Dunes plan jumps hurdle, but faces others

Noaki Schwartz

NEWPORT BEACH -- Tim Quinn looked visibly drained by the bimonthly,

late-night meetings that he’s sat through as project manager for the

controversial Dunes hotel.

So it was no wonder that he went home for a mini-celebration after the

Planning Commission voted just before midnight Thursday to approve the

project after a grueling, six-month review.

“We feel the commission has left no stone unturned,” Quinn said. “They’ve

really done a great job.”

On hand for the final vote were about 20 supporters and opponents, who

have followed each twist and turn as commissioners combed through the

massive project, continually instructing planners to downsize the hotel.

Despite the revisions, the four-star resort still would be one of the

city’s largest hotels, with 470 rooms in a four-story building and a

31,000-square-foot conference center, as well as swimming pools, a health

spa and restaurants.

While the Dunes planners and commissioners were satisfied with the

results, local environmentalists were appalled that the mammoth hotel was

one step closer to reality next to environmentally sensitive Upper

Newport Bay.

“I’m so angry they’ve approved this,” said activist Susan Caustin, who

studied the environmental report. “We’ve presented them with fact after

fact on how the [report] is inadequate.”

Once the final conditions are incorporated into the resort’s

documentation, the project will go to the City Council for approval. City

officials say they expect to begin looking at the project at the

council’s May 23 meeting.

“When it comes to the council, we’ll go through the whole thing again,”

said Mayor John Noyes, adding that he was impressed by the amount of work

commissioners had done.

Despite chairman Ed Selich’s determination that they would not end the

night without a decision, commissioners took their time deliberating on

the smallest of details.

Throughout the review process, public comments have come fast and

furious, leading to more and more conditions being placed on the resort’s

operation.

Thursday night was no exception. The commission staff left with a litany

of controls to incorporate into the resort’s paperwork, including noise

restrictions and limits on use of the conference facilities.

“The conference-use restriction is by far the most significant,” Quinn

said, adding that he stopped counting at 30 restrictions.

“It will definitely cramp our business. From the city’s standpoint, it’s

a win-win -- they have the conference space and a better traffic

situation.”

Commissioners also focused on the architectural design and landscaping.

“It’s a huge improvement over what we had before,” said Commissioner Tom

Ashley.

Activist Nancy Skinner--Caustin’s mother--disagrees, saying a 1988

settlement agreement that granted a three-story, 275-room hotel should be

honored.

Skinner said she plans to take her argument before the council.

“The agreement was hard-fought and negotiated,” she said. “What happened

is that that agreement became ground zero [for the new proposal].”

INSIDE:

See editorial on Dunes project, Community Forum, Page A18.