Snug Harbor, as imagined by the developers. Photo: Snug Harbor Surf Park//Instagram
A proposed surf park in Newport Beach, California has residents up in arms. So up in arms, in fact, that they’re suing the city.
It’s a very Newport Beach argument. In short, the Snug Harbor Surf Park Project would take over a large part of the Newport Beach Golf course. Golfers are mad because they want to golf. Surfers are mad because they want the surf park. It’s no small thing, either. Five acres, to be exact, with all sorts of accoutrements like a clubhouse with locker rooms, and even accommodations.
Back in October, members of the Newport Beach city council voted “aye” on a go-ahead to build the wave pool on part of the golf course. It would replace three of the 18 existing holes, the putting green, restaurant, pro shop, and the driving range. Golfers were not happy, and were not shy about expressing their unhappiness.
After that unhappiness was expressed, the decision to let the developers build the park was rescinded.
“While council members said they didn’t want to stand in the way of a business looking to redevelop private property, after the council’s vote in October, residents began collecting signatures challenging the approval,” the Voice of OC reported at the time. “Locals gathered enough signatures to officially challenge the decision and place the question on an upcoming ballot, but the process didn’t end up getting that far. Instead of placing the question on a future ballot, council members instead rescinded their previous vote for the surf park, effectively removing their original approval for what’s known as a general plan amendment.”
But Newport Beach residents are not satisfied. That’s why they’re suing the city, arguing that city officials are still pushing for the project to go through, despite the wishes of the people who call Newport Beach home.
“When given the chance to listen to the community,” said Benny Hallock, the chairman of Save Newport Beach Golf Course’s Political Action Committee, “this city council has a history of fumbling the ball.”
The lawsuit argues that even though the Council pulled back from its decision, the golf course is still under threat.
“Under the City’s reading, despite the Council’s rescission and the public campaign, a developer could still demolish the driving range, the restaurant, and three holes of the Golf Course for a surf park project before the Conditional Use Permit expires in October 2027,” Save Newport Beach Golf Course’s lawyers wrote in the complaint. “The Golf Course the community fought to save would still be gone.”
A city spokesperson, however, disputes that claim.
“The City of Newport Beach’s position is that both the referendum and the City Council’s response were narrowly focused,” wrote Georgia Rios. “The referendum only contested the General Plan Amendment (GPA), and the City Council only rescinded that specific amendment… Other approvals were outside the scope of the referendum and were not revoked…Reducing the square footage simply adjusts the project’s overall scale and does not alter the approved use’s fundamental nature. A smaller project within the existing development limits would not create additional impacts beyond those already considered and might even lessen some impacts.”
Soinds like the issue won’t be resolved for some months. Stay tuned.
