By Grace Leung, Newport Beach City Manager
I have good news for Newport Beach residents and business owners with properties in flood hazard areas: you will see further discounted rates for your flood insurance policies beginning October 1.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently upgraded Newport Beach’s flood insurance classification under the Community Rating System (CRS) from a Class 7 to a Class 6. This means that premiums for flood insurance will be discounted by an additional 5 percent, for a total reduction of 20 percent.
All policies issued or renewed on or after October 1 will qualify for the additional discounts on flood insurance premiums. This applies to all homes and businesses with government-backed mortgages in special flood hazard areas that are required to have flood insurance. Other homes and businesses outside of the special flood hazard areas, with flood zone designations starting with X, will be eligible for a 10 percent discount on flood insurance premiums.
The CRS is an incentive program that recognizes and encourages community floodplain management practices that exceed the minimum requirements of the National Flood Insurance Program. By implementing measures that go above and beyond the baseline standards, communities like Newport Beach are better prepared for flood events and can qualify for lower flood insurance rates for residents and businesses.
This achievement is a testament to Newport Beach’s ongoing efforts to mitigate flood risk and create a more sustainable, resilient community.
For more information in the City’s flood hazard area designations, and to see which discounts you may qualify for, please visit our website at https://newportbeachca.gov/government/departments/community-development/building-division/floodplain-management-information.
General Plan Update Website
The City is seeking the community’s help to shape the future of Newport Beach through a comprehensive General Plan update.
The central hub for this effort is our newly updated website, Newport, Together, with key information, resources and opportunities to provide critical feedback.
The City’s General Plan is being updated to reflect the community’s current needs and future aspirations. The General Plan contains goals that establish values and direction, policies that guide decision-making, and programs that carry out the actions needed to achieve these goals. The last comprehensive update of Newport Beach’s General Plan was in 2006.
A core part of updating the General Plan is engaging with residents and other stakeholders to capture and articulate a shared vision for the City for the next 20 years.
The relaunched Newport, Together website contains many resources that will aid in this effort, including interactive questionnaires and maps, a project timeline, FAQs, a document library, feedback form, and opportunity to subscribe to an email list for ongoing updates.
You can also find more information on upcoming meetings of the General Plan Steering Committee and General Plan Update Advisory Committee, the resident groups formed to provide recommendations, solicit input and help engage the community.
In addition to launching online input opportunities, the City will be at local events throughout the community over the next several months to gather opinions and answer questions about the General Plan. We will also include periodic updates and involvement opportunities in this newsletter.
I encourage you to visit the Newport, Together website at https://newporttogether.mysocialpinpoint.com/ and participate! If you have questions or comments, please email gpupdate@newportbeachca.gov.
Join Us March 23 for Mayor’s Egg Race Event
The City’s 9th Annual Mayor’s Egg Race will be on Saturday, March 23 from 10 a.m. to noon on the Civic Center Lawn, 100 Civic Center Dr.
Residents are invited to join us for this free family event, which will include train rides, bubbles, egg races, photo ops, crafts, movies and more!
Goldenrod Footbridge to Get Centennial Makeover
The iconic Goldenrod footbridge in Corona del Mar will receive a fresh coat of paint ahead of its centennial celebration in 2028.
The City has contracted with Astro Painting Company, Inc., which began the project this week. Working hours will be 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays through March 29.
The bridge walkway is partially open for pedestrian traffic. Bayside Drive, below the Goldenrod footbridge, will be closed to vehicle traffic on Monday, March 25 through Wednesday, March 27 as paint crews work underneath the bridge. Electronic signs are in place to delineate the detour path.
Improvements Underway at Port Carney, Port Westbourne Public Restrooms
Construction began earlier this month to upgrade the Port Carney public restroom at 1910 Port Carney Place and the Port Westbourne public restroom at 1876 Port Westbourne Place. These are the final two locations of the City’s Fiscal Year 2022-23 restroom rehabilitation project.
The upgrades include a new paint, roofing systems, plumbing fixtures, LED light fixtures, tiles and automatic locking doors.
Construction is expected to be completed by the summer. During construction, portable restrooms are provided for public use. Parking in the area may be temporarily reduced and pedestrian detours may be established for safety.
City Teams Mobilize for Oil Sheen Response
Staff from Newport Beach’s police, lifeguard, and harbor departments mobilized on Friday, March 8 in response to an oil sheen off the coast of Huntington Beach. The oil was initially reported about three miles from the Huntington Beach coast.
The oil did not appear to pose a threat to Newport Beach. However, police and lifeguard personnel were deployed on vessels and monitored the Newport Beach shoreline closely for signs of incoming petroleum. City staff stayed in close contact with partner agencies throughout the incident and were prepared to take appropriate actions if evidence of oil was discovered in Newport Beach.
Fortunately the oil sheen — which was later estimated at 85 gallons — did not reach Newport’s beaches and was largely cleaned up by Saturday, March 9. The incident response was led by the U.S. Coast Guard and State Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Bonita Creek Community Center to be Upgraded
Construction began on Monday, March 18 on improvements to the Bonita Creek Community Center at 3010 La Vida.
The project will install a new roofing system, plumbing fixtures, LED lights fixtures, flooring, ceiling tiles, paint and automatic locking doors.
Construction is expected to be completed by the summer. During construction, portable restrooms are provided for public use. Parking in the area may be temporarily reduced and pedestrian detours may be established for safety.
All sports fields, the basketball court and nearby playground will remain open to the public throughout construction.
OASIS Volunteers Invited to Annual Recognition Luncheon April 17
The OASIS Senior Center will host its annual Volunteer Recognition Luncheon on Wednesday, April 17 at noon.
If you have volunteered at OASIS within the past year, you are invited to attend and enjoy a delicious catered lunch.
Please RSVP by April 11 by calling (949) 644-3244. The lunch will be held at the OASIS Senior Center, 801 Narcissus Ave.
Teens 13-16 Invited to Apply for Summer Leadership Program
The City is offering a Teen Leader Program for teens ages 13-16. The program gives teens an opportunity to work side by side with City recreation staff in the two youth summer camps, three ACTIVE Kids after school programs, and other special events.
Participants can earn service credits, get involved in the community, develop and enhance life and work skills, and gain valuable job experience.
For more information or to apply, click here: https://www.newportbeachca.gov/government/departments/recreation-senior-services/youth-teen-programs.
Fall Completion Expected for Superior Avenue Bridge, Parking Lot
The new pedestrian/bicycle bridge and parking lot project at Superior Avenue and W. Coast Highway is expected to be completed in September, following delays from the recent rainstorms.
The bridge itself is nearly complete. Steel tension strands were recently added (as seen in the photo below) and minor items such as lighting and railings will be installed in the coming weeks.
The retaining walls facing W. Coast Highway are also complete. With these walls in place, the contractor will start building foundations for the staircase that will connect the bridge to the sidewalk below.
Work continues on a retaining wall along the backside of the parking lot. The foundation for this wall has been constructed and the remainder of the wall will be completed by early April.
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.
This week, the Be Well team:
- Transported a person to the Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter.
- Transported three people to crisis stabilization units for treatment.
- Transported a person to an urgent care center for treatment.
- Transported a person to a homeless services provider.
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:
- Placed a person in housing at the Placentia Veterans Village after a stay at the Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter. The person experienced homelessness for four years.
- Transported two people to homeless service providers.
- Completed a referral to the Yale Navigation Center for shelter.
- Completed 15 new enrollments in two weeks and updated 16 transferred cases.
- Continued to shelter people. Twenty-five people who had been experiencing homelessness in Newport Beach are sheltered in the Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter.
