Grace Leung, Newport Beach City Manager
Happy new year! We hope you all had a fun, restful, and refreshing holiday season.
City officials and I are already at work and looking ahead to 2023, we have many exciting projects to help improve the quality of life in Newport Beach, improve the environment and expand the services the city offers. is scheduled. Here are some caveats:
- The new Junior Lifeguard Building on Balboa Pier is expected to be completed by Memorial Day in time for the summer season. The 5,400-square-foot facility serves as the permanent home of the city’s popular Junior Lifeguard Program and is available for a variety of public uses when the program is not in session.
- Construction is expected to begin soon on the new Superior Avenue Pedestrian/Bicycle Bridge and Parking Project after it is approved by the council in November.
- A significant dredging project will begin this spring on the lower Newport Harbor Federal Waterway to improve navigation and increase tidal flushing. The project, a partnership between the city and the Army Corps of Engineers, will remove approximately 1.2 million cubic yards of accumulated sediment, returning the channel to its original depth of 10 to 20 feet.
- The Library Auditorium, a planned 9,500-square-foot facility on the south side of the Central Library, may begin construction this year. The council may consider a construction contract as early as this spring, and construction is expected to take about 14 months. The auditorium is funded through a public-private partnership.
- Public outreach begins on proposed projects to restore Newport Pier and the McFadden Plaza area. City consultants will incorporate community input to develop proposals to replace or renovate piers and plazas, public restrooms, lifeguard headquarters, and car parks, possibly reconfiguring when bike paths intersect plazas. I have.
- Design work will begin on the peninsula’s Balboa Branch Library and Fire Station Building 1 facility replacement. In anticipation of construction in 2025, there will be an opportunity to solicit public input this year.
These and other projects will be discussed at the City Council’s annual planning meeting on Saturday, January 28 from 9:00 am to noon on the City Council Chambers. Public participation and input is solicited.
Newport Beach Public Library Awarded Four Stars
The Newport Beach Public Library received a four-star national ranking compiled by the Library Journal.
The Public Library Service and Starr’s 2022 Library Journals Index compares peer libraries in eight areas. .
The Newport Beach Public Library is the only recognized star library in Orange County and one of only 12 in California.
Newport Beach weathers first storm of 2023
Newport Beach survived the first storm of 2023 without much impact. Minor flooding, debris washed up on beaches and two fallen trees were reported.
Crews maintained the height and stability of existing sand berms in preparation for the storm, and created a new berm Thursday between 36th and 54th streets in the West Newport area to disperse strong waves. I was allowed to. Staff monitored low-lying street areas for flooding and pumped accumulated water in some areas of Balboa Island and the peninsula.
The storm carried a significant amount of garbage and debris onto the shore. Clean-up crews will begin work immediately after the rainfall and will continue over the next few days and weeks. Two trees were uprooted and 12 trees had their branches snapped due to the saturated soil and gusts of wind. Fortunately, there were no injuries and only minor property damage.
City recycles 48 tons of Christmas trees
Since the holidays, the Newport Beach Christmas Tree Collection Program has diverted over 48 tons of trees from landfills. The wood is recycled along with other organic waste.
The free collection program for CR&R customers continues until January 15th. If you still have trees awaiting recycling, please place them on the curb for collection on normal service days from now until January 15th.
To reduce curb clutter, take your tree out only on regularly scheduled collection days. Jewelry and other adornments must be removed. Trees over 6 feet can be scheduled by calling the CR&R Hotline at (949) 667-4158 to be felled or treated as a bulky item pickup. Please note that if trees are covered in fake snow or are “clogged” they cannot be recycled and must be placed in a black top cart or scheduled for pick-up of bulky items.
For questions about tree recycling and other waste and recycling projects, visit the City’s website at https://www.newportbeachca.gov or call Charles Springer, Waste Management Officer, at (949) 718-3466. ).
Replace Civic Center green grass following rain delay
The 20,000-square-foot Civic Center Green hosts many special community events each year, including the Mayor’s Egg Race and Summer Concerts on the Green, as well as many private rentals.
Eight years of wear and tear since the opening of the Civic Center necessitated a turf replacement. In December, the crew removed the old turf and began leveling and preparing the soil for the new turf.
The city’s intention was to complete the project by the new year. However, recent storms and rainfall delayed it. The crew will finish work once the storm has passed and the Civic Green will be ready to host even more fun events in 2023.
General Planning Commission to Reconvene on January 18
The City is working with the community to update the General Plan for Newport Beach to align with the community’s goals and vision for the future of Newport Beach.
This is primarily accomplished through the General Planning Update Steering Committee (GPUSC) and the recently appointed General Planning Advisory Committee (GPAC). It has been 16 years since the overall plan was last comprehensively revised, but some sections such as housing and circular elements have been updated.
GPUSC and GPAC will hold a joint public meeting on January 18th. City officials will provide orientation to members on an overview of the general plan.
For more information and to sign up for electronic notifications, please visit www.newportbeachca.gov/GPUpdate. The community is invited and encouraged to participate throughout the comprehensive review and update.
If you have any questions or want more information, please email us [email protected].
Be Well Mobile Crisis Response Update
The Be Well Mobile Crisis Response Team operates in Newport Beach 12 hours a day, 7 days a week to respond to mental and behavioral health crises. The mobile unit is staffed by mental health professionals and paramedics and works closely with the city’s police and fire departments.
This week’s Be Well team:
- Helped a resident with suicidal thoughts and transferred him to a treatment facility.
- Brought a person into a calm living home for an intake appointment.
- Two people were taken to the emergency room for treatment.
- Transported 10 people to services, shelter intakes, and appointments.
homeless updates
The City of Newport Beach provides a comprehensive response to address homelessness through a concerted effort by city staff, contractors, partner agencies, and nonprofits.
This week, the city’s homeless outreach and response team will:
- A mother and son are housed in an Irvine apartment. The pair spent six months homeless in Newport Beach.
- Reunited man with family in Pennsylvania. A man was homeless in Newport Beach for a year and stayed at the Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter for two months before being reunited with his family.
- Transferred a seasoned client to a reception appointment at the new HB Oasis non-dwelling facility. HB Oasis is an old motel converted into temporary housing through the state’s Project Homekey initiative.
- We worked with Hoag Hospital to place elderly people with disabilities in assisted living facilities.
- A woman was evacuated to a motel before she was transferred to Grandma’s House of Hope.
- continued to evacuate people. Nineteen of his former homeless people in Newport Beach are now being cared for at the Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter.
- We have three people in the Yale Navigation Center.
Click here to view the latest homeless dashboard. It contains key monthly and yearly data on the city’s homelessness response: https://www.newportbeachca.gov/trending/community-issues/homelessness/monthly-homeless-count.
