News: Council Member Nancy Gardner

city council district 6 v corona del mar & newport coast

Nancy Gardner

mayor v newport beach, california

newsletter: august 2012

TIDELANDS
The Tidelands Management Committee has approved a draft of the Tidelands Infrastructure Capital Plan. This plan lays out various harbor projects for the next five years. The plan lays out a schedule for additional dredging of the harbor as well as other improvements. It will go to the Harbor Commission for review, back to the TMC, and then to council for approval. Also, a council committee will be bringing a proposal forward to raise the tideland fees for commercial marinas, the second phase of this process. Both the city and the marina owners/operators agree that an increase is due. The argument will be about the amount of the increase.

BANNING RANCH
Most of you know that the council approved the Banning Ranch EIR. This was an issue that raised a lot of passion as illustrated by the three hours of public testimony. For those opposed to the approval, the main argument was that the council was ignoring the will of the people as enunciated in the General Plan which has the stated goal for BR: Preferably a protected open space amenity. However, the GP also goes on to say, 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. It was said repeatedly during public comment that the city hadn’t made an effort to find the money. Not so. We made the effort. Our consultant went to the likely funders, and they all said the same thing: “You’ve got a developer willing to give you half the land, go for it.” We sent the consultant back for another effort, with the same result. However, the BR owner has consistently said that until the bulldozers begin, the opportunity for purchase is there. Since the project has to go before the Coastal Commission, there’s still at least a year to raise the money which so many people insist is out there, but which nobody has been able to find, at least so far.

SO GREEN
When it comes to alternative fuels, Newport is a leader with both a natural gas fueling station (in the city yard off Superior), and now a hydrogen station (Shell station, Jamboree and San Joaquin). I was really excited when I heard about the hydrogen station because talk about renewable energy! Since water has TWO hydrogen molecules (I was a whiz in high school chemistry), we could put a giant straw into the ocean and suck that hydrogen right into the pump! Unfortunately, it’s not that simple, but it’s simple enough that the hydrogen is actually produced right there on site in a very compact area. So even without the giant straw we have one more green feather in our cap.

PECULIAR RULES
When I paddle, my usual route takes me past the Harbor Patrol building. The last time I went by, one of the deputies said I had to have a lifejacket on board. As I paddled, I thought about that. I could be in trouble in two instances when I’m paddling—I have a heart attack or I fall and hit my head–and in neither case am I going to have time to put on the life jacket. The law is clearly intended for boats where you usually have time to suit up before abandoning ship. Logically, we SUPers should either have to wear the jackets while we paddle, or there shouldn’t be such a requirement. Ah well. I have a lifejacket which I will take with me on future paddles. And I don’t blame the Harbor Patrol. Theirs is not to reason why. Like the Light Brigade, theirs is to do, or in this case, enforce, and hopefully the result is not as calamitous as it was in the Crimean.

FUTURE TOPIC SUGGESTIONS

This is a two-way process, so please don’t hesitate to contact me with your ideas and opinions. My email address for city business is: NGardner@newportbeachca.gov. Don’t worry if you forget it. I’ll still be using the AOL one, too.

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Mayor Nancy Gardner

QUALITY OF LIFE Advocate FOR NEWPORT BEACH

City of Newport Beach | 3300 Newport Blvd | Newport Beach, CA 92663

Phone: 949.644.3004 | EMAIL: ngardner@newportbeachca.gov