By Grace Leung, Newport Beach City Manager
One indicator of a strong local real estate market is building permit activity, which reflects a community’s investment in new property development and improvements. Newport Beach is doing remarkably well on that front.
During the 2022-23 fiscal year, the City’s Community Development Department served nearly 20,300 people and fielded 7,500 phone calls through the Permit Center at City Hall. About 6,000 permits were issued, with a combined construction value of about $1 billion. In addition, more than 3,000 new plan checks were initiated.
The numbers attest not only to a robust property and development sector for the past fiscal year, but also to our Community Development Department’s hard work and commitment to customer service improvements.
The City has been pursuing new innovations to further improve service to the community. The City launched online plan check submittals for new solar panel installation in March, followed by residential project submittals in May.
Since then, the City has issued 135 permits online (127 for solar and 8 for residential endeavors). Today more than 15 percent of plan checks are submitted electronically, and we expect that number to grow as applicants utilize online resources through the new City Virtual Connect portal (CiViC).
I would like to thank and recognize our Community Development Department staff for keeping pace with the high service needs at the Permit Center, and for pursuing new technological innovations and streamlined processes.
To monitor building permit activity in real time, please visit the City’s online dashboard portal: https://www.newportbeachca.gov/government/departments/city-manager/information-technology/dashboards.
Police Dept. Welcomes CdM Middle School
A group of Corona del Mar Middle School 7th-9th graders toured the Newport Beach Police station last week. The students met with NBPD School Resource Officer Andrew Shen to learn about the work of different police units, took photos, and spoke with officers and professional staff from each division.
The tour helped show the students how the Police Department keep the community safe and how they might utilize public safety resources in the future.
“We are so grateful for everyone’s kindness and support at the station,” said one of the teachers.
Join Us Oct. 8 for Fire Services Day
The Newport Beach Fire Department will host a free Fire Service Day event on Sunday, October 8 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Fire Station 7, 20401 S.W. Acacia St.
The event will include station tours, live rescue and fire demonstrations, fire extinguisher demonstrations, fire, medic and lifeguard apparatus displays, auto extrication and children’s activities. Free lunch will be served.
Please join us for a fun-filled afternoon!
Be Well Mobile Crisis Response Update
The Be Well mobile crisis response team operates in Newport Beach 12 hours a day, 7 days a week to respond to mental and behavioral health crises. The mobile unit is staffed with mental health specialists and works closely with the City’s police and fire departments.
Last week, the Be Well team:
- Addressed three mental health crises and transported people to a crisis stabilization facility.
- Transported a person to the sobering station at the Be Well campus.
- Transported two people to the Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter for intake appointments.
- Transported a person to her homeless service provider in another city.
- Transported a person to a bus stop to return home in another county after resolving a mental health crisis.
To reach Be Well: The mobile crisis team is dispatched through the Newport Beach Police Department. To request service, dial 911 or call the Police Department’s non-emergency line at (949) 644-3717.
Homelessness update
This week the City’s homeless outreach and response teams:
- Continued to shelter people. Twenty people who had been experiencing homelessness in Newport Beach are sheltered in the Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter.
- Met with a client to discuss assisted living opportunities.
- Submitted an apartment application for a client.
- Met with a client approved for the CalAim program to begin submitting apartment applications with him.
- Met with two clients who applied for Housing Choice Vouchers to complete their housing paperwork.
Click here to view the latest homeless dashboard, which includes key monthly and yearly data on the City’s homeless response: https://www.newportbeachca.gov/trending/community-issues/homelessness/monthly-homeless-count.
Click here for information on the City’s Good Giving program: https://www.newportbeachca.gov/trending/community-issues/homelessness/how-you-can-help.
