, Private—A pier used for private recreational purposes by the owner(s) or occupant(s) of the
abutting upland property without payment of a separate rental or lease fee, except for permit fees to
City.
Pier, Public—A pier used for public recreational purposes provided by a public agency.
Pier—A fixed structure extending from the shore into a body of water.
Pierhead Line—Harbor water area perimeter lines established in Newport Harbor by the federal
government that define the permitted limit of fixed pier, floating dock and other in-water structures
which may be constructed in the Harbor.
Pile—A long, heavy timber or section of concrete or metal driven or drilled into the earth or seabed
to serve as a support or protection.
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Planned Community—A large-scale development whose essential features are a definable boundary;
a consistent, but not necessarily uniform, character; overall control during the development process
by a single development entity; private ownership of recreation amenities; and enforcement of
covenants, conditions, and restrictions by a master community association.
Planning Area—The Planning Area is the land area addressed by the General Plan. Typically, the
Planning Area boundary coincides with the Sphere of Influence which encompasses land both within
the City limits and potentially annexable land.
Planning Commission—A group of people appointed by the city council that administer planning
and land use regulations for the city and provide recommendations on a wide array of land use and
land use policy issues.
Pleistocene—A period of geologic time spanning 2 million - 11,000 years ago.
Pliocene—A period of geologic time spanning 7-2 million years ago.
Pocket Beach—A small beach formed between two points or headlands, often at the mouth of a
coastal stream. Pocket beaches are common throughout the California coastline.
Policy—Statements guiding action and implying clear commitment found within each element of the
general plan (e.g., "Provide incentives to assist in the development of affordable housing").
Pollution—The presence of matter or energy whose nature, location, or quantity produces undesired
environmental effects.
Pollution, Non-Point—Sources for pollution that are less definable and usually cover broad areas of
land, such as agricultural land with fertilizers that are carried from the land by runoff, or automobiles.
Pollution, Point—In reference to water quality, a discrete source from which pollution is generated
before it enters receiving waters, such as a sewer outfall, a smokestack, or an industrial waste pipe.
Predominant Line of Development—The most common or representative distance from a
specified group of structures to a specified point or line (e.g. topographic line or geographic feature).
For example, the predominant line of development for a block of homes on a coastal bluff (a
specified group of structures) could be determined by calculating the median distance (a
representative distance) these structures are from the bluff edge (a specified line).
Primary Arterial—Typically a four-lane divided roadway. A Primary arterial is designed to
accommodate 30,000 to 40,000 VPD. A Primary arterial’s function is similar to that of a Principal or
Major arterial; the chief difference is capacity.
Principal Arterial –Typically an eight-lane divided roadway. A Principal arterial is designed to
accommodate 60,000 to 75,000 vehicles per day (VPD). Principal arterials carry a large volume of
regional through traffic not handled by the freeway system.
Program—A coordinated set of specific measures and actions (e.g., zoning, subdivision procedures,
and capital expenditures) the local government intends to use in carrying out the policies of the
general plan.
Project Lines—Harbor water area channel lines of the improvements constructed by the federal
government in 1935-1936, and as shown on navigation charts of Newport Harbor. Also referred to as
the “Federal Channel.” (see Newport Beach City Design Criteria and Standard Drawings for Harbor
Construction).
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Public Trust Lands—Public Trust lands shall be defined as all lands subject to the Common Law
Public Trust for commerce, navigation, fisheries, recreation, and other public purposes. Public Trust
Lands include tidelands, submerged lands, the beds of navigable lakes and rivers, and historic
tidelands and submerged lands that are presently filled or reclaimed and which were subject to the
Public Trust at any time (from California Code of Regulations, Section 13577; see tidelands and
submerged lands).
Public View Corridors—The line of sight—as identified as to height, width, and distance—of an
observer looking toward an object of significance (e.g., ocean or bay); the route that attracts the
viewer’s attention.
Public Works—
1. All production, storage, transmission, and recovery facilities for water, sewerage, telephone, and
other similar utilities owned or operated by any public agency or by any utility subject to the
jurisdiction of the Public Utilities Commission, except for energy facilities
2. All public transportation facilities, including streets, roads, highways, public parking lots and
structures, ports, harbors, airports, railroads, and mass transit facilities and stations, bridges,
trolley wires, and other related facilities. For purposes of this division, neither the Ports of
Hueneme, Long Beach, Los Angeles, nor San Diego Unified Port District nor any of the
developments within these ports shall be considered public works.
3. All publicly financed recreational facilities, all projects of the California Coastal Conservancy,
and any development by a special district
4. All community college facilities
Qualified Biologist—A person who has earned a minimum of a Bachelor of Science degree in
biology or a related field from an accredited college or university and has demonstrated field
experience evaluating land use impacts on marine or wildlife species and their habitats. Biologists who
conduct wetland delineations shall have completed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ ”Reg. IV”
wetland delineation training, or the equivalent, and shall have the demonstrated ability to
independently conduct wetland delineations.
Quaternary—A period of geologic time comprising the past 2 million years; includes the Pleistocene
and Holocene ages.
Recreation, Active—A type of recreation or activity which requires the use of organized play areas,
including, but not limited to: softball, baseball, football and soccer fields, tennis and basketball courts,
and various forms of children’s play equipment.
Recreation, Passive—Type of recreation or activity which does not require the use of organized play
areas.
Redevelop—To demolish existing buildings; or to increase the overall floor area existing on a
property; or both; irrespective of whether a change occurs in land use.
Redevelopment—Redevelopment, under the California Community Redevelopment Law, is a
process with the authority, scope, and financing mechanisms necessary to provide stimulus to reverse
current negative business trends, remedy blight, provide job development incentives, and create a new
image for a community. It provides for the planning, development, redesign, clearance,
reconstruction, or rehabilitation, or any combination of these, and the provision of public and private
improvements as may be appropriate or necessary in the interest of the general welfare. In a more
general sense, redevelopment is a process in which existing development and use of land is replaced
with new development and/or use.
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Reflection—Redirection of a wave when it impinges on a steep beach, cliff or other barrier;
Regional—Pertaining to activities or economies at a scale greater than that of a single jurisdiction,
and affecting a broad homogeneous area.
Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA)—The Regional Housing Needs Assessment
(RHNA) is based on California projections of population growth and housing unit demand and
assigns a share of the region’s future housing need to each jurisdiction within the SCAG (Southern
California Association of Governments) region. These housing need numbers serve as the basis for
the update of the Housing Element in each California city and county.
Regional Housing Needs Plan—A quantification by a COG or by HCD of existing and projected
housing need, by household income group, for all localities within a region.
Regional Park—A park typically 150-500 acres in size focusing on activities and natural features not
included in most other types of parks and often based on a specific scenic or recreational opportunity.
Rehabilitation—The upgrading of a building previously in a dilapidated or substandard condition,
for human habitation or use.
Research and Development Use—A use engaged in study, testing, design, analysis, and
experimental development of products, processes, or services.
Residential—Land designated in the City or County General Plan and zoning ordinance for
buildings consisting only of dwelling units. May be improved, vacant, or unimproved. (See “Dwelling
Unit.”)
Restoration—The replication or reconstruction of a building's original architectural features, usually
describing the technique of preserving historic buildings.
Retaining Wall—A wall used to support or retain an earth embankment or area of fill.
Revetment—A sloped retaining wall; a facing of stone, concrete, blocks, rip-rap, etc. built to protect
an embankment, bluff, or development against erosion by wave action and currents.
Rezoning—An amendment to the map and/or text of a zoning ordinance to effect a change in the
nature, density, or intensity of uses allowed in a zoning district and/or on a designated parcel or land
area.
Right-of-Way—A strip of land acquired by reservation, dedication, prescription, or condemnation
and intended to be occupied by a road, crosswalk, railroad, electric transmission lines, oil or gas
pipeline, water line, sanitary or storm sewer, or other similar uses.
Rill—The channel of a small stream or gully.
Rip Current—A strong surface current flowing seaward from the shore. It usually appears as a visible
band of agitated water and is the return movement of water piled up on the shore by incoming waves
and wind. With the seaward movement concentrated in a limited band its velocity is accentuated. Rip
currents can pull inexperienced swimmers and waders into deeper water away from the shore. Since a
rip current is usually quite narrow, the most effective way to get out of it is to swim perpendicular to
the direction of the flow (in most cases, parallel to the beach). Rip currents can often develop adjacent
to a jetty or groin.
Riparian—Consists of trees, shrubs, or herbs that occur along watercourses or water bodies. The
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vegetation is adapted to flooding and soil saturation during at least a portion of its growing season.
Riprap—A protective layer or facing of rock, concrete blocks, or quarrystone, placed to prevent
erosion, scour, or sloughing of an embankment or bluff.
Risk—The danger or degree of hazard or potential loss.
Riverine System—All wetlands and deepwater habitats contained within a channel except those
wetlands (1) dominated by trees, shrubs, persistent emergents, emergent mosses, or lichens, and (2)
which have habitats with ocean-derived salinities in excess of 0.5 parts per thousand.
RWQCB—California Regional Water Quality Control Board.
Sand Source—Resource of sand that can be economically used for beach nourishment. The sand
must meet the requirements for size distribution and cleanliness and its removal and transfer must not
create unacceptable environmental effects. The source may be on land, offshore, in a nearby inlet, or
in a navigational channel, a shoal, or other area in which sand accumulates.
Sandstone—A rock composed predominantly of sand grains that have undergone cementation.
Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board—California Regional Water Quality Control
Board, Santa Ana Region.
Scarp (Beach Scarp)—An almost vertical slope along the beach caused by wave erosion. It may vary
in height from a few inches to several feet or more, depending on wave action and the nature and
composition of the beach.
SCWC—Southern California Water Company.
Sea Cliff—A vertical or very steep cliff or slope produced by wave erosion, situated at the seaward
edge of the coast or the landward side of the wave-cut platform, and marking the inner limit of beach
erosion.
Sea Level—The height of the ocean relative to land; tides, wind, atmospheric pressure changes,
heating, cooling, and other factors cause sea-level changes.
Sea—The Pacific Ocean and all harbors, bays, channels, estuaries, salt marshes, sloughs, and other
areas subject to tidal action through any connection with the Pacific Ocean, excluding nonestuarine
rivers, streams, tributaries, creeks, and flood control and drainage channels. Sea does not include the
area of jurisdiction of the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission,
established pursuant to Title 7.2 (commencing with Section 66600) of the Government Code,
including any river, stream, tributary, creek, or flood control or drainage channel flowing directly or
indirectly into such area.
Seas (Waves)—Waves caused by wind at the place and time of observation. (see swell).
Seawall—A structure separating land and water areas, primarily designed to prevent erosion and
other damage due to wave action. It is usually a vertical wood or concrete wall as opposed to a sloped
revetment.
Second Units—Auxiliary residential units on a lot with an existing primary residential unit. Second
units may lack full facilities, such as kitchens.
Secondary Arterial—A four-lane roadway (often undivided). A Secondary arterial distributes traffic
between local streets and Major or Primary arterials. Although some Secondary arterials serve as
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through routes, most provide more direct access to surrounding land uses than Principal, Major, or
Primary arterials. Secondary arterials carry from 20,000 to 30,000 VPD.
Section 8 Rental Assistance Program—A federal (HUD) rent-subsidy program that is one of the
main sources of federal housing assistance for low-income households. The program operates by
providing “housing assistance payments” to owners, developers, and public housing agencies to make
up the difference between the “Fair Market Rent” of a unit (set by HUD) and the household’s
contribution toward the rent, which is calculated at 30 percent of the household’s adjusted gross
monthly income (GMI). “Section 8” includes programs for new construction, existing housing, and
substantial or moderate housing rehabilitation.
Sediment Budget—An account of the sand and sediment along a particular stretch of coast; the
sources, sinks, rates of movement, or the supply and loss of sediment.
Sediment—Grains of soil, sand, or rock that have been transported from one location and deposited
at another.
Seiche—A standing wave oscillation in an enclosed waterbody that continues (in a pendulum
fashion) after the cessation of the originating force. Seiches can be caused by tidal action or an
offshore seismic event.
Seismic—Caused by or subject to earthquakes or earth vibrations.
Sensitive Coastal Resource Areas—Those identifiable and geographically bounded land and water
areas within the coastal zone of vital interest and sensitivity. Sensitive coastal resource areas include
the following:
1. Special marine and land habitat areas, wetlands, lagoons, and estuaries as mapped and
designated in Part 4 of the coastal plan.
2. Areas possessing significant recreational value.
3. Highly scenic areas.
4. Archaeological sites referenced in the California Coastline and Recreation Plan or as designated
by the State Historic Preservation Officer.
5. Special communities or neighborhoods that are significant visitor destination areas.
6. Areas that provide existing coastal housing or recreational opportunities for low- and moderate-
income persons.
7. Areas where divisions of land could substantially impair or restrict coastal access.
Sensitive Species—Includes those plant and animal species considered threatened or endangered by
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and/or the California Department of Fish and Game according to
Section 3 of the federal Endangered Species Act.
Endangered—any species in danger of extinction throughout all, or a significant portion of, its range.
Threatened—a species likely to become an endangered species within the foreseeable future
throughout all, or a portion of, its range. These species are periodically listed in the Federal Register
and are, therefore, referred to as "federally listed" species.
Sewer—Any pipe or conduit used to collect and carry away sewage from the generating source to a
treatment plant.
Shore Mooring—A mooring for small boats that is located in the nearshore perimeter of the Harbor
and its islands, perpendicular to the shoreline. One end of the mooring line is attached to a point on
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or adjacent to the perimeter bulkhead, and the other end is attached to a mooring buoy located in the
water, inside the pierhead line.
Shore Protection—Structures or sand placed at or on the shore to reduce or eliminate upland
damage from wave action or flooding during storms.
Shore—Narrow strip of land in immediate contact with the sea, including the zone between high and
low water. A shore of unconsolidated material is usually called a beach.
Shoreline Armoring—Protective structures such as vertical seawalls, revetments, riprap, revetments,
and bulkheads built parallel to the shoreline for the purposes of protecting a structure or other upland
property.
Shoreline—Intersection of the ocean or sea with land; the line delineating the shoreline on National
Ocean Service nautical charts and surveys approximates the mean low water line from the time the
chart was prepared.
Significant Effect—A beneficial or detrimental impact on the environment. May include, but is not
limited to, significant changes in an area's air, water, and land resources.
Single-family Dwelling, Attached—A building containing two dwelling units with each unit having
its own foundation on grade.
Single-family Dwelling, Detached—A building containing one dwelling unit on one lot.
Site—A parcel of land used or intended for one use or a group of uses and having frontage on a
public or an approved private street. A lot.
Site Plan—The development plan for one or more lots on which is shown the existing and proposed
conditions of the lot including: topography, vegetation, drainage, floodplains, marshes and waterways;
open spaces, walkways, means of ingress and egress, utility services, landscaping, structures and signs,
lighting, and screening devices; any other information that reasonably may be required in order that an
informed decision can be made by the approving authority.
SLC—State Lands Commission
Slope—Land gradient described as the vertical rise divided by the horizontal run, and expressed in
percent.
Slough—To erode the uppermost layer of soil, or to crumble and fall away from the face of a cliff.
Solid Waste—Unwanted or discarded material, including garbage with insufficient liquid content to
be free flowing, generally disposed of in landfills or incinerated.
Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG)—The Southern California Association
of Governments is a regional planning agency which encompasses six counties: Imperial, Riverside,
San Bernardino, Orange, Los Angeles, and Ventura. SCAG is responsible for preparation of the
Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA).
Special District—Any public agency, other than a local government, formed pursuant to general law
or special act for the local performance of governmental or proprietary functions within limited
boundaries. Special district includes, but is not limited to, a county service area, a maintenance district
or area, an improvement district or improvement zone, or any other zone or area, formed for the
purpose of designating an area within which a property tax rate will be levied to pay for a service or
improvement benefiting that area.
Page | 32
Special Needs Groups—Those segments of the population which have a more difficult time finding
decent affordable housing due to special circumstances. Under state planning law, these special needs
groups consist of the elderly, handicapped, large families, female-headed households, farmworkers
and the homeless.
Specific Plan—Under Article 8 of the Government Code (Section 65450 et seq.), a legal tool for
detailed design and implementation of a defined portion of the area covered by a General Plan. A
specific plan may include all detailed regulations, conditions, programs, and/or proposed legislation
which may be necessary or convenient for the systematic implementation of any General Plan
element(s).
Speed, Critical—The speed that is not exceeded by 85 percent of the cars observed.
Sphere of Influence (SOI)—The probable ultimate physical boundaries and service area of a local
agency
(city or district) as determined by the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) of the County.
Spit—A small, naturally formed point of land or a narrow shoal projecting into a body of water from
the shore.
Standards—(1) A rule or measure establishing a level of quality or quantity that must be complied
with or satisfied. The California Government Code (Section 65302) requires that General Plans
describe the objectives, principles, “standards,” and proposals of the General Plan. Examples of
standards might include the number of acres of park land per 1,000 population that the community
will attempt to acquire and improve. (2) Requirements in a zoning ordinance that govern building and
development as distinguished from use restrictions; for example, site-design regulations such as lot
area, height limit, frontage, landscaping, and floor area ratio.
Stationary Source—A non-mobile emitter of pollution.
Storm Surge—A rise above normal water level on the open coast due to the action of wind stress on
the water surface. Storm surge resulting from a hurricane also includes the rise in level due to
atmospheric pressure reduction as well as that due to wind stress.
Stream—A topographic feature that at least periodically conveys water through a bed or channel
having banks. This includes watercourses having a surface or subsurface flow that supports or has
supported riparian vegetation.
Structure—Includes, but is not limited to, any building, road, pipe, flume, conduit, siphon, aqueduct,
telephone line, and electrical power transmission and distribution line.
Subdivision—The division of a lot, tract or parcel of land that is the subject of an application for
subdivision.
Subdivision Map Act—Division 2 (Sections 66410 et seq.) of the California Government Code, this
act vests in local legislative bodies the regulation and control of the design and improvement of
subdivisions, including the requirement for tentative and final maps. (See "Subdivision.")
Submarine Canyon—A steep-sided underwater valley commonly crossing the continental shelf and
slope.
Submerged Lands—Submerged lands shall be defined as lands which lie below the line of mean low
tide (from California Code of Regulations, Section 13577; see Public Trust Lands).
Page | 33
Subsidence—The sudden sinking or gradual downward settling and compaction of soil and other
surface material with little or no horizontal motion. Subsidence may be caused by a variety of human
and natural activities, including earthquakes.
Subsidize—To assist by payment of a sum of money or by the granting of terms or favors that
reduce the need for monetary expenditures. Housing subsidies may take the forms of mortgage
interest deductions or tax credits from federal and/or state income taxes, sale, or lease at less than
market value of land to be used for the construction of housing, payments to supplement a minimum
affordable rent, and the like.
Substantial Damage—Damage of any origin sustained by a structure whereby the cost of restoring
the structure to the condition existing before damage would equal or exceed 50 percent of the market
value before the damage occurred.
Substantial Repair—Any repair, reconstruction, or improvement of a structure, the cost of which
equals or exceeds 50 percent of the market value of the structure before such repair, reconstruction,
or improvement. This term includes structures that have incurred "substantial damage" regardless of
the actual repair work performed. For purposes of coastal development permitting, a substantial
improvement to a structure qualifies the proposed development as new development.
Subtidal—Marine habitat that is permanently below the extreme low tide line.
Summer Season—Begins the day before the Memorial Day weekend and ends the day after the
Labor Day weekend; alternatively, June 15th to September 15th.
Surf Zone—Area between the outermost breaking waves and the limit of wave uprush.
Page | 34
Surfgrass—A type of marine flowering plant that forms meadows on rocky shorelines and shallow
rocky subtidal reefs.
Sustainability--Defined as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising
the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (World Commission on Environment and
Development, 1987), sustainable development has emerged as the guiding principle for long-term
global development. Consisting of three pillars, sustainable development seeks to achieve, in a
balanced manner, economic development, social development and environmental protection
SWRCB—State Water Resources Control Board.
Talus—A pile of rock debris at the base of a cliff.
Tectonic—Related to the earth's surface.
Temporary Event—An activity or use that constitutes development as defined in this LCP but
which is an activity or function which is or will be of limited duration and involves the placement of
non-permanent structures; and/or involves the use of sandy beach, parkland, filled tidelands, water,
streets, or parking areas which are otherwise open and available for general public use.
Terrace—A gently sloping platform cut by wave action.
Terrestrial—Land-related.
Tidal Epoch (National Tidal Datum Epoch)—The specific 19-year period adopted by the
National Ocean Service as the official time segment over which tide observations are taken and
averaged to form tidal data, such as Mean Lower Low Water. The 19-year period includes an 18.6 year
astronomical cycle that accounts for all significant variations in the moon and sun that cause slowly
varying changes in the range of tides. A calendar day is 24 hours and a “tidal day” is approximately
24.84 hours. Due to the variation between calendar day and tidal day, it takes 19 years for these two
time cycles to establish a repeatable pattern. Thus, if the moon is full today, then the moon will be full
again on this day of the year 19 years from today. The present tidal epoch used is 1983—2001.
Tidal Prism—The total amount of water that flows into a harbor or estuary or out again with
movement of the tide, excluding any freshwater flow.
Tidal Range—Difference between consecutive high and low (of higher high and lower low) waters.
(see Tides).
Tidal Wave—Wave movement of the tides. Often improperly used for tsunamis (see Tsunami).
Tide—The periodic rising and falling of the water that results from gravitational attraction of the
moon and sun, and other astronomical bodies, acting upon the rotating earth. The California coast
has a mixed tidal occurrence, with two daily high tides of different elevations and two daily low tides,
also of different elevations. Other tidal regimes are diurnal tides, with only one high and one low tide
daily, and semidiurnal, with two high and two low tides daily, with comparatively little daily inequality
between each high or each low tide level
Tidelands—Tidelands shall be defined as lands that are located between the lines of mean high tide
and mean low tide (from California Code of Regulations, Section 13577; see Public Trust Lands).
Topography—Configuration of a surface, including its relief and the position of natural and man-
made features.
Page | 35
Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL)—The maximum amount of a pollutant that can be
discharged into a water body from all sources (point and non-point) and still maintain water quality
standards. Under Clean Water Act section 303(d), TMDLs must be developed for all water bodies that
do not meet water quality standards after application of technology-based controls. TMDL also refers
Page | 64
to the written, quantitative analysis and plan for attaining and maintaining water quality standards in
all seasons for a specific waterbody and pollutant.
Traffic Model—A mathematical representation of traffic movement within an area or region based
on observed relationships between the kind and intensity of development in specific areas. Many
traffic models operate on the theory that trips are produced by persons living in residential areas and
are attracted by various non-residential land uses.
Transit—The conveyance of persons or goods from one place to another by means of a local, public
transportation system.
Transportation Demand Management (TDM)—A strategy for reducing demand on the road
system by reducing the number of vehicles using the roadways and/or increasing the number of
persons per vehicle. TDM attempts to reduce the number of persons who drive alone on the roadway
during the commute period and to increase the number in carpools, vanpools, buses and trains,
walking, and biking. TDM can be an element of TSM (see below).
Transportation Systems Management (TSM)—Individual actions or comprehensive plans to
reduce traffic congestion by increasing the efficiency of the transportation system itself. Examples
would include improved traffic signal timing, coordination of multiple traffic signals, or spot
improvements that increase capacity of the roadway system.
Treatment Works—Has the same meaning as set forth in the federal Water Pollution Control Act (33
U.S.C. 1251, et seq.) and any other federal act that amends or supplements the federal Water Pollution
Control Act.
Trip—A one-way journey that proceeds from an origin to a destination via a single mode of
transportation; the smallest unit of movement considered in transportation studies. Each trip has one
origin (often the “production end,” sometimes from home, but not always), and one destination
(“attraction end”).
Tsunami—A long period wave, or seismic sea wave, caused by an underwater disturbance such as a
volcanic eruption or earthquake. Commonly misnamed a Tidal Wave.
Turbidity—A measure of the extent to which water is stirred up or disturbed, as by sediment;
opaqueness due to suspended sediment.
Turning Basin—An area, often designated on nautical charts, connected to a channel that is large
enough to allow vessels to maneuver or turn around.
Undertow—A seaward current near the bottom on a sloping inshore zone, caused by the return,
under the action of gravity, of the water carried up on the shore by waves. Commonly misnamed a
Rip Current.
Uniform Building Code (UBC)—A standard building code which sets forth minimum standards
for construction.
Upcoast—In the United States usage, the coastal direction, generally trending toward the north, from
which a current comes. Sediment will often deposit on the upcoast side of a jetty, groin, or headland,
reducing the amount of sediment that is available for transport further downcoast.
Updrift—The direction opposite that of the predominant movement of littoral materials.
Page | 65
Urban Design—The attempt to give form, in terms of both beauty and function, to selected urban
areas or to whole cities. Urban design is concerned with the location, mass, and design of various
urban components and combines elements of urban planning, architecture, and landscape
architecture.
Urban Open Space—The absence of buildings or development, usually in well-defined volumes,
within an urban environment.
USACE—U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
USC—United States Code.
USFWS—United States Fish and Wildlife Service (also known as FWS).
Vernal Pools—Vernal pools are low depressions that typically are flooded and saturated above a
hardpan or claypan for several weeks to a few months in the winter and spring.
Vessel—Watercraft, such as boats, ships, small craft, barges, etc. whether motorized, sail-powered or
hand-powered, which are used or capable of being used as a means of transportation, recreation,
safety/rescue, service or commerce on water. This includes all vessels of any size (other than models)
homeported, launched/retrieved, or visiting in Newport Harbor, arriving by water or land, and
registered or unregistered under state or federal requirements.
Warehousing Use—A use engaged in storage, wholesale, and distribution of manufactured products,
supplies, and equipment, excluding bulk storage of materials that are flammable or explosive of that
present hazards or conditions commonly recognized as offensive.
Water Course—Any natural or artificial stream, river, creek, ditch, channel, canal, conduit, culvert,
drain, waterway, gully, ravine or wash in which water flows in a definite channel, bed and banks, and
includes any area adjacent thereto subject to inundation by reason of overflow or flood water.
Water Dependent Use—Those uses that are tied to and require water, including fishing and other
vessel rental and charter, water transportation, water public safety and enforcement, marinas,
boatyards, yacht/sailing/boating/fishing clubs, watersports instructional and educational facilities,
public and guest docking facilities, and landside support uses, dredging, marine construction, and
harbor service and maintenance uses and related equipment.
Water Related Use—Those uses that relate to but do not require water, including nautical museums,
bait and tackle shops, boat charter, rental, sales, storage, construction and/or repair, marine-related
retail sales, and marine-related industry.
Water Transportation Use—This group of uses includes in-harbor and coastal/offshore ferry
services, in-harbor water taxi services, docking, parking, offices, and other water and land support
facilities.
Water-Enhanced Use—Those waterfront or waterfront-adjacent land uses and activities, including
restaurants and residential uses that derive economic, aesthetic and other amenity benefits from
proximity to and views of water and water-based activities, but which do not need direct access and
proximity to the water in order to accomplish their basic functional and economic operation.
Watershed—The geographical area drained by a river and its connecting tributaries into a common
source. A watershed may, and often does, cover a very large geographical region.
Page | 66
Wave Climate—The range if wave parameters (Height, period and direction) characteristic of a
coastal location.
Wave Height—The vertical distance from a wave trough to crest.
Wave Length (Wavelength)—The horizontal distance between successive crests or between
successive troughs of waves.
Wave Period—The time for a wave crest to traverse a distance equal to one wavelength, which is the
time for two successive wave crests to pass a fixed point.
Wave Run-up—The distance or extent that water from a breaking wave will extend up a beach or
structure.
Wave—A ridge, deformation, or undulation of the surface of a liquid. On the ocean, most waves are
generated by wind and are often referred to as wind waves.
Wave-cut Platform—The near-horizontal plane cut by wave action into a bedrock formation at the
shoreline.
Wetland—Land which may be covered periodically or permanently with shallow water and includes
saltwater marshes, freshwater marshes, open or closed brackish water marshes, mudflats, and fens.
Wetlands are lands transitional between terrestrial and aquatic systems where the water table is usually
at or near the surface or the land is covered by shallow water. For purposes of this classification,
wetlands must have one or more of the following attributes:
1. At least periodically, the land supports predominantly hydrophytes
2. The substrate is predominantly undrained hydric soil
3. The substrate is non-soil and is saturated with water or covered by shallow water at some time
during the growing season of each year
Wildlife Corridor—The concept of habitat corridors addresses the linkage between large blocks of
habitat that allow the safe movement of medium to large mammals from one habitat area to another.
The definition of a corridor is varied but corridors may include such areas as greenbelts, refuge
systems, underpasses, and biogeographic landbridges, for example.
Windward—The direction from which the wind is blowing.
Zoning—A police power measure, enacted primarily by units of local government, in which the
community is divided into districts or zones within which permitted and special uses are established as
are regulations governing lot size, building bulk, placement, and other development standards.
Requirements vary from district to district, but they must be uniform within the same district. The
zoning ordinance consists of a map and text.
Zoning Code—Title 20 of the City of Newport Beach Municipal Code, as amended.
Zoning District—A geographical area of a city zoned with uniform regulations and requirements.
Zoning Map—The officially adopted zoning map of the city specifying the uses permitted within
certain geographic areas of the city.
Zostera Marina—See eelgrass.
CHAPTER 13 Implementation Program Addendum
2014 Land Use Element Amendment
The 2014 Land Use Element Amendment modified existing policies which will
continue to be implemented by the existing programs outlined in Chapter 13 of
the General Plan. The Amendment also established new policies focusing on best
planning practices addressing such topics as sustainability, climate change, and healthy
communities which have emerged since adoption of the 2006 General Plan. The following
implementation policies are intended to implement the new policies.
32. CLIMATE ACTION PLAN
Overview
A Climate Action Plan (CAP) is a commonly used tool enabling local municipalities to comply with
State requirements for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) including Executive
Order S-3-05; Assembly Bill 32, The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006; and Senate
Bill 375. For Orange County communities, a CAP also enables local consistency with the Orange
County Sustainable Communities Strategy (OCSCS).
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) established regional targets for the reduction of GHG
emissions in compliance with Senate Bill 375, which are addressed in the Southern California
Association of Governments’ (SCAG’s) SCS. As a SCAG sub-region, Orange County was
permitted to prepare its own SCS, which was integrated into the broader SCAG plan. The OCSCS
strategies are collectively referred to as “sustainability” strategies and include both land use and
transportation improvements. Those related to land use support transit-oriented development,
infill housing and mixed-use development, improved jobs-housing ratios, land use patterns that
encourage the use of alternatives to single-occupant vehicles, and retention and/or development of
affordable housing.
While SB 375 and the OCSCS do not regulate land in Newport Beach, many of their objectives
and strategies are achieved in this General Plan. Examples include the Plan’s designation of
properties in Newport Center, the Airport Area, Mariners’ Mile, and Lido Peninsula for mixed-use
development and policies for enhanced pedestrian-oriented amenities and walkability. Additionally,
the adoption of the Green Building Code, revision of Title 24, Energy Action Plan (EAP), and
water conservation and waste diversion requirements are significant elements of a GHG reduction
strategy. Cumulatively, these contribute to Newport Beach’s compliance with mandates of the
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which require analysis of the General Plan’s GHG
emissions, making a conclusion regarding their significance, and specification of appropriate
mitigation measures to reduce these impacts.
A CAP, as a supplement to a general plan, provides analyses of the GHG emissions attributable to
the community; estimates of how those emissions are expected to increase to 2020 and the horizon
year of the General Plan; and recommended policies and actions that can reduce GHG emissions
to meet regional and state targets
Programs
Imp 32.1 Prepare a Climate Action Plan
The General Plan’s updated Land Use Element goals and policies were written in consideration
of the State’s climate change legislation and OCSCS. As described above, many of its goals and
policies, coupled with recent regulatory changes, constitute local measures contributing to
reduction of GHG emissions and can be incorporated in a CAP for Newport Beach. Additionally,
analyses conducted for the Supplemental Environmental Impact Report (SEIR) can be used in
describing the existing and future GHG emission inventories. A final CAP will supplement these
with a description and analysis of the impacts of contributing State regulations and actions and
indirect, external initiatives such as requirements for Southern California Edison for the use of
alternative energy-generating systems.
33. ENERGY ACTION PLAN (EAP)
Overview
As discussed for the previous implementation program, the reduction of energy consumption is a
major contributor to the objective of reducing GHG emissions. The Energy Action Plan (EAP)
was prepared to facilitate Newport Beach’s reduction of energy used in facility buildings and
operations and raising the energy conservation awareness of the local community. This includes
energy measures that have previously and are currently being implemented.
Programs
Imp 33.1 Administer the Energy Action Plan (EAP)
Continue to implement the actions described in the EAP for conserving energy and reducing the
carbon footprint. On development and approval of a CAP, integrate these actions and/or continue
to administer independently.
34. Energy
Overview
Electricity in the City is provided by Southern California Edison. Gas is provided by Southern
California Gas Company. In 2011, the City entered into a joint partnership with Southern
California Edison (SCE) via the Orange County Cities Energy Leadership Partnership Program.
The Partnership allows the City to be incentivized for electricity and natural gas saved for
municipal retrofit projects and community outreach efforts and provides a performance-based
opportunity for the City to demonstrate energy efficiency leadership in its community through
energy saving actions, including retrofitting its municipal facilities as well as providing
opportunities for constituents to take action in their homes and businesses.
Programs
Imp 34.1 Maintain and Implement Energy Management Plans and Encourage
Conservation
Information regarding the General Plan’s development capacities shall be forwarded by the City to
the Southern California Edison and the Southern California Gas Company as the basis for their
consideration of the adequacy of existing and planned improvements to meet the needs of
existing and future populations. Required facility improvements shall be budgeted by each
agency, including, where appropriate, the City’s five year and annual Capital Improvement
Programs.
In addition, the City should encourage cooperative strategies to promote the conservation of
energy. These strategies should be reviewed periodically for their effectiveness and updated in the
plans to reflect best management practices.
NEWPORT BEACH
ITEM TITLE: ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW FINDINGS
ITEM SUMMARY: The draft Screencheck Environmental Impact Report may be accessed at:
http://www.newportbeachca.gov/index.aspx?page=2289
Recommended Action: No formal action required.
NEWPORT BEACH
ITEM TITLE: LAND USE ELEMENT AMENDMENT RECOMMENDATIONS
ITEM SUMMARY: a. Land Use Changes (Attachment 4)
Recommended Action: 1) Finalize Recommended Land Use
Changes
b. Policy Amendments (Attachment 5)
Recommended Action: 1) Finalize Recommended Policy
Amendments
ATTACHMENTS:
Description
Attachment 4 Land Use Changes
Attachment 5 Policy Amendments
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Page | 2
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Page | 3
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Page | 1
NEWPORT BEACH LAND USE ELEMENT POLICY MASTER
RECOMMENDED BY THE LAND USE ELEMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE
March 24, 2014
This document presents revisions of the General Plan Land Use Element’s goals and policies as recommended by
the Land Use Element Advisory Committee (LUEAC). Deletions are shown as strikeouts and underlines for new text.
Goals and policies will be re-numbered, as necessary, upon their confirmation by the LUEAC. The highlighted text
shows the correlation between the Land Use Element policies and the Implementation Programs contained in
Chapter 13 of the General Plan. On April 1, 2014, the LUEAC will finalize their recommendations.
Development capacities specified in the policies will be revised as needed to reflect final LUEAC recommendations.
This document does not include the land use and anomaly tables, plan diagram, glossary illustrative, photographs
and graphics which will also be revised to reflect the LUEAC’s final recommendations.
These include revisions to:
a. Reflect and assure consistency with approved Citizen Advisory Panel reports/plan (e.g., Lido Village and
Balboa Village);
b. State of California legislation enacted since the Plan’s adoption in 2006 including the Global Warming
Solutions Act of 2006 (Assembly Bill 31), the Sustainable Communities Act (Senate Bill 375), and 2007
amendments to the California Environmental Quality Act (Senate Bill 97);
c. Best planning practices emerging since 2006 addressing such topics as sustainability, climate change, and
healthy communities.
d. Revisions suggested by LUEAC members supported by City staff; and
e. Revisions suggested by City Planning Department staff based on their experience in implementing existing
Plan goals and policies.
Role and Character
Goal
LU 1
A unique, primarily residential community with diverse coastal and upland neighborhoods, which values its colorful
past, high quality of life, and community bonds, and balances the needs of residents, businesses, and visitors through
the recognition that Newport Beach is primarily a residential community..
Policy
LU 1.1 Unique Environment
Maintain and enhance the beneficial and unique character of the different neighborhoods, business districts, and
harbor that together identify Newport Beach. Locate and design developments to reflect Newport Beach’s
topography, architectural diversity, and public view sheds. (Imp 1.1, 20.3)
LU 1.2 Citywide Identity
While recognizing the qualities that uniquely define its neighborhoods and districts, promote the identity of the entire
City that differentiates it as a special place within the Southern California region. (Imp 1.1)
LU 1.3 Natural Resources
Protect the natural setting that contributes to the character and identify identity of Newport Beach and the sense of
place it provides for its residents and visitors. Preserve designated open space resources, beaches, harbor, bays,
channels, parks, bluffs, preserves, and estuaries as visual, recreational and habitat resources. (Imp 1.1, 29.3)
Page | 2
LU 1.4 Growth Management
Implement a conservative growth strategy that enhances the quality of life of residents and balances the needs of all
constituencies with the preservation of designated open space and natural resources. (Imp 1.1, 10.2)
LU 1.5 Economic Health
Encourage a local economy that provides adequate commercial, office, industrial, and marine-oriented opportunities
that provide employment and revenue to support high-quality community services. (Imp 1.1, 24.1)
LU 1.X Environmental Health
Promote sustainable land use and development practices that minimize the use of non-renewable resources and
reduce greenhouse gas emissions. (Imp 2.1, X32.1, Y33.1)
LU 1.X2 Healthy Population
Promote land use and development practices that contribute to the health and wellness of Newport Beach’s
residents. (Imp 2.1, 16.1)
LU 1.6 Public Views
Protect and, where feasible, enhance significant scenic and visual resources that include open space, mountains,
canyons, ridges, ocean, and harbor and other water vistas from public vantage points. (Imp 1.1)
LU 1.X3 Compatible Land Uses
Require that the scale and massing of new development provide appropriate transitions in building location, height,
and bulk at their edges that are sensitive to the physical and visual character of adjoining neighborhoods and districts
that have lower development intensities and building heights. (Imp 2.1)
Uses to be Accommodated
Goal
LU 2
A living, active, and diverse environment that complements all lifestyles and enhances neighborhoods, without
compromising the valued resources that make Newport Beach unique. It contains a diversity of uses that support the
needs of residents, sustain and enhance the economy, provide job opportunities, serve visitors that enjoy the City’s
diverse recreational amenities, promote public health, and protect its important environmental setting, resources, and
quality of life.
Policies
LU 2.1 Resident-Serving Land Uses
Accommodate uses that support the needs of Newport Beach’s residents including housing, retail, services,
employment, recreation, education, culture, entertainment, medical and health facilities, civic engagement, and social
and spiritual activity that are in balance with community natural resources and open spaces. (Imp 1.1, 2.1, 29.3)
LU 2.2 Economically Sustainable and Complete Community
Emphasize the development of uses that enable Newport Beach to continue as an economically self-sustaining
community and minimize the need for residents to travel outside of the community for retail, goods and services, and
employment. (Imp 1.1, 24.1)
LU 2.3 Range of Residential Choices
Provide opportunities for the development of residential units that respond to community and regional needs in terms
of density, size, location, and cost. Implement goals, policies, programs, and objectives identified within the City’s
Housing Element. (Imp 1.1, 8.1, 25.1)
LU 2.X Recreational Centers
Maintain and enhance a network of recreational facilities and programs to serve all phases of life. (Imp 23.2, 29.3)
Page | 3
LU 2.4 Economic Development
Accommodate uses that maintain or enhance Newport Beach’s fiscal health and account for market demands, while
maintaining orand improving the quality of life for current and future residents. (Imp 1.1, 24.1)
LU 2.5 Harbor and Waterfront Uses
Preserve the uses of the Harbor and the waterfront that contribute to the charm and character of Newport Beach and
provide needed support for recreational and commercial boaters, visitors, and residents, with appropriate regulations
necessary to protect the interests of all users as well as adjoining residents. (Imp 1.1, 2.5, 5.1, 20.2, 21.4, 24.1)
LU 2.6 Visitor Serving Uses
Provide uses that serve visitors to Newport Beach’s ocean, harbor, open spaces, and other recreational assets, while
integrating them to protecting the quality of life for neighborhoods and residents. (Imp 1.1, 2.1, 5.1, 24.1)
LU 2.X3 Locally-Grown Food
Promote the production and distribution of locally grown food by allowing farmers markets, food cooperatives, and
neighborhood or community gardens. (Imp. 8.1)
LU 2.7 Oil and Gas Facilities
Prohibit the construction of new onshore oil processing, refining, or transportation facilities, including facilities
designed to transport oil from offshore tracts, with the exceptions of slant drilling from onshore oil fields or for the
consolidation and more efficient production of wells should Banning Ranch be annexed to the City. (Imp 2.1, 5.1)
LU 2.8 Adequate Infrastructure
Accommodate the types, densities, and mix of land uses that can be adequately supported by transportation and
utility infrastructure (water, sewer, storm drainage, energy, technology cabling and so on) and public services
(schools, parks, libraries, seniors, youth, police, fire, and so on). (Imp 1.1, 10.2, 11.1, 19.1, 22.1)
Organization and Form of Uses (“How Are Land
Uses Distributed?”)
Goal
LU 3
A development pattern that retains and complements the City’s residential neighborhoods, commercial and industrial
districts, open spaces, and natural environment.
Policies
LU 3.1 Neighborhoods, Districts, Corridors, and Open Spaces
Maintain Newport Beach’s pattern of residential neighborhoods, business and employment districts, commercial
centers, corridors, and harbor and ocean districts. (Imp 1.1)
LU 3.X1 Community Connectivity
Promote improved connectivity between Newport Beach’s key districts through well-landscaped and safe pedestrian
corridors, bicycle trails, wayfinding signage, and similar elements. (Imp 16.11, 20.1)
LU 3.2 Growth and Change
Enhance existing neighborhoods, districts, and corridors, allowing for re-use and infill with uses that are
complementary in type, form, scale, and character. Changes in use and/or density/intensity should be considered
only in those areas that are economically underperforming, are necessary to accommodate Newport Beach’s share of
projected regional population growth, improve the relationship and reduce commuting distance between home and
jobs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption on an overall, citywide basis, facilitate walking,
bicycling, and transit uses, provide places for people to congregate and interact socially, or enhance the values that
distinguish Newport Beach as a special place to live and work for its residents. The scale of growth and new
Page | 4
development shall be coordinated with the provision of adequate infrastructure and public services, including
standards for acceptable traffic level of service. (Imp 1.1, 2.1, 5.1, 10.2, 16.2, 16.3, 17.1, 18.1, 19.1, 22.1, 23.1, 23.2)
LU 3.3 Opportunities for Change
Provide opportunities for improved development and enhanced environments for residents in the following districts
and corridors, as specified in Polices 6.3.1 through 6.22.7:
West Newport: consolidation of retail and visitor-serving commercial uses, with remaining commercial areas
developed for residential units
West Newport Mesa: improvement or re-use of underperforming or underutilized commercial and industrial
properties for offices and other uses that support Hoag Hospital’s medical activities, improvement of
remaining industrial properties adjoining the City of Costa Mesa, accommodation of non-water dependent
marine-related industries, and development of residential in proximity to jobs and services
Santa Ana Heights: use of properties consistent with the adopted Specific Plan and Redevelopment Plan
John Wayne Airport Area: re-use of underperforming or underutilized commercial, industrial and office
properties and development of an urban mixed-use district with resident-serving uses enabling employees to
live cohesive residential neighborhoods in proximity to jobs and services.
Fashion Island/Newport Center: expanded retail and office uses and hotel rooms and development of
residential in proximity to jobs and services, while limiting increases in office development.
Balboa Peninsula: more efficient patterns of use that consolidate the Peninsula’s visitor-serving and mixed
uses within the core commercial districts; encourage marine-related uses especially in commercial areas
along the bay front; integrate residential with retail and visitor-serving uses in Lido Village, McFadden
Square, Balboa Village, and along portions of the Harbor frontage; re-use interior parcels in Cannery Village
for residential and limited mixed-use and live/work buildings.; and redevelop underperforming properties
outside of the core commercial districts along the Balboa Boulevard corridor for residential. Infill
development shall be designed and sited to preserve the historical and architectural fabriccharacter of these
districts.
Mariners’ Mile: re-use of underperforming or underutilized properties for retail, visitor-serving, and marine-
related uses, integrated with residential and expand public and private parking.
Corona del Mar: enhancement of public improvements and expand public and private parking. (Imp 1.1,
2.1, 5.1, 16.10)
LU 3.4 Banning Ranch
Prioritize the acquisition of Banning Ranch as an open space amenity for the community and region, consolidating oil
operations, enhancing wetland and other habitats, and providing parkland amenities to serve nearby neighborhoods.
If the property cannot be acquired within a time period and pursuant to terms agreed to by the City and property
owner, allow for the development of a compact residential village that preserves the majority of the site as open
space and restores critical habitat in accordance with Policies 6.3.1 through 6.5.5. (Imp 1.1, 2.1, 5.1, 14.7, 14.11)
LU 3.5 Coastal-Dependent and Related Businesses
Design and site new development to avoid impacts to existing coastal-dependent and coastal-related developments.
When reviewing proposals for land use changes, give full consideration to the impact on coastal-dependent and
coastal related land uses, including not only the proposed change on the subject property, but also the potential to
limit existing coastal-dependent and coastal-related land uses on adjacent properties. (Imp 2.1, 5.1, 7.1)
LU 3.6 Waterfront Access
Use public beaches for public recreational uses and prohibit uses on beaches that interfere with public access and
enjoyment of coastal resources. Encourage the expansion and improvement of access to the waterfront and water-
related uses that provide important links to waterfront uses such as beaches, launching facilities, public docks, and
other similar public water area uses. (Imp 1.1, 5.1, 20.2)
LU 3.7 Natural Resource or Hazardous Areas
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Require that new development is located and designed to protect areas with high natural resource value and protect
residents and visitors from hazards that pose a threats to life or property. (Imp 2.1, 6.1)
LU 3.8 Project Entitlement Review with Airport Land Use Commission
Refer the adoption or amendment of the General Plan, Zoning Code, specific plans, and Planned Community
development plans for land within the John Wayne Airport planning area, as established in the JWA Airport Environs
Land Use Plan (AELUP), to the Airport Land Use Commission (ALUC) offor Orange County for review, as required by
Section 21676 of the California Public Utilities Code. In addition, refer all development projects that include buildings
with a height greater than 200 feet above ground level to the ALUC for review. (Imp 14.3)
Sustainable Development
Goal
LU X
Land use development practices that contribute to a sustained natural environment for use by future generations,
economy, and well-being of Newport Beach’s residents, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and impacts on
climate change.
Policies
LU X.X Regulating Sustainable Development
Promote and, where appropriate, require new development and reconstruction to comply with sustainable building
practices incorporating a “whole system” approach to designing and constructing buildings that consume less energy,
water, and other resources, facilitate natural ventilation, use daylight effectively, and are healthy, safe, comfortable,
and durable. (Imp 1.1, X32.1, Y33.1)
LU X.X2 Existing Structure Reuse
Encourage the retention, adaptive reuse, and renovation of existing buildings with “green” building technologies to
retain the structure’s embodied energy, increase energy efficiency, and limit the generation of construction waste.
(Imp 7.1)
LU X.X3 Sustainable Sites and Land Development
Promote land development practices that reduce energy and water consumption, pollution, greenhouse gas
emissions, and waste generation incorporating such techniques as:
Concentrating and designing development to promote walking, bicycling, and use of public transit as an
alternative to automobile travel;
Capturing and re-using stormwater runoff on-site for irrigation and groundwater percolation;
Managing wastewater and using recycled water, including encouraging the use of grey water;
Orienting buildings to maximize opportunities for solar energy use, daylighting, and ventilation;
Using landscapes that conserve water and reduce green waste;
Shading of surface parking, walkways, and plazas; and/or
Recycling and/or salvaging for reuse of construction and demolition debris. (Imp 2.1, 7.1, 8.2)
LU X.X4 Revitalization of Obsolete and Underused Properties
Encourage the consolidation of small commercial, industrial, and mixed-use parcels to facilitate revitalization and
redevelopment. (Imp 2.1, 24.1)
LU X.X5 Heat Island Effect
Reduce the “heat island effect” by promoting such features as reflective roofing, green roofs, light-colored paving, and
reducing the unshaded extent of parking lots with a dense tree canopy. (Imp 7.1, X32.1, 33Y.1)
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LU X.X6 Orange County Sustainable Communities Strategy
Implement practices for infill and mixed use development, affordable housing, and density to achieve objectives for
reduction of vehicle trips and commute distances, air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption
and improvement of public health consistent with applicable policies of the Orange County Sustainable Communities
Strategy (SCS). (Imp 8.1, X32.1, Y33.1)
Land Use Diagram
Goal
LU 4
Management of growth and change to protect and enhance the livability of neighborhoods and achieve distinct and
economically vital business and employment districts, which are correlated with supporting infrastructure and public
services and sustain Newport Beach’s natural setting.
Policies
LU 4.1 Land Use Diagram
Accommodate land use development consistent with the Land Use Plan. Figure LU1 depicts the general distribution
of uses throughout the City and Figure LU2 through Figure LU15 depict specific use categories for each parcel within
defined Statistical Areas. Table LU1 (Land Use Plan Categories) specifies the primary land use categories, types of
uses, and, for certain categories, the densities/intensities to be permitted. The permitted densities/intensities or
amount of development for land use categories for which this is not included in
a. Identify the parcel and the applicable land use designation on the Land Use Plan, Figure LU4 through Figure
LU15
b. Refer to Figure LU4 through Figure LU15 and Table LU1 to identify the permitted uses and permitted density or
intensity or amount of development for the land use classification. Where densities/intensities are applicable, the
maximum amount of development shall be determined by multiplying the area of the parcel by the
density/intensity.
c. For anomalies identified on the Land Use Map by a symbol, refer to Table LU2 to determine the precise
development limits.
d. For residential development in the Airport Area., refer to the policies prescribed by the Land Use Element that
define how development may occur. (Imp 2.1, 5.1, 10.2)
LU 4.2 Prohibition of New Residential Subdivisions
Prohibit new residential subdivisions that would result in additional dwelling units exceeding those permitted by the
General Plan unless authorized by an amendment of the General Plan (GPA). Lots that have been legally merged
through the Subdivision Map Act and City Subdivision Code approvals are exempt from the GPA requirements and
may be redeveloped or re-subdivided to the original underlying legal lots. This policy is applicable to all Single Unit,
Two Unit, and Multiple Unit Residential and Mixed Use land use categories. (Imp 6.1)
LU 4.3 Transfer of Development RightsAllocations
Permit the transfer of development allocationsrights from a property to one or more other properties when:
a. The donor and receiver sites are within the same Statistical Area.
b. The reduced density/intensity on the donor site provides benefits to the City such as, but not limited to, the (1)
provision of extraordinary open space exceeding standard requirements, public visual corridor(s), parking or
other amenities; (2) preservation of a historic building or property or natural landscapes; (3) improvement of the
area’s scale and development character; (4) consolidation of lots to achieve a better architectural design than
could be achieved without lot consolidation; and/or (5) reduction of local vehicle trips and traffic congestion;
c. The increment of growth transferred to the receiver site complements and is in scale with surrounding
development, complies with community character and design policies contained in this Plan, and does not
materially degrade local traffic conditions and environmental quality.
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d. Transfer of Development Rights Allocations in Newport Center is governed by Policy 6.14.3 and those for the
Airport Area by Policy 6.15.X. (Imp 2.1, 5.1, 10.2, 29.2)
Community Character (“Maintaining the
Character of Our Neighborhoods and Districts”)
Goals and policies provide for the maintenance and enhancement of Newport Beach’s residential neighborhoods,
commercial districts, employment centers, corridors, and open spaces, assuring that new development complements
and reinforces these characteristics. In addition to those listed below, community design policies are defined in the
section beginning with Policy LU 6.0 1 to reflect the specific community character objectives for a number of the
City’s districts and corridors.
Residential Neighborhoods
Goal
LU 5.1
Residential neighborhoods that are well-planned and designed contribute to the livability and quality of life of
residents, respect the natural environmental setting, and sustain the qualities of place that differentiate Newport
Beach as a special place in the Southern California region.
Policies
ALL NEIGHBORHOODS
LU 5.1.1 Compatible but Diverse Development
Establish property development regulations for residential projects to create compatible and high-quality development
that contributes to and sustains neighborhood character. (Imp 2.1)
LU 5.1.2 Compatible Interfaces
Require that the height of development in nonresidential and higher-density residential areas transition as it nears
lower-density residential areas to minimize conflicts at the interface between the different types of development. (Imp
2.1) [Note: Moved to Policy LU 1.X3]
LU 5.1.3 Neighborhood Identification
Encourage and support the identification of distinct residential neighborhoods. (Imp 1.1, 1.3)
LU 5.1.4 Neighborhood Maintenance
Promote the maintenance of existing residential units through code enforcement and promotion of County and local
rehabilitation programs and public education. This may include providing information, guidance, and assistance
where feasible. (Imp 23.3, 25.1, 26.1, 29.1)
SINGLE-FAMILY DETACHED AND TWO-UNIT NEIGHBORHOODS
LU 5.1.5 Character and Quality of Single-Family Residential Dwellings
Require that residential units be designed to sustain the high level of architectural design quality that characterizes
Newport Beach’s neighborhoods in consideration of the following principles:
Articulation and modulation of building masses and elevations to avoid the appearance of “box-like”
buildings Compatibility with neighborhood development in density, scale, and street facing elevations
Architectural treatment of all elevations visible from public places
Entries and windows on street facing elevations to visually “open” the house to the neighborhood
Orientation to desirable sunlight and views (Imp 2.1)
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LU 5.1.6 Character and Quality of Residential Properties
Require that residential front setbacks and other areas visible from the public street be attractively landscaped, trash
containers enclosed, and driveway and parking paving minimized. (Imp 2.1)
LU 5.1.7 Renovation and Replacement of Existing Residential Units
Require that residential units that are renovated and rebuilt in existing single family neighborhoods adhere to the
principles for new developments, as specified by Policy 5.1.5 above, and avoid. Consider the appropriateness of
establishing single-family residential design guidelines and/or standards and review procedures for neighborhoods
impacted by significant changes in building scale and character. (Imp 2.1, 8.2)
LU 5.1.8 Parking Adequacy
Require that new and renovated single-family residences incorporate adequate enclosed parking in consideration of
its number of bedroomsfloor area. (Imp 2.1)
MULTI-FAMILY NEIGHBORHOODS
LU 5.1.9 Character and Quality of Multi-Family Residential
Require that multi-family dwellings be designed to convey a high quality architectural character in accordance with
the following principles (other than the Newport Center and Airport Area, which are guided by Goals 6.14 and 6.15,
respectively, specific to those areas):
Building Elevations
Treatment of the elevations of buildings facing public streets and pedestrian ways as the principal façades
with respect to architectural treatment to achieve the highest level of urban design and neighborhood quality
Architectural treatment of building elevations and modulation of mass to convey the character of separate
living units or clusters of living units, avoiding the appearance of a singular building volume
Provide street- and path-facing elevations with high-quality doors, windows, moldings, metalwork, and
finishes
Ground Floor Treatment
Where multi-family residential is developed on large parcels such as the Airport Area and West Newport
Mesa:
• Set ground-floor residential uses back from the sidewalk or from the right-of-way, whichever yields the
greater setback to provide privacy and a sense of security and to leave room for stoops, porches and
landscaping
• Raise ground-floor residential uses above the sidewalk for privacy and security but not so much that
pedestrians face blank walls or look into utility or parking spaces
• Encourage stoops and porches for ground-floor residential units facing public streets and pedestrian
ways
Where multi-family residential is developed on small parcels, such as the Balboa Peninsula, the unit may be
located directly along the sidewalk frontage and entries should be setback or elevated to ensure adequate
security (as shown below1).
Roof Design
Modulate roof profiles to reduce the apparent scale of large structures and to provide visual interest and
variety.
Parking
Design covered and enclosed parking areas to be integral with the architecture of the residential units’
architecture.
1 Note: Refers to image in General Plan
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Open Space and Amenity
Incorporate usable and functional private open space for each unit.
Incorporate common open space that creates a pleasant living environment with opportunities for recreation.
(Imp 2.1, Imp 29.3)
Commercial Districts
Goal
LU 5.2
Commercial centers and districts that are well-designed and planned, exhibit a high level of architectural and
landscape quality, and are vital places for shopping and socialization.
Policies
LU 5.2.1 Architecture and Site Design
Require that new development within existing commercial districts centers and corridors that complement existing
uses and exhibit a high level of architectural and site design in consideration of the following principles:
Seamless connections and transitions with existing buildings, except where developed as a free-standing
building
Modulation of building masses, elevations, and rooflines to promote visual interest
Architectural treatment of all building elevations, including ancillary facilities such as storage, truck loading
and unloading, and trash enclosures
Treatment of the ground floor of buildings to promote pedestrian activity by avoiding long, continuous blank
walls, incorporating extensive glazing for transparency, and modulating and articulating elevations to
promote visual interest
Clear identification of storefront entries
Incorporation of signage that is integrated with the buildings’ architectural character
Architectural treatment of parking structures consistent with commercial buildings, including the
incorporation of retail in the ground floors where the parking structure faces a public street or pedestrian way
Extensive on-site landscaping, including mature vegetation to provide a tree canopy to provide shade for
customers
Incorporation of plazas and expanded sidewalks to accommodate pedestrian, outdoor dining, and other
activities
Clearly delineated pedestrian connections between business areas, parking, and to adjoining neighborhoods
and districts (paving treatment, landscape, wayfinding signage, and so on)
Integration of building design and site planning elements that reduce the consumption of water, energy, and
other nonrenewable resources (Imp 2.1)
LU 5.2.2 Buffering Residential Areas
Require that commercial uses adjoining residential neighborhoods be designed to be compatible and minimize
impacts through such techniques as:
Incorporation of landscape, decorative walls, enclosed trash containers, downward focused lighting fixtures,
and/or comparable buffering elements;
Attractive architectural treatment of elevations facing the residential neighborhood;
Location of automobile and truck access to prevent impacts on neighborhood traffic and privacy. (Imp 2.1)
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LU 5.2.3 Alley Design
Improve and enhance the aesthetic quality of alleys without impacting service and resident access. (Imp 6.1, 8.1)
Mixed-Use Districts and Neighborhoods
Goal
LU 5.3
Districts where residents and businesses are intermixed that are designed and planned to ensure compatibility
among the uses, that they are highly livable for residents, and are of high quality design reflecting the traditions of
Newport Beach.
Policies
LU 5.3.1 Mixed-Use Buildings
Require that mixed-use buildings be designed to convey a high level of architectural and landscape quality and
ensure compatibility among their uses in consideration of the following principles:
Design and incorporation of building materials and features to avoid conflicts among uses, such as noise,
vibration, lighting, odors, and similar impacts
Visual and physical integration of residential and nonresidential uses
Architectural treatment of building elevations and modulation of their massing
Separate and well-defined entries for residential units and nonresidential businesses
Design of parking areas and facilities for architectural consistency and integration among uses
Incorporation of extensive landscape appropriate to its location; urbanized streetscapes, for example, would
require less landscape along the street frontage but integrate landscape into interior courtyards and
common open spaces (Imp 2.1)
LU 5.3.2 Mixed-Use Building Location and Size of Nonresidential Uses
Require that 100 percent of the ground floor street frontage of mixed-use buildings be occupied by retail and other
compatible nonresidential uses, unless specified otherwise by policies LU 6.21.1 through LU 6.20.6 for a specific
district or corridor. (Imp 2.1)
LU 5.3.3 Parcels Integrating Residential and Nonresidential Uses
Require that properties developed with a mix of residential and nonresidential uses be designed to achieve high
levels of architectural quality in accordance with policies LU 5.1.9 and LU 5.2.1 and planned to ensure compatibility
among the uses and provide adequate circulation and parking. Residential uses should be seamlessly integrated with
nonresidential uses through architecture, pedestrian walkways, and landscape. They should not be completely
isolated by walls or other design elements. (Imp 2.1)
LU 5.3.4 Districts Integrating Residential and Nonresidential Uses
Require that sufficient acreage be developed for an individual use located in a district containing a mix of residential
and nonresidential uses to prevent fragmentation and ensure each use’s viability, quality, and compatibility with
adjoining uses. (Imp 2.1, 6.1)
All Commercial and Mixed-Use Districts
LU 5.3.5 Pedestrian-Oriented Architecture and Streetscapes
Require that buildings located in pedestrian-oriented commercial and mixed-use districts (other than the Newport
Center and Airport Area, which are guided by Goals 6.14 and 6.15, respectively, specific to those areas) be designed
to define the public realm, activate sidewalks and pedestrian paths, and provide “eyes on the street” in accordance
with the following principles:
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Location of buildings along the street frontage sidewalk, to visually form a continuous or semi-continuous
wall with buildings on adjacent parcels;
Inclusion of retail uses characterized by a high level of customer activity on the ground floor; to insure
successful retail-type operations, provide for transparency, elevation of the first floor at or transitioning to the
sidewalk, floor-to-floor height, depth, deliveries, and trash storage and collection;
Articulation and modulation of street-facing elevations to promote interest and character;
Inclusion of outdoor seating or other amenities that extend interior uses to the sidewalk, where feasible; and
Minimization of driveways that interrupt the continuity of street facing building elevations, prioritizing their
location to side streets and alleys where feasible. (Imp 2.1)
LU 5.3.6 Parking Adequacy and Location
Require that adequate parking be provided and is conveniently located to serve tenants and customers. Set open
parking lots back from public streets and pedestrian ways and screen with buildings, architectural walls, or dense
landscaping. (Imp 2.1)
Office and Business Parks
Goal
LU 5.4
Office and business districts that exhibit a high quality image, are attractive, and provide quality working
environments for employees.
Policies
LU 5.4.1 Site Planning
Require that new, and to the extent feasible, renovated office and retail development projects be planned to exhibit a
high-quality and cohesive “campus environment,” characterized by the following:
Location of buildings around common plazas, courtyards, walkways, and open spaces
Incorporation of extensive on-site landscaping that emphasizes special features such as entryways
Use of landscape and open spaces to break the visual continuity of surface parking lots
Common signage program for tenant identification and wayfinding
Common streetscapes and lighting to promote pedestrian activity
Readily observable site access, entrance drives and building entries and minimized conflict between service
vehicles, private automobiles, and pedestrians (Imp 2.1)
LU 5.4.2 Development Form and Architecture
Require that new development of business park, office, and supporting buildings be designed to convey a unified and
high-quality character in consideration of the following principles:
Modulation of building mass, heights, and elevations and articulation of building
Avoidance of blank building walls that internalize uses with no outdoor orientation to public spaces
Minimize the mass and bulk of building facades abutting streets
Consistent architectural design vocabulary, articulation, materials, and color palette
Clear identification of entries through design elements
Integration of signage with the building’s architectural style and character
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Architectural treatment of parking structures consistent with their primary commercial or office building (Imp
2.1)
Industrial Districts
Goal
LU 5.5
Districts that provide for the manufacturing of goods and research, and development that are attractive, compatible
with adjoining nonindustrial uses, and well maintained.
Policies
LU 5.5.1 Site Planning and Building Design
Require that new and renovated industrial properties and structures be designed to exhibit a high quality of design
and maintenance characterized by the following:
Incorporation of extensive on-site landscaping
Incorporation of landscape, decorative walls, and other elements that visually screen areas used for outdoor
storage, processing, and other industrial operations from public places
Architectural treatment of all visible building elevations
Consistent and well-designed signage
Control of on-site lighting, noise, odors, vibrations, toxic materials, truck access, and other elements that
may impact adjoining nonindustrial land uses. (Imp 2.1)
LU 5.5.2 Property Maintenance
Encourage and, where subject to redevelopment, require owners of visually unattractive or poorly maintained
industrial properties to upgrade existing structures and properties to improve their visual quality. (Imp 26.1)3-61
Public and Institutional Uses and Districts 2
The City of Newport Beach contains a diversity of public and institutional uses including civic and government
administrative facilities (City Hall), corporate yards, fire and police facilities, libraries, cultural institutions, art museum,
marine science center, environmental interpretative center, senior and youth facilities, schools, and hospitals. Major
public uses include the Civic Center, including City Hall, adjoining Lido Village, and Police Department in Newport
Center, eight fire stations distributed throughout the community, Central Library in Newport Center and three
branches, OASIS Senior Center in Corona del Mar, and community facilities available at various locations for
residents for recreational and meeting use. Newport Beach is served by two public and one private high school, one
public and one private middle school, and eight public and four private elementary schools. Hoag Hospital is a major
medical center that serves the City and region and is supported by numerous medical offices and related facilities.
Goal
LU 6.1
A diversity of governmental service, institutional, educational, cultural, social, religious, and medical facilities that are
available for and enhance the quality of life for residents and are located and designed to complement Newport
Beach’s neighborhoods.
Policies
LAND USES
LU 6.1.1 Adequate Community Supporting Uses
2 NOTE: This section was incorrectly located in the General Plan and has been moved. No text changes have been made.
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Accommodate schools, government administrative and operational facilities, fire stations and police facilities, religious
facilities, schools, cultural facilities, museums, interpretative centers, and hospitals to serve the needs of Newport
Beach’s residents and businesses. (Imp 1.1, 2.1)
LU 6.1.2 Siting of New Development
Allow for the development of new public and institutional facilities within the City provided that the use and
development facilities are compatible with adjoining land uses, environmentally suitable, and can be supported by
transportation and utility infrastructure. (Imp 1.1, 14.2, 22.1–23.2)
DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT
LU 6.1.3 Architecture and Planning that Complements Adjoining Uses
Ensure that the City’s public buildings, sites, and infrastructure are designed to be compatible in scale, mass,
character, and architecture with the district or neighborhood in which they are located, following the design and
development policies for private uses specified by this Plan. Design impacts on adjoining uses shall be carefully
considered in development, addressing such issues as lighting spillover, noise, hours of operation, parking, local
traffic impacts, and privacy. (Imp 22.1–23.2)
LU 6.1.4 Compatibility of Non-City Public Uses
Encourage school and utility districts and other government agencies that may be exempt from City land use control
and approval to plan their properties and design buildings at a high level of visual and architectural quality that
maintains the character of the neighborhood or district in which they are located and in consideration of the design
and development policies for private uses specified by this Plan. (Imp 14.1, 14.15)
STRATEGY
LU 6.1.5 Hoag Hospital Campus
Support Hoag Hospital and related medical uses in its their mission to provide adequate facilities to meet the needs
of area residents. Work with the Hospital and related medical uses to ensure that future development plans consider
its their relationship to and ensure compatibility with adjoining residential neighborhoods and mitigate impacts on
local and regional transportation systems. (Imp 24.1)
Neighborhoods, Districts, and Corridors (“Places
That Distinguish Newport Beach”)3
Goals and policies provide for the maintenance of existing neighborhoods, districts, corridors, and public and civic
uses, managing growth and change to ensure that their character, livability, and economic value are sustained.
All Neighborhoods, Districts, and Corridors
Goal
LU 5.6
Neighborhoods, districts, and corridors containing a diversity of uses and buildings that are mutually compatible and
enhance the quality of the City’s environment.
Policies
LU 5.6.1 Compatible Development
Require that buildings and properties be designed to ensure compatibility within and as interfaces between
neighborhoods, districts, and corridors. (Imp 2.1)
3 NOTE: This header and text were incorrectly located in the General Plan and has been moved. No changes in text have been
made.
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LU 5.6.2 Form and Environment
Require that new and renovated buildings be designed to avoid the use of styles, colors, and materials that unusually
impact the design character and quality of their location such as abrupt changes in scale, building form, architectural
style, and the use of surface materials that raise local temperatures, result in glare and excessive illumination of
adjoining properties and open spaces, or adversely modify wind patterns. (Imp 2.1)
LU 5.6.3 Ambient Lighting
Require that outdoor lighting be located and designed to prevent spillover onto adjoining properties or significantly
increase the overall ambient illumination of their location. (Imp 2.1)
LU 5.6.4 Conformance with the Natural Environmental Setting
Require that sites be planned and buildings designed in consideration of the property’s topography, landforms,
drainage patterns, natural vegetation, and relationship to the Bay and coastline, maintaining the environmental
character that distinguishes Newport Beach. (Imp 2.1, 8.1)
LU 5.6.5 Heliport/Helistop Compatibility
Require that all applicants for the construction or operation of a heliport or helistop comply with state permit
procedures, file a Form 7480 (Notice of Landing Area Proposal) with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and
comply with all conditions of approval imposed by the FAA, Caltrans/Division of Aeronautics and Airport Land Use
Commission (ALUC) for Orange County. (Imp 14.9)
Neighborhoods, Districts, and Corridors (“Places
That Distinguish Newport Beach”)4
Goals and policies provide for the maintenance of existing neighborhoods, districts, corridors, and public and civic
uses, managing growth and change to ensure that their character, livability, and economic value are sustained.
Public and Institutional Uses and Districts
The City of Newport Beach contains a diversity of public and institutional uses including civic and government
administrative facilities (City Hall), corporate yards, fire and police facilities, libraries, cultural institutions, art museum,
marine science center, environmental interpretative center, senior and youth facilities, schools, and hospitals. Major
public uses include the City Hall, adjoining Lido Village, Police Department in Newport Center, eight fire stations
distributed throughout the community, Central Library in Newport Center and three branches, OASIS Senior Center in
Corona del Mar, and community facilities available at various locations for residents for recreational and meeting use.
Newport Beach is served by two public and one private high school, one public and one private middle school, and
eight public and four private elementary schools. Hoag Hospital is a major medical center that serves the City and
region and is supported by numerous medical offices and related facilities.
Goal
LU 6.1
A diversity of governmental service, institutional, educational, cultural, social, religious, and medical facilities that are
available for and enhance the quality of life for residents and are located and designed to complement Newport
Beach’s neighborhoods.
Policies
LAND USES
LU 6.1.1 Adequate Community Supporting Uses
4 NOTE: See preceding footnote. The text has been moved and not deleted.
Page | 15
Accommodate schools, government administrative and operational facilities, fire stations and police facilities, religious
facilities, schools, cultural facilities, museums, interpretative centers, and hospitals to serve the needs of Newport
Beach’s residents and businesses. (Imp 1.1, 2.1)
LU 6.1.2 Siting of New Development
Allow for the development of new public and institutional facilities within the City provided that the use and
development facilities are compatible with adjoining land uses, environmentally suitable, and can be supported by
transportation and utility infrastructure. (Imp 1.1, 14.2, 22.1–23.2)
DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT
LU 6.1.3 Architecture and Planning that Complements Adjoining Uses
Ensure that the City’s public buildings, sites, and infrastructure are designed to be compatible in scale, mass,
character, and architecture with the district or neighborhood in which they are located, following the design and
development policies for private uses specified by this Plan. Design impacts on adjoining uses shall be carefully
considered in development, addressing such issues as lighting spillover, noise, hours of operation, parking, local
traffic impacts, and privacy. (Imp 22.1–23.2)
LU 6.1.4 Compatibility of Non-City Public Uses
Encourage school and utility districts and other government agencies that may be exempt from City land use control
and approval to plan their properties and design buildings at a high level of visual and architectural quality that
maintains the character of the neighborhood or district in which they are located and in consideration of the design
and development policies for private uses specified by this Plan. (Imp 14.1, 14.15)
STRATEGY
LU 6.1.5 Hoag Hospital
Support Hoag Hospital in its mission to provide adequate facilities to meet the needs of area residents. Work with the
Hospital to ensure that future development plans consider its relationship to and ensure compatibility with adjoining
residential neighborhoods and mitigate impacts on local and regional transportation systems. (Imp 24.1)
Residential Neighborhoods
Newport Beach is a community of distinct residential communities formed by the natural landscape and the built
environment. Many of the City’s older communities are located near the coast, and are characterized by small lots
and the close grouping of structures. Newer residential communities, located east of the bay, have been built
according to specific regulations to encourage their individual characters.
Residential neighborhoods first began to develop on the Peninsula, West Newport, Balboa Island, and Lido Isle.
These early neighborhoods following a traditional subdivision pattern of homes on streets designed in a linear grid
and are generally pedestrian-oriented and include alleyways. Some of these older residential areas are within close
proximity of commercial and visitors serving uses and are impacted by limited parking, noise, and traffic generated by
commercial and visitor activities.
When development spread further inland and proceeded north and east, the residential pattern changed, becoming
less traditional, and more suburban in character with curvilinear streets and ranch style homes on larger lots.
Examples of this type of development are the Westcliff community and Cliff Haven. As residential expanded across
the bay and to the east, new styles such as attached town homes and gated communities were constructed. The
Bluffs and Big Canyon communities illustrate this type of development.
More recent residential development patterns have resulted in numerous distinct neighborhoods with a single builder
constructing most or all of the homes. Many of the these communities were designed as master planned communities
allowing for unique and specialized development standards, as opposed to the application of traditional, standardized
zoning regulations. Examples include Bonita Canyon, Newport Ridge, and Newport Coast.
There are approximately 125 150 homeowners associations in Newport Beach. These associations govern the
maintenance of common areas and the administration of Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (CC&Rs). Many of
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these associations are active in the City’s decision-making process and may have unique development standards
that are not enforced by the City.
As the community has approached build-out, little vacant land remains. New development has focused on
nontraditional sites such as infill and mixed-use development on smaller vacant and underutilized sites in or near
commercial areas.
Other residential development issues in the community include the replacement of original single family homes,
duplexes, and triplexes with larger homes. Many of these homes are built to the full limit of the City’s development
regulations in neighborhoods where many houses are much smaller in scale.
The policy framework for neighborhoods is geared toward strengthening and expanding the framework of healthy,
cohesive, and identifiable neighborhoods throughout the City.
Goal
LU 6.2
Residential neighborhoods that contain a diversity of housing types and supporting uses to meet the needs of
Newport Beach’s residents and are designed to sustain livability and a high quality of life.
Policies
LU 6.2.1 Residential Supply
Accommodate a diversity of residential units that meets the needs of Newport Beach’s population and fair share of
regional needs in accordance with the Land Use Plan’s designations, applicable density standards, design and
development policies, and the adopted Housing Element. (Imp 1.1, 2.1, 25.1)
LU 6.2.2 Allowing Rebuilding
Legal nonconforming residential structures shall be brought into conformity in an equitable, reasonable, and timely
manner as rebuilding occurs. Limited renovations that improve the physical quality and character of the buildings may
be allowed. Rebuilding after catastrophic damage or destruction due to a natural event, an act of public enemy, or
accident may be allowed in limited circumstances that do not conflict with the goals of the Land Use Element. (Imp
2.1, 7.1)
LU 6.2.3 Residential Affordability
Encourage the development of the types of residential units that are consistent with the Housing Elementaffordable
for those employed in the City. (Imp 25.1)
LU 6.2.4 Accessory Units
Permit conditionally the construction of one granny unit (accessory age-restricted units for one or two adult persons
who are sixty fifty five years of age or older) per single family residence within single-family districts, provided that
such units meet set back, height, occupancy, and other applicable regulations set forth in the Municipal Code. (Imp
2.1)
LU 6.2.5 Neighborhood Supporting Uses
Allow for the integration of uses within residential neighborhoods that support and are complementary to their primary
function as a living environment such as schools, parks, community meeting facilities, religious facilities, and
comparable uses. These uses shall be designed to ensure compatibility with adjoining residential addressing such
issues as noise, lighting, and parking. (Imp 2.1)
LU 6.2.6 Home Occupations
Allow for small scale home occupations in Newport Beach’s residential neighborhoods provided that they do not
adversely impact traffic, parking, noise, lighting, and other neighborhood qualities. (Imp 2.1)
LU 6.2.7 Care Facilities
Regulate Day Care and Residential Care facilities to the maximum extent allowed by federal and state law to
minimize impacts on residential neighborhoods, and actively pursue federal and state legislation that would give cities
the ability to prohibit an over-concentration of recovery homes or sober living homes in residential areas. (Imp 2.1)
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LU 6.2.8 Manufactured Housing
Permit by right manufactured housing on individual lots in residential zones as per state law. Ensure compatibility with
surrounding conventional dwelling uses by adhering to development standards within the Municipal Code. continuing
to provide design standards for manufactured homes. (Imp 2.1)
LU 6.2.9 Private Open Spaces and Recreational Facilities
Require the open space and recreational facilities that are integrated into and owned by private residential
development are permanently preserved as part of the development approval process and are prohibited from
converting to residential or other types of land uses. (Imp 6.1, 13.1, 29.3)
LU 6.2.10 Gated Communities
Discourage the creation of new private entry gates in existing residential neighborhoods that currently do not have a
gate located at the entrance of the community. (Imp 9.1, 29.1)
Districts
Districts are uniquely identifiable by their common functional role, mix of uses, density/intensity, physical form and
character, and/or environmental setting. Generally, they encompass large areas that often extend equally in length
and breadth. They represent common gathering places for commerce, employment, entertainment, culture, and for
living.
While Newport Beach contains many districts, the General Plan policies in the following sections focus on those that
are likely to change over the next 20 years as existing viable districts are enhanced, underperforming properties are
revitalized, and opportunities are provided to accommodate the City’s fair share of regional housing needs, as shown
on Figure LU16. Policies are directed to the management of these changes to ensure that they complement the
characteristics that are valued by Newport Beach’s residents.
Development in each district will adhere to policies for land use type and density/intensity (Policy LU 4.1, Table LU1)
and community character (LU 5.0), except as amended in this section of the Plan.
The goals and policies for each district are preceded by a description of its uses and characteristics in 2005 and
public input from the General Plan Update Visioning Process and Public Workshops that was considered in their
formulation.
BANNING RANCH
Located within the City’s Sphere of Influence (SOI), the Banning Ranch area encompasses approximately 518 acres,
of which 465 acres (includes 47 acres of water features) are under the jurisdiction of Orange County, and 53 acres
within the jurisdiction of the City of Newport Beach. Banning Ranch is located in the western-most portion of the
Newport Beach Planning Area, north of Coast Highway and the Newport Shores residential community, immediately
east of the Santa Ana River, and west and south of residential and industrial uses. The eastern portion of the site is
higher in elevation and contains the western edge of Newport Mesa that slopes gently from east to west. Bluffs form
the western edge of the mesa, and are located in the central portion of the Banning Ranch area. The western portion
of the site, which is lower in elevation, historically contained a tidal marsh associated with the Semeniuk Slough and
Santa Ana River.
Currently, the Banning Ranch area is primarily undeveloped with some historic oil extraction infrastructure located in
the central and southern portions of the site that includes wells, pipelines, buildings, improved and unimproved roads,
and open storage pipes and machinery. Oil extraction activities date back at least 75 years.
Although the Banning Ranch site contains an assemblage of diverse habitats that have been historically disturbed,
when this area is considered with the contiguous Semeniuk Slough and restored wetlands, it provides wildlife with a
significantly large, diverse area for foraging, shelter, and movement. Biological studies performed for Banning Ranch
indicate that, while disturbance associated with oil activities diminishes the quality of existing habitat to some extent,
overall, the area should be regarded as relatively high-quality wildlife habitat due to its size, habitat diversity, and
continuity with the adjacent Semeniuk Slough and federally-restored wetlands.
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+A preliminary field evaluation of Banning Ranch was conducted by a consultant as a general indicator of the
presence of habitat and species that may be subject to regulatory review. Based on this analysis, the property is
estimated to contain approximately 69 acres with a habitat value rank of “1,” which are primarily concentrated in the
northwestern portion of the site. These areas are considered to have a high biological resource value, and are likely
to require a resource permit from federal and/or state agencies prior to development. Other areas scattered
throughout the site may also be of biological value but to a lesser extent. Areas with a rank of “2” (approximately 96
acres) may need a resource permit for development, where additional studies would be required to make this
determination. More than likely, areas with a rank of “3” (approximately 118 acres) contain habitat and species that
are not likely to require resource permitting for development. Resource permitting would likely result in the need for
mitigation measures associated with development such as payment of mitigation fees, habitat restoration, or off-site
habitat replacement. The actual acreage subject to environmental permitting will be determined in subsequent studies
to be conducted in accordance with state and federal regulations.
Additionally, Banning Ranch exhibits distinctive topography that is a physical and visual resource for the community.
The property is divided into lowland and highland mesa areas. Bluff faces traverse the property generally in a north-
south direction, separating these and forming an important visual backdrop from West Coast Highway. Drainage from
upland areas in and adjoining the City of Costa Mesa formed a number of arroyos with riparian habitats. The bluff
face geology is highly erodible and has experienced sliding over the years. Figure LU17 illustrates these constraints.
During the visioning process, residents were divided in opinion regarding the future of Banning Ranch. Many
residents preferred preserving Banning Ranch as open space at the beginning of the public process. However, many
participants in the process later indicated their willingness to support some development of the property if it would
generate revenue to help fund preservation of the majority of the property as open space.
Policy Overview
The General Plan prioritizes the acquisition of Banning Ranch as an open space amenity for the community and
region. Oil operations would be consolidated, wetlands restored, nature education and interpretative facilities
provided, and an active park developed containing playfields and other facilities to serve residents of adjoining
neighborhoods.
Should the property not be fully acquired as open space, the Plan provides for the development of a concentrated
mixed-use residential village that retains the majority of the property as open space. This would contain a mix of
housing types clustered around a “village center” of local-servingresident-serving commercial uses, small boutique
hotel, active park, and possibly a school. Buildings would be located and designed and an interconnected street
system provided to enhance pedestrian activity and reduce vehicular trips. Development would be concentrated to
preserve the majority of the property as open space, while oil operations would be clustered and wetlands restored.
An internal trail system would be developed to link uses within its neighborhoods and districts and provide access to
adjoining neighborhoods. While the Plan indicates the maximum intensity of development that would be allowed on
the property, this will ultimately by determined through permitting processes that are required to satisfy state and
federal environmental regulatory requirements.
Goal
LU 6.3
Preferably a protected open space amenity, with restored wetlands and habitat areas, as well as active community
parklands to serve adjoining neighborhoods.
Policies
LAND USES (designated as “OS[RV]”)
LU 6.3.1 Primary Use
Open space, including significant active community parklands that serve adjoining residential neighborhoods if the
site is acquired through public funding. (Imp 2.1, 23.1, 23.5, 30.2)
STRATEGY
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LU 6.3.2 Acquisition for Open Space
Support active pursuit of the acquisition of Banning Ranch as permanent open space, which may be accomplished
through the issuance of state bonds, environmental mitigation fees, private fundraising, developer dedication, and
similar techniques. (Imp 9.1, 14.7, 14.11, 30.2)
Goal
LU 6.4
If acquisition for open space is not successful, a high-quality residential community with supporting uses that provides
revenue to restore and protect wetlands and important habitats.
Policies
LAND USES
LU 6.4.1 Alternative Use
If not acquired for open space within a time period and pursuant to terms agreed to by the City and property owner,
the site may be developed as a residential village containing a mix of housing types, limited supporting retail, visitor
accommodations, school, and active community parklands, with a majority of the property preserved as open space.
The property owner may pursue entitlement and permits for a residential village during the time allowed for
acquisition as open space. (Imp 2.1)
DEVELOPMENT DENSITY/INTENSITY AND CAPACITY
Note: These represent general development capacity estimates, with the property’s ultimate development footprint
and capacity determined through required federal and state regulatory environmental permitting processes and a
planned community development plan approved by the City of Newport Beach.
LU 6.4.2 Residential
Accommodate a maximum of 1,375 residential units, which shall consist of a mix of single-family detached, attached,
and multi-family units to provide a range of choices and prices for residents. (Imp 2.1)
LU 6.4.3 Retail Commercial
Accommodate a maximum of 75,000 square feet of retail commercial uses that shall be oriented to serve the needs
of local and nearby residents. (Imp 2.1)
LU 6.4.4 Overnight Accommodations
Accommodate a maximum of 75 rooms in a small boutique hotel, “bed and breakfast,” or other overnight
accommodations. (Imp 2.1)
DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT
LU 6.4.5 Planned Residential Village
Require that Banning Ranch, if not retained as open space, be developed as a cohesive urban form that provides the
sense of a complete and identifiable neighborhood. Establish a development pattern that ties together individual uses
into a cohesive neighborhood addressing the location and massing of buildings, architecture, landscape, connective
street grid and pedestrian walkways and trails, use of key landforms, and similar elements. (Imp 3.1, 4.1)
LU 6.4.6 Approaches for a Livable Neighborhood
Site and design development to enhance neighborhood quality of life by:
Establishing a pattern of blocks that promotes access and neighborhood identity
Designing streets to slow traffic, while maintaining acceptable fire protection and traffic flows
Integrating a diversity of residential types within a neighborhood, while ensuring compatibility among
different residential types
Orienting and designing the residential units to relate to the street frontage
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Locating and designing garages to minimize their visual dominance from the street
Incorporating sidewalks and parkways to foster pedestrian activity
Promoting architectural diversity (Imp 3.1, 4.1)
LU 6.4.7 Neighborhood Structure and Form
Establish a “village center” containing local serving commercial, community parks, community meeting facilities, hotel,
and/or other amenities as the focal 75point. Buildings in the village center shall be designed to enhance pedestrian
activity (e.g., visual transparency and façade modulation and articulation), integrating plazas and open spaces for
public events. (Imp 3.1, 4.1, 21.3)
LU 6.4.8 Open Space Network and Parklands
Establish a framework of trails, community parklands, and natural habitats that provide the framework around which
the residential village’s uses are developed and interconnect residential districts, the village center, other uses, and
open spaces. (Imp 3.1, 4.1)
LU 6.4.9 Circulation
Facilitate development of an arterial highway linking Coast Highway with Newport Boulevard to relieve congestion at
Superior Avenue, if the property is developed. (Imp 3.1, 4.1, 16.1)
LU 6.4.10 Sustainable Development Practices
Require that any development of Banning Ranch achieve high levels of environmental sustainability that reduce
pollution and consumption of energy, water, and natural resources to be accomplished through land use patterns and
densities, site planning, building location and design, transportation and utility infrastructure design, and other
techniques. Among the strategies that should be considered are the concentration of development, reduction of
vehicle trips, use of alternative transportation modes, maximized walkability, use of recycled materials, capture and
re-use of storm water on-site, water conserving fixtures and landscapes, architectural elements that reduce heat gain
and loss, and preservation of wetlands and other habitats. (Imp 3.1, 4.1, 7.1, 16.8, 17.1, 19.1)
STRATEGY
LU 6.4.11 Comprehensive Site Planning and Design
Require the preparation of a master development or specific plan for any development on the Banning Ranch
specifying lands to be developed, preserved, and restored, land uses to be permitted, parcelization, roadway and
infrastructure improvements, landscape and streetscape improvements, development regulations, architectural
design and landscape guidelines, exterior lighting guidelines, processes for oil operations consolidation, habitat
preservation and restoration plan, sustainability practices plan, financial implementation, and other appropriate
elements. (Imp 3.1, 4.1)
Policies Pertaining to Both Land Use Options (Goals 6.3 and 6.4)
PERMITTED USES
LU 6.5.1 Oil Operations
Relocate and cluster oil operations. (Imp 3.1, 4.1)
LU 6.5.2 Active Community Park
Accommodate a community park of 20 to 30 acres that contains active playfields that may be lighted and is of
sufficient acreage to serve adjoining neighborhoods and residents of Banning Ranch, if developed. (Imp 3.1, 4.1)
LU 6.5.3 Habitat and Wetlands
Restore and enhance wetlands and wildlife habitats, in accordance with the requirements of state and federal
agencies. (Imp 3.1, 4.1, 14.7, 14.11)
DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT
LU 6.5.4 Relationship of Development to Environmental Resources
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Development should be located and designed to preserve and/or mitigate for the loss of wetlands and drainage
course habitat. It shall be located to be contiguous and compatible with existing and planned development along its
eastern property line, preserving the connectivity of wildlife corridors, and set back from the bluff faces, along which
shall be located a linear park to provide public views of the ocean, wetlands, and surrounding open spaces. Exterior
lighting shall be located and designed to minimize light trespass from developed areas onto the bluffs, riparian
habitat, arroyos, and lowland habitat areas. (Imp 3.1, 4.1)
LU 6.5.5 Public Views of the Property
Development shall be located and designed to prevent residences on the property from dominating public views of
the bluff faces from Coast Highway, the ocean, wetlands, and surrounding open spaces. Landscape shall be
incorporated to soften views of the site visible from publicly owned areas and public view points. (Imp 3.1, 4.1)
STRATEGY
LU 6.5.6 Coordination with State and Federal Agencies
Work with appropriate state and federal agencies to identify wetlands and habitats to be preserved and/or restored
and those on which development will be permitted. (Imp 14.7, 14.11)
WEST NEWPORT MESA
The West Newport Mesa area contains a mix of residential, office, retail, industrial, and public uses. It is immediately
abutted by Hoag Hospital, the City of Costa Mesa to the north, and Banning Ranch to the west. Development in the
area dates back to the mid-twentieth century.
Hoag Hospital is a major activity center that continues to affect development in the area. It generates a strong market
for the development of uses that support the hospital’s medical activities such as doctors’ offices, convalescent and
care facilities, medical supply, pharmacy, and similar uses. Retail commercial uses serve medical purposes, as well
as nearby residents.
Northern portions of the area are largely developed with light manufacturing, research and development, and
business park uses. In many respects, these transition with comparable patterns of development in the Westside
Costa Mesa area to the north. A number of Newport Beach’s marine related businesses have relocated to the area
over recent decades as coastal land values have escalated. Most of the properties are developed for single business
tenants and have little landscape or architectural treatment, typical of older industrial districts of Southern California.
The majority of properties between the industrial uses and medical center are developed with multifamily uses,
including a few mobile home parks. The latter represent a resource of affordable housing in the City. These are
interspersed with a school and other civic uses.
The area’s considerable mix of uses is not always complementary, nor at its edges where it abuts residential
neighborhoods and other uses. Visioning process participants indicated that the West Newport Mesa area would
benefit from revitalization.
The development of additional medical offices and other facilities supporting Hoag Hospital and additional residential
units were widely endorsed. Participants were divided in their support for the retention of industrial uses.
Policy Overview
The General Plan provides for a mix of land uses for West Newport Mesa that include office, research, convalescent
care, and retail facilities supporting Hoag Hospital, a consolidated light industrial district where non-water-dependent
marine-related businesses would be encouraged to locate, enhanced housing opportunities, and supporting retail
commercial services. While distinct sub-districts are defined by the Land Use Plan, the assembly and planning of
multiple parcels across these districts to create a unified center that is linked by pedestrian walkways, parklands, and
other amenities is encouraged.
Goal
LU 6.6
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A medical district with peripheral medical services and research facilities that support the Hoag Hospital campus
within a well-planned residential neighborhood, enabling residents to live close to their jobs and reducing commutes
to outlying areas.
Policies
LAND USES (refer to Figure LU18)
LU 6.6.1 Hospital Supporting Uses Integrated with Residential Neighborhoods
Prioritize the accommodation of medical-related and supporting facilities on properties abutting the Hoag Hospital
complex [areas designated as “CO-M (0.5)” (Figure LU18, Sub-Area A)] with opportunities for new residential units
[areas designated as “ RM(18/ac)”] and supporting general and neighborhood-serving retail services [“CG(0.75)” and
“CN(0.3)”] respectively. (Imp 2.1)
LU 6.6.2 Residential Types
Promote the development of a mix of residential types and building scales within the densities permitted by the “RM”
(Figure LU18, Sub-Area C) designation, which may include single-family attached, townhomes, apartments, flats, and
comparable units. Residential densities may be increased on a property as a means of promoting a variety of housing
types within West Newport Mesa, provided that the overall average density of 18 units per acre is not exceeded. (Imp
2.1)
STRATEGY
LU 6.6.3 Cohesive and Integrated Medical Campus Development
Work with property owners and encourage the development of a master plan for streetscape, pedestrian, signage,
and other improvements that contribute to a definable district. Land use boundaries delineated on the Land Use
Diagram may be modified by a specific plan to achieve cohesive districts that integrate a variety of land uses. (Imp
3.1, 4.1)
LU 6.6.4 Livable Residential Neighborhood
Work with property owners and encourage the preparation of a master plan for the residential neighborhood defining
park and streetscape improvements that provide amenity for local residents and enhance the area’s identity. (Imp 3.1,
4.1)
Goal
LU 6.7
A general industrial district that transitions between the Hoag Hospital medical and residential community and
industrial uses in the City of Costa Mesa, providing opportunities for needed uses that cannot be accommodated
elsewhere in Newport Beach.
Policies
LAND USES [designated as “IG(0.75),” refer to Figure LU18, Sub-Area B]
LU 6.7.1 Primary Uses
Encourage the development of small-scale incubator industries. (Imp 2.1, 24.1)
LU 6.7.2 Marine Based Businesses
Encourage and provide incentives for the relocation of marine-based Newport Beach businesses, including boat
storage and recreational vehicles, to properties retained for industrial purposes. (Imp 2.1, 24.1)
BALBOA PENINSULA
The Balboa Peninsula comprises a series of districts linked by the Newport Boulevard/Balboa Boulevard commercial
and residential corridor. These include Lido Village, Cannery Village, McFadden Square, Balboa Village, and
surrounding residential neighborhoods.
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Lido Village
Lido Village is primarily developed with commercial uses including grocery stores, restaurants, salons, home
furnishings, apparel, and other specialty shops. It also includes Lido Marina Village, a pedestrian oriented waterfront
development that includes visitor-serving commercial uses, specialty stores, and marine uses. Lido Village’s southern
edge contains specialty retail and restaurants, the Civic Centerformer City Hall complex planned for redevelopment
as for a boutique hotel, and churches.
Lido Marina Village has experienced a high number of building vacancies and many retail stores are
underperforming. Parking is limited. Multiple property ownerships have traditionally inhibited cohesive and integrated
development.
Lido Village has a unique location at the turning basin in Newport Harbor. The channel is wider than in other
locations, providing an opportunity for waterfront commercial uses that will not negatively impact residential uses
across the channel.
In 2011, the City Council appointed a Citizen Advisory Panel (CAP) to prepare architectural and landscape design
guidelines for the Lido Village. After CAP several CAP meetings, a public open house, and review by the
Neighborhood Revitalization Committee, the Lido Village Design Guidelines were approved by the City Council in
December 2011. The Design Guidelines establish the vision for the rebirth of Lido Village as the gateway to the
Balboa Peninsula.
Cannery Village
Cannery Village is the historic center of the City’s commercial fishing and boating industry and contains a mix of small
shops, art galleries, professional offices, and service establishments. Marine-related commercial (boat sales) and
marine-related industrial uses (boat repair) are also found in the area. Redevelopment of properties for residential,
loft, and mixed residential and commercial uses, including live/work facilities, appears to be an emerging trend. Older
developments include some single-family residential units combined with commercial uses on single lots. Although
the residential component of mixed-use projects has performed well, there has been less success in attracting the
commercial uses envisioned for the area particularly on the waterfront. A Specific Plan has been developed, but
multiple property ownerships have hindered cohesive and integrated development.
McFadden Square
McFadden Square surrounds the Newport Pier and extends between the ocean front and harbor. It was the center of
the City’s early shipping industry. Located adjacent to Newport Pier is the Dory Fishing Fleet. The fleet and open-air
fish market have operated at this location since the fleet’s founding in 1891 by Portuguese fishermen. The last
remaining fleet of its type, it is a designated historical landmark.
Commercial land uses are largely concentrated in the strips along Balboa and Newport Boulevards, with residential
along the ocean front and marine-related uses fronting the harbor. Numerous visitor-serving uses include restaurants,
beach hotels, tourist-oriented shops (t-shirt shops, bike rentals, and surf shops), as well as service operations and
facilities that serve the Peninsula. There are several bars in the area with some featuring live music, especially along
the ocean front. Historically, the area has been known for its marine-related industries such as shipbuilding and repair
facilities and boat storage on the harbor, some of which have been in continuous operation for over fifty years. Public
parking is available in three lots, which primarily serve the beach users, tourists, and the restaurant patrons.
Much of the McFadden Square area is pedestrian-oriented, with storefronts facing the street, the presence of
signage at a pedestrian scale, and outdoor furniture, providing a pleasant environment for visitors. However, certain
areas present difficulty for pedestrian street crossing. Specifically the intersection of Newport and Balboa Boulevards,
known as the “Mixmaster,” is one such crossing, as the roadway configuration at this location allows traffic flow from
different directions and the street is wide.
Balboa Village
Balboa Village is the historic center for recreational and social activities on the Peninsula. It has had a strong marine
heritage, and has attracted fishermen, recreational boaters, summer residents, and beachgoers. Many of the retail
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uses are visitor-oriented and seasonal in nature, including a “fun zone” along Edgewater Place that contains
entertainment uses. Marine-related commercial uses, including ferries to Balboa and Catalina Islands and harbor
tours, are present in the area. In general, Balboa Village is pedestrian-oriented with articulated building façades and
signage that is pedestrian scale. The Balboa Village core is surrounded by residences, with isolated pockets of
commercial uses scattered along Balboa Boulevard. Peninsula Park also serves the area.
Balboa Village and the greater Peninsula have experienced a transition to year-round residential occupancy while the
visitor uses have continued. Cumulatively, there is more commercial space than can be supported by local residents,
and marginal commercial space is used by businesses that are seasonal and do not thrive throughout the year.
A specific plan has guided development in Balboa Village (“Central Balboa”) since 1997. The Plan’s vision consisted
of aesthetic improvements such as landscaping, pedestrian amenities, and design standards. It addressed property
maintenance standards, parking district implementation, and circulation improvements. Additionally, it sought to
establish a “family marine recreation theme,” upgrade the Fun Zone, and improve the quality and mix of commercial
tenants. The City has implemented some of this vision with a number of public improvements within the last few
years, which include the addition of street furniture, lighting, landscaping, widened sidewalks, and decorative paving.
Participants in the Visioning process indicated that Lido Village, Cannery Village, McFadden Square, and Balboa
Village need continuing revitalization, and the City could be proactive in creating a vision for reinforcement of Lido
Village and McFadden Square as primary activity nodes, with the interior of Cannery Village allocated for residential
or mixed-use development. The integration of uses in these areas and the harbor and bay was emphasized. While
overnight lodging was not supported in the Visioning process survey and public meetings, in the opinion of the
General Plan Advisory Committee smaller bed and breakfast and boutique hotels could be designed and scaled to
complement the pedestrian-oriented village character of Lido Village, McFadden Square, and Balboa Village, as well
as help the City’s fiscal balance through the revenue that would be contributed.
The public also supported the concentration of commercial uses in the core of Balboa Village, with the re-use of
outlying commercial properties for housing and priority for water-oriented and visitor-serving commercial uses.
Additionally, Balboa Village was identified as a suitable location for mixed-use development.
The City Council appointed a five-member Citizen Advisory Panel (CAP) in June 2011 to set a new vision and
implementation strategy for the revitalization of Balboa Village. Following a several month process which included
input from the community, the CAP developed the Balboa Village Master Plan that includes strategies addressing
parking, zoning, appearance and new commercial investment in Balboa Village. In September 2012, the City Council
approved the Balboa Village Master Plan, followed by the formation in September 2012 of the Balboa Village
Advisory Committee to oversee implementation of the Master Plan.
Policy Overview
The General Plan provides for the enhancement of Lido Village, Cannery Village, McFadden Square, and Balboa
Village as distinct pedestrian-oriented centers of Balboa Peninsula that would be interconnected through improved
streetscapes along Newport/Balboa Boulevard, a waterfront promenade on Newport Harbor, and cross-access
between the Harbor and beachfront. Lido Village, McFadden Square, and Balboa Village would contain a mix of
visitor-serving, retail, small overnight accommodation facilities, and housing. In Cannery Village, commercial or
mixed-use buildings would be developed at street intersections with intervening parcels developed for mixed-use or
freestanding housing. Throughout the Peninsula, priority is established for the retention of marine-related uses.land
use designations are arranged to provide for a mix of commercial, retail, service, marine-related and residential uses
that are complimentary and compatible with one another and promote economic vitality, environmental integrity and
aesthetic quality. Late night service uses should be regulated to minimize effects on neighboring residential districts
and uses.
Balboa Village Peninsula Areawide
Goal
LU 6.8
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A series of commercial, retail, restaurant, recreation and visitor-serving, marine-related uses, civic, and residential
neighborhoods that are vibrant throughout the year, differentiated by their historic and functional characteristics and
architectural style, yet integrated by streetscape amenities.
Policies
LU 6.8.1 Urban Form
Establish development patterns that promote the reinforcement of Balboa Peninsula’s pedestrian scale and urban
form as a series of distinct centers/ nodes and connecting corridors surrounded by and linked to residential
neighborhoods whose scale and character are maintained. (Imp 1.1)
LU 6.8.2 Component Districts
Lido Village, Cannery Village, and McFadden Square should be emphasized as the primary activity centers of the
northern portion of the Peninsula, linked by corridors of retail, resident and visitor-serving uses along Newport
Boulevard and a mix of marine-related and residential uses on the Bay frontage. These surround a residential core in
the inland section of Cannery Village. Balboa Village will continue to serve as the primary center of the lower
Peninsula, surrounded by residential neighborhoods along and flanking Balboa Boulevard. (Imp 1.1)
LU 6.8.3 Marine-Related Businesses
Protect and encourage marine-related businesses to locate and expand on the Peninsula unless present and
foreseeable future demand for such facilities is already adequately provided for in the area. (Imp 2.1, 24.1)
LU 6.8.4 Shared Parking Facilities
Encourage the development of shared parking facilities and management programs among private property owners
that provides for adequate parking for residents, guests, and business patrons. (Imp 16.10)
LU 6.8.X Access to Parking Facilities
Prohibit the use of code-required parking spaces for other purposes, except as permitted on a case-by-case basis to
accommodate temporary events or emergency operations provided that adequate parking can be assured to support
the primary use. (Imp 16.10)
LU 6.8.5 Quality of Place/Streetscapes
Develop a plan and work with property owners and businesses to fund and implement streetscape improvements that
improve Balboa Peninsula’s visual quality, image, and pedestrian character. This should include well-defined linkages
among individual districts, between the ocean and Bay, and along the Bay frontage, as well as streetscape and entry
improvements that differentiate the character of individual districts. (Imp 20.1)
LU 6.8.6 Historic Character
Preserve the historic character of Balboa Peninsula’s districts by offering incentives for the preservation of historic
buildings and requiring new development to be compatible with the scale, mass, and materials of existing structures,
while allowing opportunities for architectural diversity. (Imp 2.1)
LU 6.8.7 Property Improvement
Provide incentives for and work with property owners to improve their properties and achieve the community’s vision
for the Balboa Peninsula. (Imp 24.1, 29.1)
Lido Village [designated as “MU-W2,” “CM(0.3),” “RM(20/ac),” and “PI(0.75)5,” refer to
Figure LU19]
Goal
LU 6.9
5 NOTE: Former City Hall site to re-designated to accommodate proposed hotel.
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A vibrant pedestrian-oriented village environment that reflects its waterfront location at the gateway to Newport
Beach’s historic Balboa Peninsula that providing provides a mix of uses that serves serving visitors and local
residents.
Policies
LIDO VILLAGE AREAWIDE
LAND USES
LU 6.9.1 Priority Uses
Encourage uses that take advantage of Lido Village’s location at the Harbor’s turning basin and its vitality and
pedestrian character, including visitor-serving and retail commercial, small lodging facilities (bed and breakfasts,
innsboutique hotels), and mixed-use buildings that integrate residential with retail uses [areas designated as “MU-
W2”, Subarea “A”]. A portion of the Harbor frontage and interior parcels (Subarea “B”) may also contain multi-family
residential [designated as “RM(20/ac)”], and the parcel adjoining the Lido Isle Bridge, a recreational and marine
commercial use [designated as “CM(0.3)”]. (Imp 2.1, 24.1)
LU 6.9.2 Discouraged Uses
Discourage the development of new office uses on the ground floor of buildings that do not attract customer activity to
improve the area’s pedestrian character. (Imp 2.1)
LU 6.9.X Vested Uses
Allow existing commercial buildings that exceed the maximum floor area and/or that do not provide the minimum
number of parking spaces to be re-constructed to their pre-existing floor area provided that no less than the pre-
existing number of parking spaces is provided. (Imp 2.1, 5.1, 16.10)
DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT
LU 6.9.X2 Lido Village Design Guidelines
Achieve a distinctive identity and quality for Lido Village through implementing guidelines for design and landscape
specified by the Lido Village Design Guidelines. (Imp 2.1)
LU 6.9.X3 Multi-Modal Village
Enhance Lido Village’s accessibility forby residents and visitors by providing all common modes of transportation for
residents and visitors including walking, bicycling, watercraft, and vehicles. (Imp 16.11, 16.12)
LU 6.9.X4 Gateway
Create a vibrant gateway village in the heart of Newport Beach’s historic Balboa Peninsula, with landscaping and
streetscape. (Imp 20.1)
LU 6.9.X5 Character and Design
Maintain a high quality of development design in Lido Village in consideration of the following design objectives:
Unification: Creating a sense of place through a unifying theme for Lido Village with defined gathering
spaces, increased connectivity, and improved wayfinding;
Visual Appeal: Creating a distinct identity for Lido Village by encouraging Coastal and Mediterranean
architecture, creating an attractive gateway, maximizing view corridors and scenic opportunities, and
incorporating art and landscaping; and
Sustainability: Promoting economic and environmental sustainability by encouraging energy and water
efficient practices in consideration of economic realities and viability, and celebrating California-friendly
landscapes. (Imp 2.1, 7.1, 20.1, 20.3)
Cannery Village
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Interior Parcels [designated as “MU-H4,” Figure LU19, Sub-Area C]
Goal
LU 6.10
A pedestrian-oriented residential neighborhood that provides opportunities for live/work facilities and supporting retail
uses.
Policies
LAND USES
LU 6.10.1 Priority Uses
Allow multi-family residential and mixed-use buildings that integrate residential above retail or live-work units
throughout Cannery Village. Require mixed-use, live-work, or commercial buildings to be developed on corner
parcels, except adjacent to Villa Way where these uses are encouraged. (Imp 2.1)
DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT
LU 6.10.2 Residential Character and Architecture
Require that residential buildings be designed to contribute to an overall neighborhood character, locating buildings
along the street frontage to form a continuous or semi-continuous building wall. (Imp 2.1)
LU 6.10.3 Specific Plan Guidelines
Utilize design and development guidelines for Cannery Village identified in the Cannery Village/McFadden Square
Specific Plan. (Imp 3.1)
Bayfront Parcels [designated as “MU-W2,” Figure LU19, Sub-Area E]
Goal
LU 6.11
A water-oriented district that contains uses that support and benefit from its location fronting onto the bay, as well as
provides new opportunities for residential.
Policies
LAND USES
LU 6.11.1 Priority Uses
Accommodate water-oriented commercial uses that support harbor recreation and fishing activities, and mixed-use
structures with residential above ground level water-oriented uses. (Imp 2.1, 8.1, 21.2)
McFadden Square, West and East of Newport Boulevard [designated as “MU-W2,” Figure
LU19, Sub-Area E]
Goal
LU 6.12
A pedestrian-oriented village that reflects its location on the ocean, pier, and bay front, serving visitors and local
residents.
Policies
LAND USES
LU 6.12.1 Priority Uses
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Accommodate visitor- and local-resident-serving uses that take advantage of McFadden Square’s waterfront setting
including specialty retail, restaurants, and small scale overnight hotel accommodations, as well as mixed-use
buildings that integrate residential with ground level retail. (Imp 2.1)
DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT
LU 6.12.2 Specific Plan Guidelines
Utilize design and development guidelines for McFadden Square identified in the Cannery Village/McFadden Square
Specific Plan. (Imp 2.1)
Balboa Village
Goal
LU 6.13
An economically viable pedestrian-oriented village that serves local residents and visitors and provides residential in
proximity to retail uses, entertainment, and recreation.
Policies
PRIORITY USES (refer to Figure LU20)
LU 6.13.X Balance and Mix of Uses-Areawide
Accommodate a mix of land uses including residential, restaurants, retail shops and services that cater to both
residents and visitors. (Imp 2.1, 5.1)
LU 6.13.1 Village Core [designated as “MU-V” Sub-Area “B”]
Encourage local- and visitor-serving retail commercial and mixed-use buildings that integrate residential with ground-
level retail or office uses on properties, especially adjacent to Balboa Boulevard, Main Street, and Palm Street. (Imp
2.1)
LU 6.13.2 Bay Frontage/Bayfront Promenade [designated as “CV(0.75)” Sub-Area A]
Promote access to the bay and beach and Prioritize prioritize water-dependent, marine-related retail and services
and visitor-serving retail such as sport fishing, boat rentals, tour boats, and excursion boats. (Imp 2.1, 24.1)
LU 6.13.3 Commercial Properties out of Village Core [designated as “RT” Sub-
Area C]
Promote re-use of isolated commercial properties on Balboa Boulevard for residential units. (Imp 2.1)
LU 6.13.X4 Balboa Village Fun Zone
Accommodate a mix of land uses capitalizing on the area’s historic identity and character and bayfront setting
including restaurants, retail shops and services catering to both residents and visitors. (Imp 2.1, 5.1,21.3, 29.2)
DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT
LU 6.13.4 Streetscapes and Visual Quality
Promote the completion of enhancements toEnhance the visual quality of Balboa Village’s streetscapes to enhance
the area’s visual quality and character asby promoting a pedestrian-oriented environment and offering incentives for
owners to improve their properties. (Imp 20.1)
LU 6.13.X5 Balboa Village Design Guidelines.
Require that development exhibits a high quality of site and building design in conformance with the Balboa Village
Design Guidelines. (Imp 2.1, 5.1)
STRATEGY
LU 6.13.5 Rebuilding of Nonconforming Structures
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Permit existing commercial buildings that exceed the permitted development intensities to be renovated, upgraded, or
reconstructed to their pre-existing intensity and, at a minimum, pre-existing number of parking spaces. (Imp 2.1)
LU 6.13.6 Enhancing Balboa Village’s Viability and Character
Provide incentives for owners to improve their properties, to develop retail uses that serve adjoining residential
neighborhoods, and retain and develop marine-related uses along the harbor frontage. (Imp 24.1)
NEWPORT CENTER/FASHION ISLAND
Newport Center/Fashion Island is a regional center of business and commerce that includes major retail, professional
office, entertainment, recreation, and residential in a master planned mixed-use development. Fashion Island, a
regional shopping center, forms the nucleus of Newport Center, and is framed by this mixture of office, entertainment,
and residential. Newport Center Drive, a ring road that surrounds Fashion Island, connects to a number of interior
roadways that provide access to the various sites within the Center and to the four major arterials that service this
development. High-rise office and hotel buildings to the north of the Center form a visual background for lower rise
buildings and uses to the south and west.
Interspersed in the Newport Center area are two hotels, public and semi-public uses including the Newport Beach
Police and Fire Departments and Orange County Museum of Art, and entertainment uses (along the perimeter of
Newport Center Drive). It is also the location of a transportation center, located at San Joaquin Hills Road and
MacArthur Boulevard. Multi-family residential is located east of the Police Department. Lands adjacent to Coast
Highway and Jamboree Road are developed for the Newport Beach Country Club and Balboa Bay The Tennis Club,
with adjoining single-family attached residential uses. The Newport Beach Civic Center and Library expansion were
completed in 2013, creating a major civic presence in Newport Center along MacArthur Boulevard. In addition, a new
public park and dog park were added, which bring additional pedestrian-oriented opportunities to this area.
While master planned, the principal districts of Newport Center/Fashion Island are separated from one another by the
primary arterial corridors. Fashion Island is developed around an internal pedestrian network and surrounded by
parking lots, providing little or no connectivity to adjoining office, entertainment, or residential areas. The latter also
contain internal pedestrian circulation networks surrounded by parking and are disconnected from adjoining districts.
The changing economy, legislative mandates to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and initiatives to promote a
healthier population support the creation of compact, denser, and mixed-use development which enable residents to
walk and bicycle to local shopping and jobs. As the most intense center of economic activity in Newport Beach,
Newport Center/Fashion Island offers opportunities to enhance its mix of uses with infill housing, offices, and retail
uses meeting these objectives. Ongoing private investment in the area runs parallel to the civic development and
infrastructure improvement being led by the City of Newport Beach, including the building of a new City Hall and Civic
Center, parkland expansion, Central Library renovation and roadway circulation improvements.
Early in the Visioning process a majority of residents and businesses supported little or no change to Newport
Center, except for new hotels. However, some supported growth for existing companies, expansion of existing stores,
and moderate increases for new businesses. Some participants favored mixed-use development and stressed the
need for more affordable housing in particular. During development of the General Plan, public input reflected
moderate to strong support for the expansion of retail and entertainment uses in Fashion Island, including the
development of another retail anchor.
Since the Visioning process, the changing economy, legislative mandates to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and
initiatives to promote a healthier population support compact, denser, and mixed-use development enabling residents
to live close, walk, and bicycle to local shopping and jobs. As the most intense center of economic activity in Newport
Beach, Newport Center/Fashion Island offers opportunities to enhance its mix of uses with infill housing, offices, and
retail uses meeting these objectives.
Policy Overview
The General Plan provides for additional retail and office opportunities at Fashion Island and hotel rooms and
housing units in Newport Center. Office development would be limited to the expansion of existing rather than new
buildings. Emphasis is placed on the improvement of the area’s pedestrian character, by improving connectivity
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among the “superblocks,” installing streetscape amenities, and concentrating buildings along Newport Center Drive
and pedestrian walkways and public spaces.
Goal
LU 6.14
A successful mixed-use district that integrates economic and commercial centers serving the needs of Newport
Beach residents and the sub-region, with expanded opportunities for residents to live close to jobs, commerce,
entertainment, and recreation, and is supported by a pedestrian-friendly environment.
Policies
LAND USES [refer to Figure LU21]
LU 6.14.1 Fashion Island [“CR” designation]
Provide the opportunity for an additional anchor tenant, other retail, and/or entertainment and/or supporting uses that
complement, are integrated with, and enhance the economic vitality of existing development. A maximum of 213,257
square feet of retail development capacity specified by Table LU2 (Anomaly Locations) may be reallocated for other
permitted uses in Newport Center, provided that the peak hour vehicle trips generated do not exceed those
attributable to the underlying retail entitlement. The Planning Director shall revise this number upon approval of the
transfer or conversion of the retail development capacity with approval by the City Council. (Imp 2.1)
LU 6.14.2 Newport Center [“MU-H3,” “CO-R,” “CO-M,” and “RM” designations]
Provide the opportunity for limited retail, residential, hotel, and office development in accordance with the limits
specified by Tables LU1 and LU2. (Imp 2.1)
DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT
LU 6.14.3 Transfers of Development RightsAllocations
Development rights allocations may be transferred within Newport Center/Fashion Island, subject to the approval of
the City with the finding that the transfer is consistent with the intent of the General Plan and that the transfer will not
result in any adverse traffic impacts. (Imp 2.1)
LU 6.14.4 Development Scale
Reinforce the original design concept for Newport Center by concentrating the greatest building mass and height in
the northeasterly northern section along San Joaquin Hills Road of Newport Center, where the natural topography is
highest and progressively scaling down building mass and height to follow the lower elevations toward the
southwesterly edge along East Coast Highway. Allow increased height for the development of a hotel on the eastern
portion of the 100 block to enable distinguished and quality architectural design. (Imp 2.1, 3.1, 4.1)
LU 6.14.5 Urban Form
Encourage that some new development be located and designed to orient to the inner side of Newport Center Drive,
establishing physical and visual continuity that diminishes the dominance of surface parking lots and encourages
pedestrian activity. (Imp 2.1, 3.1, 4.1)
LU 6.14.6 Pedestrian Connectivity and Amenity
Encourage that pedestrian access and connections among uses within the district be improved with additional
walkways and streetscape amenities concurrent with the development of expanded and new uses. (Imp 3.1, 4.1)
LU 6.14.7 Fashion Island Architecture and Streetscapes
Encourage that new development in Fashion Island complement and be of equivalent or higher design quality than
existing buildings. Reinforce the existing promenades by encouraging retail expansion that enhances the storefront
visibility to the promenades and provides an enjoyable retail and pedestrian experience. Additionally, new buildings
shall be located on axes connecting Newport Center Drive with existing buildings to provide visual and physical
connectivity with adjoining uses, where practical. (Imp 3.1, 4.1)
STRATEGY
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LU 6.14.8 Development Agreements
Require the execution of Development Agreements for residential and mixed-use development projects that use the
residential 450 units identified in Table LU2 (Anomaly Locations). Development Agreements shall define the
improvements and benefits to be contributed by the developer in exchange for the City’s commitment for the number,
density, and location of the housing units. (Imp 13.1)
LU 6.14.9 Fashion Island Parking Structures
Require new parking structures in Fashion Island to be located and designed in a manner that is compatible with the
existing pedestrian scale and open feeling of Newport Center Drive. The design of new parking structures in Fashion
Island shall incorporate elements (including landscaping) to soften their visual impact. (Imp 8.2)
AIRPORT AREA
The Airport Area encompasses the properties abutting and east of (JWA) and is in close proximity to the Irvine
Business Complex and University of California, Irvine (UCI). This proximity has influenced the area’s development
with uses that support JWA and UCI, such as research and development, high technology industrial and visitor-
serving uses, such as hotel and car rental agencies. A mix of low-, medium-, and high-rise office buildings
predominate, with lesser coverage of supporting multi-tenant commercial, financial, and service uses. A number of
buildings are occupied by corporate offices for industry and financial uses. Koll Center, at MacArthur Boulevard and
Jamboree Road, was developed as a master planned campus office park. Manufacturing uses occupy a small
percentage of the Airport Area. Three large hotels have been developed to take advantage of their proximity to JWA,
local businesses, and those in the nearby Irvine Business Complex.
The area immediately abutting JWA, referred to as the “Campus Tract,” contain a diverse mix of low intensity
industrial, office, and airport-related uses, including a number of auto-related commercial uses including carwash,
auto-detailing, rental, repair, and parts shops. In comparison to properties to the east, this area is underutilized and
less attractive.
Development in the Airport Area is restricted due to the noise impacts of JWA. Much of the southwestern portion of
the area is located in the 65 dBA CNEL, which is unsuitable for residential and other “noise-sensitive” uses.
Additionally, building heights are restricted for aviation safety.
Recent development activity in the City of Irvine’s Business Complex to the north has included the transfer of
development rights, bringing more intense development closer to the Airport Area and resulting in the conversion of
office to residential entitlement. This activity is changing the area to a mixed-use center.
Through the Visioning process and preparation of the General Plan, the public preferred revitalization of the Airport
Area with income-generating land uses. Generally, a range of development types were acceptable as long as traffic is
not adversely affected. However, a majority believed that the Airport Area is urban in character, different than other
City neighborhoods. Additional density and traffic congestion were considered more acceptable here than other parts
of the City. There was strong support for new hotels and broad consensus on mixed-use development with residential
and revenue generating uses.01
Policy Overview
The General Plan provides for the development of office, industrial, retail, and airport-related businesses in the
Airport Area, as well as the opportunity for housing and supporting services. The latter would be developed as
clusters of residential villages centering on neighborhood parks and interconnected by pedestrian walkways. These
would contain a mix of housing types and buildings that integrate housing with ground-level convenience retail uses
and would be developed at a sufficient scale to achieve a “complete” neighborhood. Housing and mixed-use buildings
would be restricted from areas exposed to noise levels of 65 dBA CNEL and higher. Over time, commercial and
industrial properties located in the Campus Tract would be revitalized including street frontage landscape and other
improvements.
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Airport Area Areawide
Goal
LU 6.15
A mixed-use community that provides jobs, residential, and supporting services in close proximity, with pedestrian-
oriented amenities that facilitate walking and enhance livability.
Policies
URBAN FORM AND STRUCTURE [refer to Figure LU22]
LU 6.15.1 Land Use Districts and Neighborhoods
Provide for the development of distinct business park, commercial, and airport serving districts and residential
neighborhoods that are integrated to ensure a quality environment and compatible land uses. (Imp 1.1, 2.1)
LU 6.15.2 Underperforming Land Uses
Promote the redevelopment of sites with underperforming retail uses located on parcels at the interior of large blocks
for other uses, with retail clustered along major arterials (e.g., Bristol, Campus, MacArthur, Birch, and Jamboree),
except where intended to serve and be integrated with new residential development. (Imp 2.1, 24.1)
LU 6.15.3 Airport Compatibility
Require that all development be constructed in conformance with the height restrictions set forth by Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA), Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) Part 77, and Caltrans Division of Aeronautics, and that
residential development be located outside of the 65 dBA CNEL noise contour specified by the 1985 JWA Master
Plan. (Imp 2.1, 3.1, 4.1, 14.3)
Mixed-Use Districts [Subarea C, “MU-H2” designation]
Primary Underlying Land Uses
LU 6.15.4 Priority Uses
Accommodate office, research and development, and similar uses that support the primary office and business park
functions such as retail and financial services, as prescribed for the “CO-G” designation, while allowing for the re-use
of properties for the development of cohesive residential villages that are integrated with business park uses. (Imp
2.1)
Residential Villages Land Uses
LU 6.15.5 Residential and Supporting Uses
Accommodate the development of a maximum of 2,200 6multi-family residential units, including work force housing,
and mixed-use buildings that integrate residential with ground level office or retail uses, along with supporting retail,
grocery stores, and parklands. The residential units may consist of (a) a maximum of ___ units that may be
constructed as replacement of permitted non-residential uses provided that Residential units may be developed only
as the replacement of underlying permitted nonresidential uses. When a development phase includes a mix of
residential and nonresidential uses or replaces existing industrial uses, the number of peak hour trips generated by
cumulative development of the site shall not exceed the number of trips that would result from development of the
underlying permitted allocated nonresidential uses and (b). However, a maximum of 550 units may be developed as
infill on surface parking lots or areas not used as for occupiable buildings on properties within the area depicted on
the “Airport Area Residential Villages Illustrative Concept Diagram” Conceptual Development Plan Area depicted on
(Figure LU232) provided that the parking is replaced on site. (Imp 2.1)
6 Housing capacity to be confirmed based on final LUEAC recommendations.
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LU 6.15.5X Transfer of Development Allocations
Permit transfer of development allocations within the Airport Area Mixed-Use districts subject to the approval of the
City with the finding that the transfer is consistent with the intent of the General Plan and the transfer will not result in
any adverse traffic impacts. (Imp 2.1)
Minimum Size and Density
LU 6.15.6 Size of Residential Villages [refer to Figure LU23]
Allow development of mixed-use residential villages, each containing a minimum of 10 acres and centered on a
neighborhood park and other amenities (as conceptually illustrated in Figure LU23). The first phase of residential
development in each village shall encompass at least 5 gross acres of land, exclusive of existing rights-of-way. This
acreage may include multiple parcels provided that they are contiguous or face one another across an existing street.
At the discretion of the City, this acreage may also include part of a contiguous property in a different land use
category, if the City finds that a sufficient portion of the contiguous property is used to provide functionally proximate
parking, open space, or other amenity. The area depicted in the “Airport Area Residential Villages Illustrative Concept
Diagram Conceptual Development Plan Area” area shown on Figure LU232 shall be exempt from the 5-acre
minimum, but a conceptual development plan described in Policy LU 6.15.11 shall be required. (Imp 2.1, 3.1, 4.1)
LU 6.15.6X Affordable Housing Projects
Permit housing projects that include a minimum of 30 percent of the total units for affordable to lower income
households and are developed at a minimum density of 30 units per acre to be constructed on parcels of 5 acres or
greater as an exception from Residential Village requirements for a minimum 10 acres in lot size and phasing
described in Policy LU 6.15.6 to facilitate the development of affordable housing consistent with the Housing Element.
(Imp 1.2, 1.3, 21.5)
LU 6.15.7 Overall Density and Housing Types
Require that residential units be developed at a minimum density of 30 units and maximum of 50 units per net acre
averaged over the total area of each residential village. Net acreage shall be exclusive of existing and new rights-of-
way, public pedestrian ways, and neighborhood parks. Within these densities, provide for the development of a mix of
building types ranging from townhomes to high-rises to accommodate a variety of household types and incomes and
to promote a diversity of building masses and scales. (Imp 2.1, 3.1, 4.1)
LU 6.15.8 First Phase Development Density
Require a residential density of 45 to 50 units per net acre, averaged over the first phase for each residential village.
This shall be applied to 100 percent of properties in the first phase development area whether developed exclusively
for residential or integrating service commercial horizontally on the site or vertically within a mixed-use building. On
individual sites, housing development may exceed or be below this density to encourage a mix of housing types,
provided that the average density for the area encompassed by the first phase is achieved. (Imp 2.1, 3.1, 4.1)
LU 6.15.9 Subsequent Phase Development Location and Density
Subsequent phases of residential development shall abut the first phase or shall face the first phase across a street.
The minimum density of residential development (including residential mixed-use development) shall be 30 units per
net acre and shall not exceed the maximum of 50 units per net acre averaged over the development phase. (Imp 2.1,
3.1, 4.1)
Strategy and Process
LU 6.15.10 Regulatory Plans
Require the development of a regulatory plan for each residential village, which shall containing a minimum of 10
acres, developed in conformance with the Integrated Concept Development Plan (ICDP)to establishing a design
theme and standards for buildings and site work (such as landscaping lighting, walls/fencing, signage and other,
common areas and comparable elements); plan coordinate the location and phasing of buildings,new parks, streets,
and pedestrian ways, infrastructure and other facilities;; set forth a strategy to accommodate neighborhood serving
commercial uses and other amenities; ; establish pedestrian and vehicular connections with adjoining land uses; ;
and ensure compatibility with office, industrial, and other nonresidential uses. (Imp 2.1, 3.1, 4.1, 13.1, 31.1)
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LU 6.15.11 Conceptual Development Plan Area
Require the development of one conceptual development plan for the area depicted on Figure LU22, should
residential units be proposed on any property within this area. This plan shall demonstrate the compatible and
cohesive integration of new housing, parking structures, open spaces, recreational amenities, pedestrian and
vehicular linkages, and other improvements with existing nonresidential structures and uses. To the extent existing
amenities are proposed to satisfy Neighborhood Park requirements, the plan shall identify how these amenities will
meet the recreational needs of residents. Each residential village in the Conceptual Development Plan Area shall also
comply with all elements required for regulatory plans defined by Policy 6.15.10. (Imp 2.1, 3.1, 4.1)
LU 6.15.12 Development Agreements
A Require Development Agreement shall be required for all projects that include infill residential units. The
Development Agreement shall define the improvements and public benefits to be provided by the developer in
exchange for the City’s commitment for the number, density, and location of the housing units. (Imp 2.1, 3.1, 4.1,
13.1)
Design and Development
Neighborhood Parks
LU 6.15.13 Standards
To provide a focus and identity for the entire neighborhood and to serve the daily recreational and commercial needs
of the community within easy walking distance of homes, require Require dedication and improvement of at least 8
percent of the gross land area (exclusive of existing rights-of-way) of the first phase development in each
neighborhood, or ½ acre, whichever is greater, as a neighborhood park to provide a focus and identity for the entire
neighborhood and serve the daily recreational and commercial needs of the community within easy walking distance
of homes. This requirement may be waived by the City where it can be demonstrated that the development parcels
are too small to feasibly accommodate the park or inappropriately located to serve the needs of local residents, and
when an in-lieu fee is paid to the City for the acquisition and improvement of other properties as parklands to serve
the Airport Area. In every case, the neighborhood park shall be at least 8 percent of the total Residential Village Area
or one acre in area, whichever is greater, and shall have a minimum dimension of 150 feet. Park acreage shall be
exclusive of existing or new rights-of-way, development sites, or setback areas. A neighborhood park shall satisfy
some or all of the requirements of the Park Dedication Ordinance, as prescribed by the Recreation Element of the
General Plan. This requirement may be waived by the City where it can be demonstrated that the development
parcels are too small to feasibly accommodate the park or inappropriately located to serve the needs of local
residents, and when an in-lieu fee is paid to the City for the acquisition and improvement of other properties as
parklands to serve the Airport Area. (Imp 2.1, 3.1, 4.1, 23.1, 30.2)
LU 6.15.14 Location
Require that each neighborhood park is clearly public in character and is accessible to all residents of the
neighborhood. Each park shall be surrounded by public streets on at least two sides (preferably with on-street parking
to serve the park), and shall be linked to residential uses in its respective neighborhood by streets or pedestrian
ways. (Imp 2.1, 3.1, 4.1)
LU 6.15.15 Aircraft Notification
Require that all neighborhood parks be posted with a notification to users regarding proximity to John Wayne Airport
and aircraft overflight and noise. (Imp 23.2)
On-Site Recreation and Open Space
LU 6.15.16 Standards
Require developers of multi-family residential developments on parcels 8 acres or larger to provide on-site
recreational amenities. For these developments, 44 square feet of on-site recreational amenities shall be provided for
each dwelling unit in addition to the requirements under the City’s Park Dedication Ordinance and in accordance with
the Parks and Recreation Element of the General Plan. On-site recreational amenities can consist of public urban
plazas or squares where there is the capability for recreation and outdoor activity. These recreational amenities may
also include swimming pools, exercise facilities, tennis courts, and basketball courts. Where there is insufficient land
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to provide on-site recreational amenities, the developer shall be required to pay cash in-lieu that would be used to
develop or upgrade nearby recreation facilities to offset user demand as defined in the City’s Park Dedication Fee
Ordinance. The acreage of on-site open space developed with residential projects may be credited against the
parkland dedication requirements where it is accessible to the public during daylight hours, visible from public rights-
of-way, and is of sufficient size to accommodate recreational use by the public. However, the credit for the provision
of on-site open space shall not exceed 30 percent of the parkland dedication requirements. (Imp 2.1, 3.1, 4.1, 23.1,
23.5, 30.2)
Streets and Pedestrian Ways
LU 6.15.17 Street and Pedestrian Grid
Create a pattern of streets and pedestrian ways that breaks up large blocks, improves connections between
neighborhoods and community amenities, and is scaled to the predominantly residential character of the
neighborhoods. (Imp 3.1, 4.1, 16.1)
LU 6.15.18 Walkable Streets
Retain the curb-to-curb dimension of existing streets, but widen sidewalks to provide park strips and generous
sidewalks by means of dedications or easements. Except where traffic loads preclude fewer lanes, add parallel
parking to calm traffic, buffer pedestrians, and provide short-term parking for visitors and shop customers. (Imp 3.1,
4.1, 16.1, 20.1)
LU 6.15.19 Connected Streets
Require dedication and improvement of new streets as shown on Figure LU23. The illustrated alignments are
tentative and may change as long as the routes provide the intended connectivity. If traffic conditions allow, connect
new and existing streets across MacAarthur Boulevard with signalized intersections, crosswalks, and pedestrian
refuges in the median. (Imp 16.1)
LU 6.15.20 Pedestrian Improvements
Require the dedication and improvement of new pedestrian ways as conceptually shown on Figure LU23. The
alignment is tentative and may change as long as the path provides the intended connectivity. For safety, the full
length of pedestrian ways shall be visible from intersecting streets. To maintain an intimate scale and to shade the
path with trees, pedestrian ways should not be sized as fire lanes. Pedestrian ways shall be open to the public at all
hours. (Imp 16.11)
Parking and Loading
LU 6.15.21 Required Spaces for Primary Uses
Consider revised parking requirements that reflect the mix of uses in the neighborhoods and overall Airport Area, as
well as the availability of on-street parking. (Imp 2.1)
Relationship of Buildings to Street
LU 6.15.22 Building Massing
Require that high-rise structures be surrounded with low- and mid-rise structures fronting public streets and
pedestrian ways or other means to promote a more pedestrian scale. (Imp 3.1, 4.1)
LU 6.15.23 Sustainable Development Practices
Require that development achieves a high level of environmental sustainability that reduces pollution and
consumption of energy, water, and natural resources. This may be accomplished through the mix and density of
uses, building location and design, transportation modes, and other techniques. Among the strategies that should be
considered are the integration of residential with jobs-generating uses, use of alternative transportation modes,
maximized walkability, use of recycled materials, capture and re-use of storm water on-site, water conserving fixtures
and landscapes, and architectural elements that reduce heat gain and loss. (Imp 3.1, 4.1, 16.11, 17.1, 19.1)
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Campus Tract [“AO” designation Sub-Area B]7
LAND USES
LU 6.15.24 Primary Uses
Accommodate professional office; aviation retail; automobile rental, sales, and service, subject to discretionary review
of the Planning Commission; hotels; and ancillary retail, restaurant, and service uses that are related to and support
the functions of John Wayne Airport, as permitted by the “AO” designation. (Imp 2.1)
STRATEGY
LU 6.15.25 Economic Viability
Provide incentives for lot consolidation and the re-use and improvement of properties located in the “Campus Tract,”
west of Birch Street. (Imp 2.1, 24.1)
LU 6.15.26 Automobile Rental and Supporting Uses
Work withEncourage automobile rental and supporting uses to promote the consolidation and visual improvement of
auto storage, service, and storage facilities. (Imp 24.1)
LU 6.15.27 Site Planning and Architecture
Encourage and, when property improvements are subject to discretionary review, require property owners within the
Campus Tract to upgrade the street frontages of their properties with landscape, well-designed signage, and other
amenities that improve the area’s visual quality. (Imp 3.1, 7.1, 8.1,)
Commercial Nodes [“CG” designation Sub-Area C—part]
LU 6.15.28 Priority Uses
Encourage the development of retail, financial services, dining, hotel, and other uses that support the John Wayne
Airport, the Airport Area’s office uses, and, as developed, its residential neighborhoods, as well as automobile sales
and supporting uses at the MacArthur Boulevard and Bristol Street node. (Imp 2.1, 24.1)
Commercial Office District [“CO-G” designation Sub-Area C—part]
LU 6.15.29 Priority Uses
Encourage the development of administrative, professional, and office uses with limited accessory retail and service
uses that provide jobs for residents and benefit adjoining mixed-use districts. (Imp 2.1, 24.1)
Corridors
Corridors share common characteristics of Districts by their identifiable functional role, land use mix, density/intensity,
physical form and character, and/or environmental setting. They differ in their linear configuration, generally with
shallow-depth parcels located along arterial streets. They are significantly impacted by traffic, often inhibiting access
during peak travel periods. Their shallow depths make them unsuitable for many contemporary forms of commercial
development that require large building footprints and extensive parking.
While the City is crossed by a number of commercial corridors, the General Plan’s policies focus on those in which
change is anticipated to occur during the next 20 years. Additionally, they provide guidance for the maintenance of a
number of corridors in which it is the objective to maintain existing types and levels of development. Development in
each corridor will adhere to policies for land use type and density/intensity (LU 4.1, Table LU1) and community
character (LU 5.0), except as specified in this section of the Plan.
7 Land use designation will require modification if proposed uses of the Saunders property is affirmed by the LUEAC.
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Goal
LU 6.16
Development along arterial corridors that is compatible with adjoining residential neighborhoods and open spaces, is
well designed and attractive, minimizes traffic impacts, and provides adequate parking.
Policies
LU 6.16.1 Efficient Parcel Utilization
Promote the clustering of retail and hotel uses by the aggregation of individual parcels into larger development sites
through incentives such as density bonuses or comparable techniques. (Imp 2.1, 24.1)
LU 6.16.2 Private Property Improvements
Work with property owners to encourage the upgrade of existing commercial development including repair and/or
repainting of deteriorated building surfaces, well-designed signage that is incorporated into the architectural style of
the building, and expanded landscaping. (Imp 24.1)
LU 6.16.3 Property Access
Minimize driveways and curb cuts that interrupt the continuity of street-facing building elevations in pedestrian-
oriented districts and locations of high traffic volumes, prioritizing their location on side streets and alleys, where
feasible. (Imp 2.1)
LU 6.16.4 Shared Parking Facilities
Work with property owners and developers to encourage the more efficient use of parcels for parking that can be
shared by multiple businesses. (Imp 16.10)
LU 6.16.5 Compatibility of Business Operations with Adjoining Residential Neighborhoods
Work with local businesses to ensure that retail, office, and other uses do not adversely impact adjoining residential
neighborhoods. This may include strategies addressing hours of operation, congregation of employees, loitering,
trash pickup, truck delivery hours, customer arrivals and departures, and other activities. (Imp 8.2)
LU 6.16.6 Design Compatibility with Adjoining Residential Neighborhoods
Require that building elevations facing adjoining residential units be designed to convey a high-quality character and
ensure privacy of the residents, and that properties be developed to mitigate to the maximum extent feasible impacts
of lighting, noise, odor, trash storage, truck deliveries, and other business activities. Building elevations shall be
architecturally treated and walls, if used as buffers, shall be well-designed and landscaped to reflect the area’s
residential village character. (Imp 2.1)
WEST NEWPORT
The West Newport Coast Highway Corridor extends from Summit Street to just past 60th Street. It is a mixed
commercial and residential area, with the former serving the adjoining Newport Shores residential neighborhood, the
West Newport residential neighborhood south of Coast Highway, and beach visitors. Commercial uses are
concentrated on the north side of Coast Highway at the Orange Street intersection and east of Cedar Street to the
Semeniuk Slough. Intervening areas are developed with a mix of multi-family apartments and, west of Grant Avenue,
mobile and manufactured homes.
Primary commercial uses include community-related retail such as dry cleaners, liquor store, deli, and convenience
stores, as well as a few visitor-serving motels, dine-in, family-style restaurants, and fast food establishments.
Generally, they are developed on shallow parcels of substandard size and configuration due to past widening of West
Coast Highway and contain insufficient parking. Many of the commercial buildings appear to have been constructed
in the 1960s to 1980s, although some motels have been recently upgraded.
A portion of the mobile homes are situated along Semeniuk Slough and the Army Corps restored wetlands, while a
number of the single-family homes outside the area are also located along the Slough. A mobile home park
containing older units, many of which appear to be poorly maintained, is located on the westernmost parcels and a
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portion of the tidelands. This site serves as the “entry” to the City and as a portal to the proposed Orange Coast River
Park.
This area is regulated by an adopted Specific Plan, which was intended to promote its orderly development and
provide service commercial uses for nearby residences.
The visioning process found that the West Newport Corridor is among those that require revitalization. Clustering of
commercial uses to enhance their economic vitality and improve the appearance of the area was supported, as was
the improvement of the quality of commercial development on the Highway. Redevelopment of the westernmost
parcel occupied by a trailer park was a high priority for the neighborhood.
In 2011, the City Council appointed a Citizen Advisory Panel (CAP) to develop a preliminary design for a Capital
Improvement Project for beautification of West Coast Highway from the Santa Ana River to the Arches Bridge and of
Balboa Boulevard from West Coast Highway to McFadden Square. In December 2011, the City Council approved the
landscape design concepts which are intended to warm upenhance the corridor and give it a more welcoming feel for
residents and visitors of this part of Newport Beach.
Policy Overview
The General Plan provides for the improvement of Coast Highway fronting properties in West Newport by
concentrating local and visitor-serving retail in two centers at Prospect Street and Orange Street with expanded
parking, enhancing existing and allowing additional housing on intervening parcels, and developing a clearly defined
entry at its western edge with Huntington Beach. The latter may include improvements that would support the
proposed Orange Coast River Park.
Goal
LU 6.17
A corridor that includes a gateway to the City with amenities that support the Orange Coast River Park, as well as
commercial clusters that serve local residents and coastal visitors at key intersections, interspersed with compatible
residential development.
Policies
LAND USES [refer to Figure LU24]
LU 6.17.1 Western Entry Parcel [designated as “RM(26/ac)” and “RM/OS(85du)”]
Work with community groups and the County to facilitate the acquisition of a portion or all of the property as open
space, which may be used as a staging area for Orange Coast River Park with parking, park-related uses, and an
underpass to the ocean. As an alternative, accommodate multi-family residential on all or portions of the property not
used for open space. (Imp 14.3, 23.2, 29.1)
STRATEGY
LU 6.17.2 Improved Visual Image and Quality
Implement streetscape improvements consistent with the design concepts developed by the 2011 Citizen Advisory
Committee to enhance the area’s character and image as a gateway to Newport Beach and develop a stronger
pedestrian environment at the commercial nodes. (Imp 20.1)
LU 6.17.3 Streetscape
Require that upgraded and redeveloped properties incorporate landscaped setbacks along arterial streets to improve
their visual quality and reduce impacts of the corridor’s high traffic volumes. (Imp 2.1)
OLD NEWPORT BOULEVARD
Old Newport Boulevard was formerly the primary roadway leading into the city from the north, containing a diversity of
highway-oriented retail and office uses. Shifting of vehicle trips to the parallel (new) Newport Boulevard reduced the
corridor’s traffic volumes and economic vitality, resulting in significant changes in its land use mix.
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The corridor is abutted by residential neighborhoods to the east and Hoag Hospital west of Newport Boulevard.
Today, the area is primarily developed with commercial and professional offices. Secondary uses include personal
services, restaurants, and specialty shopping such as home furnishing stores and beauty salons. Most specialty retail
appears to occupy converted residential buildings. A number of auto-related businesses and service facilities are
located in the corridor. Many of these are incompatible with the predominant pattern of retail service and office uses.
Medical office uses have expanded considerably during recent years, due to the corridor’s proximity to Hoag Hospital,
which is expanding its buildings and facilities.
This corridor does not exhibit a pedestrian-oriented character. While there are some walkable areas, Newport
Boulevard is wide and there is a mix of uses and lot configurations that do not create a consistent walkway.
Development in the area is guided by the Old Newport Boulevard Specific Plan District that includes design
guidelines and development standards providing for the orderly development of property.
Little public input was received pertaining to Old Newport Boulevard during the General Plan’s preparation. In
general, the preservation of the status quo was supported. Although, the public supported the development of mixed-
use buildings that integrate residential with ground floor retail and townhomes on the east side of Old Newport
Boulevard as a transition with adjoining residential neighborhoods.
Policy Overview
In the Old Newport Boulevard area, the General Plan provides for the development of professional offices, retail, and
other uses that support Hoag Hospital, and retail uses serving adjoining residential neighborhoods. Pedestrian
walkways within and connections west to Hoag Hospital would be improved and streetscapes installed.
Goal
LU 6.18
A corridor of uses and services that support Hoag Hospital and adjoining residential neighborhoods.
Policies
LAND USES [designated as “CO-G(0.5),” refer to Figure LU25]
LU 6.18.1 Priority Uses
Accommodate uses that serve adjoining residential neighborhoods, provide professional offices, and support Hoag
Hospital. (Imp 2.1)
LU 6.18.2 Discouraged Uses
Highway-oriented retail uses should be discouraged and new “heavy” retail uses, such as automobile supply and
repair uses, prohibited. (Imp 2.1)
DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT
LU 6.18.3 Property Design
Require that buildings be located and designed to orient to the Old Newport Boulevard frontage, while the rear of
parcels on its west side shall incorporate landscape and design elements that are attractive when viewed from
Newport Boulevard. (Imp 2.1)
LU 6.18.4 Streetscape Design and Connectivity
Develop a plan for streetscape improvements and improve street crossings to facilitate pedestrian access to Hoag
Hospital and discourage automobile trips. (Imp 20.1)
MARINERS’ MILE
Mariners’ Mile is a heavily traveled segment of Coast Highway extending from the Arches Bridge on the west to
Dover Drive on the east. It is developed with a mix of highway-oriented retail and marine-related commercial uses.
The latter are primarily concentrated on bay-fronting properties and include boat sales and storage, sailing schools,
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marinas, visitor-serving restaurants, and comparable uses. A large site is developed with the Balboa Bay Club and
Resort, a hotel, private club, and apartments located on City tidelands. A number of properties contain non-marine
commercial uses, offices, and a multi-story residential building.
Inland properties are developed predominantly for highway-oriented retail, neighborhood commercial services. A
number of sites contain automobile dealerships and service facilities and neighborhood serving commercial uses.
The latter includes salons, restaurants, apparel, and other specialty shops ranging from wine stores to home
furnishings stores. While single use free-standing buildings predominate, there are a significant number of multi-
tenant buildings that combine a number of related or complementary uses in a single building or buildings that are
connected physically or through design.
The Mariners’ Mile Strategic Vision and Design Plan provides for the area’s evolution as a series of districts serving
visitors and local residents. Along the northern portion of Coast Highway in the vicinity of Tustin Avenue, Riverside
Avenue, and Avon Street, it provides for a pedestrian-friendly retail district. In the western and easternmost
segments, the Plan provides for the infill of the auto oriented retail and visitor-serving commercial uses. Along the
Harbor frontage, the Vision and Design Plan emphasizes the development of Harbor-related uses and proposes a
continuous pedestrian promenade to create a vibrant public waterfront. Throughout the corridor, the Plan proposes to
upgrade its visual character with new landscaping and streetscape amenities, as well as improvements in private
development through standards for architecture and lighting.
Plans provide for the widening of Coast Highway, reducing the depth of parcels along its length. Recent development
projects have set back their buildings in anticipation of this change. Traffic along the corridor and the potential for
widening also impact the ability to enhance pedestrian activity and streetscape improvements, unless overhead
pedestrian crossings are considered.
Visioning process participants identified Mariners’ Mile as a location that needs revitalization and suggested that an
overall vision be defined to meet this objective. It was also defined as a location appropriate for mixed-use
development integrating residential and commercial or office space. A majority opposed hotel development in
Mariners’ Mile. Participants were divided on the questions of preserving opportunities for coastal-related uses in
Mariners’ Mile and whether the City should require or offer incentives to ensure such uses. Property owners noted
that high land values and rents limit the number of marine-related uses that can be economically sustained in the
area. Although the public supported the development of residential in Mariners’ Mile, there was a difference of opinion
regarding whether it should be located on the Harbor frontage or limited it to inland parcels.
In 2011, the City Council also recognized the need to revitalize Mariners’ Mile by designating it as one of six
“revitalization areas.”. A series of Citizen Advisory Panels were formed to focus on the other revitalization areas
which included, Corona del Mar, Balboa Village, Lido Village, West Newport and Santa Ana Heights. The Council’s
direction indicated a multi-layered approach was required to consider the complex issues within Mariners’ Mile.
Policy Overview
The General Plan provides for the enhanced vitality of the Mariners’ Mile corridor by establishing a series of distinct
retail, mixed-use, and visitor-serving centers. Harbor-fronting properties would accommodate a mix of visitor-serving
retail and marine-related businesses, with portions of the properties available for housing and mixed-use structures.
View and public access corridors from Coast Highway to the Harbor would be required, with a pedestrian promenade
developed along the length of the Harbor frontage. Parcels on the inland side of Coast Highway, generally between
Riverside Avenue and the southerly projection of Irvine Avenue, would evolve as a pedestrian oriented mixed-use
“village” containing retail businesses, offices, services, and housing. Sidewalks would be improved with landscape
and other amenities to foster pedestrian activity. Inland properties directly fronting onto Coast Highway and those to
the east and west of the village would provide for retail, marine-related, and office uses. Streetscape amenities are
proposed for the length of Mariners’ Mile to improve its appearance and identity.
Goal
LU 6.19
A corridor that reflects and takes advantage of its location on the Newport Bay waterfront, supports and respects
adjacent residential neighborhoods and exhibits a quality visual image for travelers on Coast Highway.
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Policies
STRUCTURE
LU 6.19.1 Differentiated Districts
Differentiate and create cohesive land use districts for key subareas of Mariners’ Mile by function, use, and urban
form. These should include (a) harbor-oriented uses with limited residential along the waterfront, (b) highway-oriented
commercial corridor (see Figure LU26), and (c) community/neighborhood serving “village” generally between
Riverside Avenue and the southerly extension of Irvine Avenue. (Imp 1.1, 2.1, 20.1, 20.2)
LAND USES (refer to Figure LU26)
LU 6.19.2 Bay Fronting Properties [designated as “MU-W1” Sub-Area A]
Encourage marine-related and visitor-serving retail, restaurant, hotel, institutional-/recreational, and recreational uses,
and allow residential uses above the ground floor on parcels with a minimum frontage of 200 lineal feet where a
minimum of 50 percent of the permitted square footage shall be devoted to nonresidential uses. No more than 50
percent of the waterfront land area between the Arches Bridge and the Boy Scout Sea Base may be developed with
mixed-use structures. (Imp 2.1, 5.1, 24.1)
LU 6.19.3 Marine-Related Businesses
Protect and encourage facilities that serve marine-related businesses and industries unless present and foreseeable
future demand for such facilities is already adequately provided for in the area. Encourage coastal-dependent
industrial uses to locate or expand within existing sites and allow reasonable long term growth. (Imp 2.1, 5.1, 24.1)
LU 6.19.4 Inland side of Coast Highway [designated as “MU-H1,” “CG(0.3),” and
“CG(0.5)” Sub-Areas B and C]
Accommodate a mix of visitor- and local-resident-serving retail commercial, residential, and public uses. The Coast
Highway frontage shall be limited to nonresidential uses. On inland parcels, generally between Riverside Avenue and
Tustin Avenue, priority should be placed on accommodating uses that serve upland residential neighborhoods such
as grocery stores, specialty retail, small service office, restaurants, coffee shops, and similar uses. (Imp 2.1, 5.1)
LU 6.19.5 Parking
Require adequate parking and other supporting facilities for charters, yacht sales, visitor-serving, and other waterfront
uses. (Imp 2.1, 5.1)
DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT
Corridor
LU 6.19.6 Corridor Identity and Quality
Implement landscape, signage, lighting, sidewalk, pedestrian crossing, and other amenities consistent with the
Mariners’ Mile Specific Plan District and Mariners’ Mile Strategic Vision and Design Plan. (Imp 20.1)
Harbor-Fronting Properties
LU 6.19.7 Architecture and Site Planning
While a diversity of building styles is encouraged, the form, materials, and colors of buildings located along the harbor
front should be designed to reflect the area’s setting and nautical history. (Imp 8.1, 8.2)
LU 6.19.8 Integrating Residential-Site Planning Principles
Permit properties developed for residential to locate the units along the Harbor frontage provided that portions of this
frontage are developed for (a) retail, restaurant, or other visitor-serving uses and (b) plazas and other open spaces
that provide view corridors and access from Coast Highway to the Harbor. The amount of Harbor frontage allocated
for each use shall be determined by the City during the Development Plan review process. (Imp 2.1, 5.1)
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LU 6.19.9 Harbor and Bay Views and Access
Require that buildings be located and sites designed to provide clear views of and access to the Harbor and Bay from
the Coast Highway and Newport Boulevard rights-of-way in accordance with the following principles, as appropriate:
Clustering of buildings to provide open view and access corridors to the Harbor
Modulation of building volume and masses
Variation of building heights
Inclusion of porticoes, arcades, windows, and other “see-through” elements in addition to the defined open
corridor
Minimization of landscape, fencing, parked cars, and other nonstructural elements that block views and
access to the Harbor
Prevention of the appearance of the public right-of-way being walled off from the Harbor
Inclusion of setbacks that in combination with setbacks on adjoining parcels cumulatively form functional
view corridors
Encouragement of adjoining properties to combine their view corridors that achieve a larger cumulative
corridor than would have been achieved independently
A site-specific analysis shall be conducted for new development to determine the appropriate size, configuration, and
design of the view and access corridor that meets these objectives, which shall be subject to approval in the
Development Plan review process. (Imp 2.1)
LU 6.19.10 Waterfront Promenade
Require that development on the bay frontage implement amenities that ensure access for coastal visitors. Pursue
development of a pedestrian promenade along the Bayfront. (Imp 2.1, 20.2)
LU 6.19.10X Guiding Development of a District Corridor
Initiate a process to review and, as appropriate, revise existing development standards and the Mariners’ Mile
Strategic Vision and Design Framework to ensure they adequately implement the vision for the form and quality of
Mariners’ Mile’s coastal and inland development for such elements as viewshed and resource protection; building
location, scale, mass, and heights; architectural character and design; streetscape amenities; site access and
parking; traffic and connectivity to the Bayfront. (Imp 2.1, 5.1, 16.10, 20.2)
Community/Neighborhood Village
LU 6.19.11 Pedestrian-Oriented Village
Require that inland properties that front onto internal streets within the Community/Neighborhood Village locate
buildings along and forming a semi-continuous building wall along the sidewalk, with parking to the rear in structures
or in shared facilities and be designed to promote pedestrian activity. (Imp 2.1, 16.10)
LU 6.19.12 Properties Abutting Bluff Faces
Require that development projects locate and design buildings to maintain the visual quality and maintain the
structural integrity of the bluff faces. (Imp 2.1)
STRATEGY
LU 6.19.13 Lot Consolidation on Inland Side of Coast Highway
Permit development intensities in areas designated as “CG(0.3)” to be increased to a floor area ratio of 0.5 where
parcels are consolidated to accommodate larger commercial development projects that provide sufficient parking.
(Imp 2.1, 5.1, 16.10)
LU 6.19.14 Parking Lot Relocation
Consider options for the relocation of the City parking lot on Avon Street to better support the corridor’s retail uses.
(Imp 16.10)
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LU 6.19.15 Postal Distribution Center Relocation
Consider options for the relocation of the postal distribution center to reduce parking impacts in the immediate area.
(Imp 14.14)
LU 6.19.16 Parking and Supporting Facilities for Waterfront Uses
Explore additional options for the development and location of parking and other supporting facilities for charters,
yacht sales, and other waterfront uses. (Imp 16.10)
CORONA DEL MAR
The Corona del Mar corridor extends along Coast Highway between Avocado Avenue and Hazel Drive. It is
developed with commercial uses and specialty shops that primarily serve adjoining residential neighborhoods, with
isolated uses that serve highway travelers and coastal visitors. Among the area’s primary uses are restaurants, home
furnishings, and miscellaneous apparel and professional offices including architectural design services. Almost half of
the commercial uses are located in multitenant buildings with retail on the ground floor and professional services
above. Other uses include the Sherman Library and Gardens, a research library and botanical garden open to the
public, and an assisted-living residential complex.
Buildings in the Corona del Mar corridor mostly front directly on and visually open to the sidewalks, with few
driveways or parking lots to break the continuity of the “building wall” along the street. These, coupled with improved
streetscape amenities, landscaped medians, and a limited number of signalized crosswalks, promote a high level of
pedestrian activity.
The Corona del Mar Vision Plan, developed by the Business Improvement District, is intended to enhance the
shopping district through community improvements. These envision a linear park-like environment with extensive
sidewalk landscaping, street furniture, pedestrian-oriented lighting fixtures, activated crosswalks, parking lanes, and
comparable improvements.
Visioning process participants expressed support for protecting Corona del Mar as an important historic commercial
center that serves adjoining neighborhoods.
In 2011, the City Council appointed a Citizen Advisory Panel (CAP) to develop a preliminary design of a Capital
Improvement Project for beautification of the south side of East Coast Highway from Avocado Avenue to Dahlia
Avenue. This effort also included the preparation of an Entryway Enhancement Project in coordination with the
Corona del Mar Business Improvement District.
Policy Overview
The General Plan sustains Corona del Mar as a pedestrian-oriented retail village that serves surrounding
neighborhoods. New development largely would occur as replacement of existing uses and developed at comparable
building heights and scale. Additional parking would be provided by the re-use of parcels at the rear of commercial
properties and/or in shared parking lots or structures developed on Coast Highway.
Goal
LU 6.20
A pedestrian-oriented “village” serving as the center of community commerce, culture, and social activity and
providing identity for Corona del Mar.
Policies
LAND USES [designated as “CC,” refer to Figure LU27]
LU 6.20.1 Primary Uses
Accommodate neighborhood-serving uses that complement existing development. (Imp 2.1)
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LU 6.20.2 Shared Parking Structures
Accommodate the development of structures on public or private parcels or other public/private arrangement that
provides additional off-street parking on parcels for multiple businesses along the corridor, provided that the ground
floor of the street corridor frontage is developed for pedestrian-oriented retail uses. (Imp 2.1, 16.10)
LU 6.20.3 Expanded Parking
Accommodate the redevelopment of residential parcels immediately adjoining commercial uses that front onto Coast
Highway for surface parking, provided that adequate buffers are incorporated to prevent impacts on adjoining
residential (see “Design and Development” below). (Imp 2.1)
DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT
LU 6.20.4 Pedestrian-Oriented Streetscapes
Work with business associations, tenants, and property owners to implement Corona del Mar Vision Plan streetscape
improvements that contribute to the corridor’s pedestrian character. (Imp 20.1)
STRATEGY
LU 6.20.5 Complement the Scale and Form of Existing Development
Permit new commercial development at a maximum intensity of 0.75 FAR, but allow existing commercial buildings
that exceed this intensity to be renovated, upgraded, or reconstructed to their pre-existing intensity and, at a
minimum, preexisting number of parking spaces. (Imp 2.1)
LU 6.20.6 Expanded Parking Opportunities
Work with local businesses and organizations to explore other methods to provide parking convenient to commercial
uses, such as a parking district or relocation of the City parking lot at the old school site at 4th Avenue and Dahlia
Avenue. (Imp 16.10)
NEWPORT BEACH
ITEM TITLE: PUBLIC COMMENTS & CORRESPONDENCE
ITEM SUMMARY: (Attachment 6)
Recommended Action: Review and File
ATTACHMENTS:
Description
Attachment 6 Correspondence
STILL PROTECTING OUR NEWPORT is a 501.c.3 non‐profit public education organization which promotes the preservation of natural
resources and managed development to enrich the residential quality of life in Newport Beach.
PO Box 102 | Balboa Island, CA 92662
www.SPON‐NewportBeach.org | Info@SPON‐NewportBeach.org
March 20, 2014
City of Newport Beach Land Use Amendment Advisory Committee
Councilman Ed Selich, Chairman
Gregg Ramirez, Senior Planner
RE: Comments on revisions of the General Plan Land Use Element Goals and
Policies
Dear Councilman Selich and members of the GP LUE Advisory Committee:
It has been 8 years since the 2006 comprehensive General Plan Amendment was
approved by Newport Beach voters. Now the City is proposing significant changes
to the Land Use Element alone. These changes are extensive and being considered
in a piecemeal fashion along with many other smaller Land Use changes in the
pipeline. As a result, a broader representation of Newport Beach residents is critical
to this process and we recommend that the 2006 General Plan Advisory Committee
be reconvened.
Rationale:
• History of planning ‐ Since 1969 when the first General Plan was contemplated by
the Newport Tomorrow Committee of 80 residents, the City’s Land Use Policies have
repeatedly focused on the needs of the residents and the special character and
quality of life in Newport Beach.
• Consistency of intent – In 2006, based on extensive public outreach and
participation, the Planning Commission and the City Council approved the following
objectives for the General Plan: “Preserve and enhance Newport Beach’s character
as a beautiful, unique residential community” and included in its goals, “modify land
uses, densities, and intensities so that traffic generation is controlled.”
OFFICERS
PRESIDENT
Marko Popovich
VICE PRESIDENT
Elaine Linhoff
TREASURER
Dennis Baker
SECRETARY
Allan Beek
___
BOARD MEMBERS
Iryne Black
Sandy Genis
Don Harvey
Donald Krotee
Andrea Lingle
Bobby Lovell
Jeanne Price
Melinda Seely
Jack Skinner
Nancy Skinner
Jean Watt
Portia Weiss
Terry Welsh
STILL PROTECTING OUR NEWPORT is a 501.c.3 non‐profit public education organization which promotes the preservation of natural
resources and managed development to enrich the residential quality of life in Newport Beach.
PO Box 102 | Balboa Island, CA 92662
www.SPON‐NewportBeach.org | Info@SPON‐NewportBeach.org
• Concern about the present – Now it is stated that the Land Use Element needs to be updated to
“reflect changes in the economy and market, recent legislation, and emerging best practices.” If
that is so, then it is time to review the General Plan as a whole. The current trend of piecemeal
General Plan changes is not appropriate and results in a gradual erosion of policies related to views
and aesthetics and jeopardizes the upper limits of traffic controls. Cases in point:
1. This General Plan Amendment proposes significant changes from the existing land use
plans for Newport Center and the Airport Area. It is claimed that the trips generated will
be offset by trips included in the General Plan “that will not occur.” This may be a way to
plan on paper, but on the road it means a great many more car trips. And those car trips
will continue to increase from the many projects yet to be built including Banning Ranch,
the Dunes Hotel, and Mariners Mile, to name a few.
2. Some recent piecemeal General Plan changes reflect a gradual increase in building heights
and bulk, along with erosion of views and aesthetic qualities that have been established
over the years as part of Newport’s special character, charm and quality of life. For
example, the building at Dover and PCH obscures the bluff and obliterates the opening
vista to the Castaways and Upper Newport Bay from PCH. The Back Bay Landing project
will rise to 65 feet obscuring current views from PCH of the bluffs and the Bay.
3. The Uptown Newport project is purported to be a self‐contained, walk‐able community
reflecting “emerging practices” and goals of “new legislation” calling for reduction of
Vehicle Miles Traveled. However, the first of this 2‐phase project includes only 11,000
square feet of retail space so that those residents will by necessity have to drive to grocery
and other stores in neighborhoods such as the Bluffs.
For these reasons, SPON believes that the General Plan Advisory Committee should be reconvened to
consider the Land Use Element and the General Plan as a whole.
Sincerely,
Marko Popovich
SPON Presiding Officer