Commission OKs Balboa Island condo ban

The Newport Beach Planning Commission took steps Thursday to once again ban condominium development in the residential areas of Balboa and Little Balboa islands.

Commissioners voted 4-0 to reinstate a zoning code amendment that prohibits condos. Commissioners Tim Brown and Raymond Lawler were absent. Commission Chairman Larry Tucker, who owns a home on Balboa Island, recused himself from the vote.

The City Council amended Newport Beach’s zoning code in 1997 to prohibit such development on both islands because it felt condos were inconsistent with lot sizes and the historical pattern of development, according to a city staff report.

However, when the zoning codes were updated in 2010, the construction prohibition was inadvertently omitted, city staff said.

There is currently one condominium, which was built in 1997 with two units, on Balboa Island. Generally, residences on the islands consist of one primary home on a parcel of land and, often, the addition of a small apartment.

“It’s important to preserve the unique character of Balboa Island,” Vice Chairman Kory Kramer said before the vote. “Having condominiums would not be aligned with the notion of preservation and the obvious density issues.”

The City Council will consider the commission’s recommendation at a future meeting before it is implemented.