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The Log • Apr. 22 - May 5, 2016 • 5


Suggested modifi cations for Back Bay Landing adopted by Newport Beach City Council


A 65-foot viewing tower offi - cially eliminated from plans; modifi cations boast coastal access and uses.


By Parimal M. Rohit


NEWPORT BEACH — The bureaucratic shuffl e continues for a coastal devel- opment project as the Newport Beach City Council unanimously approved a series of suggested modifi cations for the Back Bay Landing project on April 12.


Modifi cations to the Back Bay Landing plan were suggested by the California Coastal Commission in December 2015; Newport Beach’s Planning Commission supported the suggested modifi cations at its March 17 meeting. Updated plans call for freestanding


residential elements and a view tower to be eliminated. Newport Beach must also incorporate measures to protect Back Bay Landing from sea level rise. The project’s architectural theme will also be revised. Perhaps the most signifi cant modi-


fi cations were the recommendations to change the residential zoning to a


designation prohib- iting ground fl oor residential and requiring the city do away with plans to build a 65-foot tall view tower. Changing the


residential zoning, Newport Beach Senior Planner Jaime Murillo told council members, would prioritize coastal-dependent uses. Any residen- tial units within the new zoning would have to be included as part of a mixed-use project, meaning single-family residences or multi-unit buildings with only housing would not be allowed. The modifi ed plan would also enhance public coastal access by extending a proposed public bayfront promenade. Murillo said portions of the Back


Bay Landing area are underutilized. “Ultimately the applicant desires to


redevelop the landside portion of the project for future mixed-use and water-


tural review and permits would be included with site development approvals. Newport Beach


California Coastal Commission’s suggested modifi cations for the Back Bay Landing project in Newport Beach were unani- mously adopted by the City Council on April 12, allowing the waterfront development to come one step closer to reality.


front development that would include [residential units and a boat storage venue],” Murillo said. The completed Back Bay Landing would also include visitor-serving retail and opportunities to pursue recre- ational activities.


City staff pointed out the Back Bay Landing project requires two stages of approvals: legislative and site develop- ment. Legislative approvals include amendments to the General Plan and Coastal Land Use Plan, while architec-


was required to either adopt the Coastal Commissions modifi cations or submit a new application for redevelopment. Council member Marshall “Duffy” Duffi eld recused himself from the Back Bay


Landing hearing, citing a potential business relationship caused a confl ict of interest. Final approval from the Coastal


Commission, a site development review, and Coastal Development Permit are still required for the project to go forward. Back Bay Landing is located in


Upper Newport Bay, near the intersec- tion of East Coast Highway and Bayside Drive.


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Parimal M. Rohit photo


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