HOME ABOUT US SEND a LETTER MAKE a DONATION CONTACT US BLOG
EVENT ALERT

Newport Beach City Council Meeting

14th Tuesday September 2010

View Website

click for more details

News

Daily Pilot - Banning Ranch defender runs for council
By Alan Blank
Chris Bunyan, who has fought development proposal on 400-acre plot of land, plans to make a second run after 2006.
Thursday, August 05, 2008

Banning Ranch anti-development activist and Costa Mesa small business owner Chris Bunyan announced that he will run for Costa Mesa’s City Council today.

One of the ways Bunyan has been most visible in the community is through his efforts to stop the owners of Banning Ranch, a 400-acre plot of land adjacent to Costa Mesa, from putting more than 1,000 homes and a hotel on the property.

As an integral member of the Save the Banning Ranch Task Force, Bunyan has fought against the proposal, saying that it would be a heavy burden on Costa Mesa because of the extra traffic it would cause on the 55 freeway and nearby surface streets and the loss of open space that could be used for recreation by Costa Mesans.

Copyright 2010 Times Community News. All Rights Reserved

 * * * * * * *

Daily Pilot - Environmentalist enters Newport Beach council race
By Mike Reicher
Santa Ana Heights resident Mark Tabbert is a financial advisor and environmental activist.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010 11:24 p.m. PDT

A new candidate has entered the race for the Newport Beach City Council's 4th District.

Mark Tabbert, an environmental activist and financial advisor, challenged incumbent Leslie Daigle when he filed the requisite paperwork Monday to run in the November election.

"I've been bothered for a long time about what we say and do on environmental issues," said Tabbert, who has lived in Newport since 1998.

A Santa Ana Heights resident, Tabbert says he is looking for a local platform to bring attention to climate change, species extinction and resource depletion, among other problems. He's a member of the Banning Ranch Conservancy and said the City Council's obligation is to keep the ranchland as open space, but may not have the leadership to carry it through.

"There's only one voice on the City Council now and that's the voice of development, of the status quo," he said.

Copyright 2010 Times Community News. All Rights Reserved

 * * * * * * *

Daily Pilot – Environmentalists sue Newport Beach over plans for Road
By Brianna Bailey
A group of conservationists is suing the city of Newport Beach to block new PCH crossroad.
Monday, April 26, 2010 12:03 PM PDT

A group of conservationists is suing the city of Newport Beach to try to hold  up plans to build a park access road through a large chunk of coastal open space on West Coast Highway known as Banning Ranch.

In a suit filed Thursday in Orange County Superior Court, the Banning Ranch Conservancy seeks to hold up plans for Sunset Ridge Park in West Newport.

The group claims that plans for an access road for the park through neighboring Banning Ranch will pave the way for future development of the area. They also claim the city did not follow state environmental and planning laws in their approval of the project.

“Banning Ranch is a terribly important asset — it’s the last piece of open space in Orange County that hasn’t been developed — it’s what we call nature’s last stand,” said Steven Ray, executive director of the Banning Ranch Conservancy. “We’re very concerned about protecting it, preserving it and restoring it.”

Sunset Ridge, a 13.67-acre sports park, is planned for the north corner of West Coast Highway and Superior Avenue, next door to Banning Ranch.

A 28-foot-wide, two-lane access road would run north-south, cutting across Banning Ranch.

Conservationists say plans for the proposed road match the designs of Newport Banning Ranch LLC, a consortium of three land owners that owns Banning Ranch. The new road would be named Bluff Road.

Newport Banning Ranch LLC wants to build 1,375 homes, shops and a hotel on Banning Ranch. Bluff Road is already included in their preliminary plans for the development. The developer has agreed to give Newport Beach an easement to build the road at no cost to the city.

Copyright 2010 Times Community News. All Rights Reserved

 * * * * *

Daily Pilot – Park road plans upheld
By Brianna Bailey
Council takes a second vote after environmental group says it violated open-meeting laws the first time.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010 10:32 PM PDT
http://dailypilot.com/articles/2010/04/27/politics/dpt-council042810.txt


Daily Pilot – Group sues over park road
By Brianna Bailey
Newport Beach officials did not follow state laws in their approval of Bluff Road proposal, conservationists claim.
Friday, April 23, 2010 8:34 PM PDT
http://dailypilot.com/articles/2010/04/23/politics/dpt-banningranch042410.txt

A group of conservationists is suing the city of Newport Beach in hopes of holding up plans to build a park access road through a large chunk of coastal open space on West Coast Highway known as Banning Ranch.

In a suit filed Thursday in Orange County Superior Court, the Banning Ranch Conservancy seeks to hold up plans for Sunset Ridge Park in West Newport. The group claims that plans for an access road for the park through neighboring Banning Ranch will pave the way for future development of the area. They also claim the city did not follow state environmental and planning laws in their approval of the project.

Copyright 2010 Times Community News. All Rights Reserved

 * * * * *


Daily Pilot – Conservationists sue to block park access road via Banning Ranch
By Brianna Bailey
Lawsuit filed in Orange County Superior Court.
Friday, April 23, 2010 10:25 AM PDT
http://dailypilot.com/articles/2010/04/23/politics/doc4bd1d6bd7d6e1877678404.txt


Daily Pilot – The Political Landscape: A road might not run through it
By Brianna Bailey and Mona Shadia
Connection between West Coast Highway and Sunset Ridge Park is set to go before council again.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010 8:57 PM PDT 
http://dailypilot.com/articles/2010/04/14/politics/dpt-landscape041510.txt


Daily Pilot – Sounding Off: Some curious new math
By Tom Egan 
A big bone of contention at last week’s council meeting was the planned access road to Sunset Ridge Park
Tuesday, March 30, 2010 10:46 PM PDT
http://dailypilot.com/articles/2010/03/30/opinion/dpt-soundingoff033110.txt


Daily Pilot – Ranch road on deck
By Brianna Bailey 
City Council will discuss whether to connect area with West Coast Highway, a proposal that environmental group doesn’t want.
Saturday, March 20, 2010 7:25 PM PDT  
http://dailypilot.com/articles/2010/03/20/politics/dpt-banningranch032110.txt

The Newport Beach City Council on Tuesday night will consider approving an agreement to build an access road for Sunset Ridge Park in West Newport that will run through Banning Ranch.

Conservationists who want to preserve Banning Ranch, a large parcel of undeveloped, coastal land that abuts West Coast Highway, say that even if paved with good intentions, building the road would be the first step toward developing the area.

“If you can put a man on the moon, Newport Beach can come up with a plan for Sunset Ridge Park that does not involve a road through Banning Ranch,” said Terry Welsh, leader of the Banning Ranch Conservancy, a nonprofit that wants to preserve Banning Ranch.

Newport Beach Councilman Steve Rosansky, whose district includes Sunset Ridge Park, said the road is needed to give motorists safe access to West Coast Highway from the park. Deciding where the road should go has been the result of a year’s worth of approvals, planning and negotiations, he said.

“I think [the road] supports the development of the park and it’s neutral as to the development of Banning Ranch,” Rosansky said.

Plans for the proposed road match the designs of Newport Banning Ranch LLC, a consortium of three land owners that owns Banning Ranch. The new road would be named Bluff Road.

Newport Banning Ranch LLC wants to build 1,375 homes, shops and a hotel on Banning Ranch. Bluff Road is already included in their preliminary plans for the development. The developer has already agreed to give Newport Beach an easement to build the road at no cost to the city.

“The first step toward development is being done by the city,” Welsh said.

Mike Mohler, a project manager for Newport Banning Ranch LLC, said Friday that voters approved Sunset Ridge Park as part of an update to the city’s General Plan in 2006.

“Newport Banning Ranch is pleased to be in a position to help. As we understand it, the road provides safe access and minimal hazards to it,” he said.

Sunset Ridge, a 13.67-acre sports park, is planned for the north corner of West Coast Highway and Superior Avenue, right next door to Banning Ranch.

The 28-foot-wide, two-lane access road would run north-south, cutting across Banning Ranch.

The road would intersect with West Coast Highway about 1,000 feet west of Superior Avenue. Plans for the park show that the road would stretch north from West Coast Highway for about 850 feet, where it would end at the park parking lot.

City plans also include putting in a three-way traffic signal on West Coast Highway at the terminus of the new access road. Construction on Sunset Ridge Park is slated for completion in spring 2011.

Copyright 2010 Times Community News. All Rights Reserved

 * * * * *



Daily Pilot – Mailbag: City is needed to help save ranch  
By Mark Tabbert 
The citizens of Newport Beach who voted to have Banning Ranch preserved as open space should be celebrating consideration of Measure M funds. 
Friday, March 19, 2010 8:38 PM PST 
http://dailypilot.com/articles/2010/03/19/opinion/dpt-mailbag032010.txt


Daily Pilot – Connecting 1,000 acres 
By Mona Shadia 
Cities are combining land around river to make a continuous park, including Banning Ranch. 
Tuesday, January 12, 2010 10:08 PM PST 
http://www.dailypilot.com/articles/2010/01/12/politics/dpt-parks011310.txt

Daily Pilot – Banning road in works 
By Brianna Bailey
Plans for park include a 850-foot access road. Councilman says the road is needed whether the ranch is open space or not. 
Friday, November 6, 2009 10:03 PM PST
http://www.dailypilot.com/articles/2009/11/06/politics/dpt-banningranch1109.txt

Daily Pilot – City not giving up on ranch 
By Brianna Bailey
California Coastal Conservancy is looking for ways to secure funding — which could be up to $158 million — for the 400-acre parcel next to Coast Highway. 
Tuesday, August 11, 2009 10:51 PM PDT
http://www.dailypilot.com/articles/2009/08/11/topstory/dpt-banningranch081209.txt

Daily Pilot – Nonprofit hopes to buy ranch 
By Brianna Bailey
Measure M money from transport authority could help start the funding process. Group would know in months if application is approved. 
Friday, June 26, 2009 8:19 PM PDT
http://www.dailypilot.com/articles/2009/06/26/topstory/dpt-banningranch062709.txt

Daily Pilot – Mailbag: Ranch is more than it seems 
By ALAN REMINGTON 
Tuesday, June 23, 2009 11:04 PM PDT
http://www.dailypilot.com/articles/2009/06/23/opinion/dpt-mailbag062409.txt

Daily Pilot – Price of land is debated 
By Joseph Serna 
Activist says developers inflated cost of ranch property to discourage buyers. City says figures look accurate so far. 
Friday, October 24, 2008 9:34 PM PDT
http://www.dailypilot.com/articles/2008/10/24/topstory/dpt-oilcleanup102508.txt

Daily Pilot – City to decide ranch’s future 
By Alan Blank
Owners of coastal site need city approval to start contested development. Residents want ranch to be a nature preserve.  
Thursday, August 28, 2008 10:24 PM PDT
http://www.dailypilot.com/articles/2008/08/28/topstory/dpt-banningproposal082908.txt

Become a Volunteer
If you are an individual or an organization and wish to support Banning Ranch Conservancy, please join us today!
Join now
 
Make a donation now
Help create an open space and wildlife preserve/public wilderness park on the entire Banning Ranch.
Click to Donate
 
Home About Us Send a Letter Make a Donation Contact Us Blog
Website design by b3net.com