About Mariner’s Mile Project

PRESERVING NEWPORT BEACH CULTURE

Our Mission

We strive to foster a Community Awareness Campaign in partnership with our community stakeholders and to be a community resource for all parties interested in learning about and becoming involved in shaping the future of Mariner’s Mile.  Each of us can be instrumental in creating a vision for Mariner’s Mile, symbolic Main Street in the heart of our coastal town along scenic Newport Bay.  We believe that the community should be actively involved in future developments along Mariner’s Mile.  

The Coalition to Protect Mariner’s Mile is pro-development and supports projects that are compatible with the abutting residential communities of Newport Heights/Cliff Haven, Bayshores and Lido Isle. Lido Marina Village is an excellent example of what is possible. Seaside towns from Seal Beach to Del Mar are two vehicle lanes; most beach communities have transformed Pacific Coast Highway into a walk-able village by calming traffic, reducing speeds, enhancing safety, widening sidewalks and bike lanes. Mariner’s Mile should be transformed into a village akin to Corona Del Mar and Laguna Beach.

Our Goals

  • Prevent the widening of West Coast Highway (PCH)
  • Improve “underperforming” areas to retain our casual bayside character and prevent overly massive buildings that eliminate views of both the harbor and the bluff
  • Discourage transportation policies and traffic engineering practices which promote increased traffic volumes and speeds
  • Shape our vision of Mariner’s Mile by speaking out in favor of smart, thoughtful development which fits against the bluff without visually overwhelming it
  • Discourage added density in the proposed Avon Village area to protect residents’ quality of life and small town feel

  • Protect our neighborhoods 
    • There are approximately 1,900 family homes in the unique neighborhoods adjacent to Mariner’s Mile
    • The neighborhoods above the bluff are home to three schools with approximately 4,300 students along with several daycare centers.  The proposed flow-through traffic puts our children at risk
  • Because the City Council is scheduled to embark on an update to the General Plan within the next few months, insist that the Mariner’s Mile planning be folded into that comprehensive document, and be postponed until then
The Safety of Our Children Is Key

Children traveling on bikes from the peninsula and surrounding neighborhoods to Newport Heights Elementary, Horace Ensign and Newport Harbor High School should not be subject to crossing a major six-lane highway. This stretch of PCH is a unique commercial corridor that services approximately 1,900 adjacent residences. The City recognizes that there is nothing like this in the entire county in which three schools housing 4,300 students are all located within 1/3 of a mile of each other. Within this area there are 3,100 children leaving school campus within 15 minutes of each other. There are concerns about pedestrian connections, crosswalks, very few sidewalks, drivers running stop signs, cut-through traffic from PCH.

Nearby Public and Private Schools within a mile from Pacific Coast Highway:

  • Hoag Child Care Center – One Hoag Drive
  • Nobis Preschool – Newport Heights
  • Newport Heights Elementary – Newport Heights
  • Horace Ensign Middle School – Newport Heights
  • Newport Harbor High School – Newport Heights
  • OCC Sailing and Seamanship School – PCH
  • David A. Grant Collegiate Rowing School -PCH
  • Chapman University Rowing School – PCH
  • Boy Scouts Sea Base – PCH
  • Bright Horizons Preschool
  • ENC Preschool
  • St. Andrews Preschool

 

Six-Lane Highways are NOT a safe for Pedestrians and Bicyclists

The top five most dangerous intersections in Newport Beach are currently six lane highways*

  • Jamboree/Bristol, MacArthur/San Joaquin Hills 
  • MacArthur/Bonita Canyon 
  • Civic Center Newport Center Drive 
  • San Miguel/Avocado

          *source OC Register

Let's Maintain the Integrity of the Heart of our Bayside Town

Rerouting traffic through to Avon, Tustin and Riverside infringes on the peace and the safety of the Newport Heights and Cliffhaven neighborhoods. The proposed parking structures that would be erected adjacent to the surrounding neighborhoods would be noisy for residents and a potential source for light pollution. Changes to this area with its surrounding neighborhoods of Bayshores, Castaways, Cliffhaven, and Newport Heights, should come from a collaborative effort that promotes our vision, and includes the property owners, the business owners and the residents. 
 
Mariner’s Mile should retain its eclectic coastal town vibe along our beautiful harbor. PCH should not be a raceway or a motor corridor for commuter traffic, and should not be turned into an alternate route for the 405 freeway. It should remain the historic, slow scenic route.

Opportunity Overview

Mariner’s Mile is the Main Street and Gateway Destination along the tranquil bay and heart of our charming coastal community. 
 
Mariner’s Mile is our beach town’s “Main Street,” providing access to the waterfront and beaches.  It services our schools, neighborhoods, business districts, hospital buildings, and post offices.  Mariner’s Mile is endowed with a waterfront that houses a large number of private boats. This gives Mariner’s Mile the physical and visual presence of a vibrant waterfront, and creates unique opportunities for marine-oriented businesses and public and private access for all to enjoy. 
 
For our vision to become reality, the Newport Beach City Council and the Planning Commission must use the General Plan Update process to work with the stakeholders (Caltrans, Property Owners, Local Merchants, and Residents) to build a genuine and lasting community consensus to guide the future of Mariner’s Mile.  Without a clear vision guiding the transformation of Mariner’s Mile, ongoing efforts will continue to be suboptimal and disappointing.
 
As part of Newport Beach’s General Plan Process, we need a comprehensive and compelling vision that presents the desired outcome to enhance and revitalize Mariner’s Mile.  The Coalition to Protect Mariner’s Mile supports development that meets our vision and is guided by our core values.  The framework must meet design and style guidelines that will enhance the waterfront, not obstruct it with excessive mass, density and height.  
 
The City has also recognized that Pacific Coast Highway and the proposed expansion of PCH require further evaluation.  A speedway through the heart of our town is not safe for our children or community.  West Coast Highway should remain as it is now with NO new vehicle lanes. Future development within Mariners’ Mile must enhance the waterfront and our community’s quality of life, retain street parking, and further its transformation into a friendly village that attracts pedestrians and bicyclists.
 
The future of Newport Beach should be determined by the citywide General Plan and be founded upon community consensus to guide the future of the City and Mariners’ Mile.  Preserving and enhancing the quality of life described here by the Coalition must be foremost in all decisions made throughout the General Plan Update process.  The City’s authority and jurisdiction comes from the citizens; therefore, the City is accountable to the residents.  Accordingly, community safety, quality of life, and the community’s well being are the most important and dominant factors in guiding all decisions.

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