Council OKs New Clubhouse, Delays Vote on Smoking Ban and Fire Zone Maps

The Newport Beach City Council met Tuesday night. Here are the highlights:

• Peggy Fort, director of Newport Beach Restaurant Week, addressed the City Council during public comments. Fort gave an update on the Newport Beach Restaurant Association and said the group is starting production of the 2012 Official Newport Beach Dining Guide which are distributed to outlets throughout the community. Fort also invited the council and the community to participate in the remaining days of Restaurant Week saying "come out and try one of your favorite restaurant at special fixed price menus."

• At the start of the meeting, Mayor Nancy Gardner reminded the audience of the council policy which states no items are to be introduced after 11 p.m. "We have a very busy agenda tonight and I know it's aggravating to come and then not have the item you are here for be discussed," Gardner said. "But it's even more aggravating having a council that has been sitting since 4 p.m. and making a wrong decision."

• After a lengthy discussion, the City Council --with the exception of Gardner--voted to approve the Planning Commission's recommendation to approve part of two redevlopment plans submitted by the owners of the Newport Beach Country Club and its owner operators. The approval includes taking the club's current 23,460 square foot facility to 56,000 square feet and replacing 17 tennis courts with 27 hotel suites and five villas. Despite traffic concerns raised by some residents, Councilman Keith Curry said he supported the plans for a new clubhouse saying, "I was a member of that club for 15 years and those poor folks do need a clubhouse and that's the honest truth."

• The City Council voted to continue deciding on a proposed ordinance that would forbid smoking in all city parks. If approved, the law would ban smoking within 100 feet of parks and beaches and could place restrictions on group activity at parks.

• A vote on a proposed ordinance that would formally adopt the state’s new Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone Map was also continued to a later date. If the City Council decides to adopt the map, landowners whose land is located in the map's coverage area to provide a minimum 100’ defensible space from an occupied dwelling or structure.

• An announcement was made reminding citizens about the 2012 Mayor's Dinner on Friday, Feb. 3. The event is hosted by Speak Up Newport and will give Gardner a platform to deliver the state of the city address and lay out her goals for next year.