The following is a press release from an organization unaffiliated with Voice of OC. The views expressed here are not those of Voice of OC.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: March 1, 2017
Contact:
Tim Stoaks 714.655.7499 or 949.734.0684
Museum House Project Approval Rescission
Newport Beach, CA: Line in the Sand Political Action Committee (LITS) applauds the City Council’s decision to rescind their approval of the Museum House Project as a direct result of the strength of voter feedback on this 25‐story, 391,158 sq. ft. condo high‐rise, high‐density residential tower that would have replaced the single‐story OC Museum of Art in Newport Center.
Line in the Sand also wants to thank the thousands of Newport Beach voters who took the time to engage in the conversation about this project with the developer, city staff, the Planning Commission and City Council through letters, phone calls and meetings, and ultimately exercised their right to call for a public vote to decide this single political question through the referendum process.
But when nearly a quarter of all Newport Beach registered voters expressed concern with the Council’s prior approvals by signing the petition in less than two weeks and despite intimidation by the developer, it became apparent an actual election would yield only a foregone, and wastefully costly, conclusion.
The City Council recognized this by introducing an ordinance stating, in part: “the City respects the will of its residents and desires to avoid the expenses associated with an election by repealing the resolution and associated project approvals in their entirety.”
Mayor Muldoon, at the recent Mayor’s Dinner, additionally embraced citizen engagement by stating that one of his goals is to incorporate “as many residents as possible in [a] general plan update so it is truly the people’s general plan.”
These two statements, coupled with the overwhelming success of the Museum House referendum process, should be the catalyst that brings together voters and city leaders for an open conversation about the future character of our town. By talking and listening to each other, the hope is that a true consensus will develop for future planning purposes.
For more information about Line in the Sand, visit LineInTheSandPAC.com.
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