CORONA DEL MAR TODAY

City Attorney Studying Aerie Lawsuit

The City of Newport Beach will be able to defend itself against a lawsuit filed over the Aerie condominium project, according to a memo sent by the city attorney to several city officials.

The City Council voted 4-2 in July to approve the eight-unit luxury building, in spite of many neighbors and residents who said it was too big and would destroy valuable coastal bluff.

“The city’s action approving the project came after more than two years and 12 public hearings dealing with the project,” wrote David Hunt, the city attorney, in the memo. The project, he wrote, had undergone a full environmental review, and the developer had made modifications that minimized “to the point of insignificance” any environmental impact.

“The lawsuit claims the City failed to comply with the California Environmental Quality Act,” the memo states. “The lawsuit further alleges violations of the City’s general plan, municipal Code and coastal land use policies” and other local and state laws, it states.

The city attorney’s office will review the suit and make a recommendation to the City Council as to how to respond, the memo stated. The memo added that it did not appear that the city violated any laws in the Aerie decision, and it also stated that these types of suits typically move quickly.

The suit was filed by a group called Save Irreplaceable Landforms Coalition along with two Native American groups. It is unclear who is involved in the coalition, and at least one vocal proponent of the project has said she knows nothing about the lawsuit or the coalition.

Read more about the suit and the Aerie project here.