At the Newport Beach City Council meeting this week, council unanimously approved the replacement of a water main on Newport Boulevard.
The existing 20-inch cast iron main was installed in the 1920’s, staff reported. It will be replaced with a 24-inch steel main between Via Oporto to 28th Street and a 16-inch pipe between 26th Street to 19th Street.
“It’s showing it’s age,” said Public Works Director Dave Webb.
The new main should improve operation and service reliability, increase fire flow, and reduce the possibility of a break.
Staff is hoping to order the pipe during the summer, construction to begin in September, and to have it finished by May 2016.
During the winter months traffic may be down to one lane, Webb explained.
The $3.51 million contract was awarded to T.E. Roberts, Inc.
The action also included establishing a $350,000 contingency, or approximately 10 percent, to cover the cost of unforeseen work not included in the original contract. It also amended the budget to appropriate $260,000 from the Water Enterprise Fund.
An amendment to the zoning code to allow additional height in the West Newport Mesa area as it relates to residential height was unanimously approved.
According to staff, it would encourage three-story residential units and a rooftop decks, which current zoning would not allow. The amendment would provide a mechanism to request heights above the 32 feet for a flat roof and 37 feet for a sloped roof limit for properties that meet certain criteria.
The amendment includes setting the maximum height limit at 40 feet for a flat roof and 45 feet for a sloped roof and three stories maximum.
Eligible properties must have a minimum lot size of one acre and the quality of architecture will be reviewed for compliance with the certain criteria.
Approval of such properties will require discretionary review by the Planning Commission through either a Site Development Review or Planned Development Permit.
Council also voted unanimously to establish two-hour parking restrictions on Old Newport Boulevard from Hospital Road to Catalina Drive
The nearby businesses were concerned that the parking lot in that area was being used by long-term parking, leaving little to no spaces for their businesses for short-term parking, Webb explained.
The businesses requested 17 spaces, but staff recommended only 10 be restricted to only two-hours to avoid pushing the all-day parkers into the surrounding neighborhood and creating problems.
