The Newport Beach City Council is holding its regular meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 26, starting at 4 p.m. at the Council Chambers. During the meeting, council will appoint William Lobdell as the inaugural Newport Beach City Historian Laureate, consider an appeal on behalf of Save Our Sports Park for a 27-unit townhome project and announce Sept. 5 as International Literacy Day, among other items for discussion.
Check out the full meeting agenda here.
On July 3, the Newport Beach Planning Commission approved a major site development review for a 27-unit townhome project on an undeveloped and unaddressed property located near the southeast corner of the MacArthur Boulevard and Bonita Canyon Drive intersection. Less than two weeks later, an appeal was filed for the project, which would be situated northeast of a City of Newport Beach-owned trail and the parking lot for the Bonita Canyon Sports Park.
Those in support of the project say it creates needed housing in the community, and addresses the state housing crisis, while those opposed say there is a lack of compatibility with the surrounding neighborhood, as well as a potential for traffic spill over, inadequate vehicular access and lack of public noticing.
At its May 27 meeting, the Newport Beach City Council established a volunteer, historian laureate position, with Mayor Joe Stapleton appointed himself and Councilmember Robyn Grant to serve on an ad hoc committee tasked with considering qualified applicants. Lobdell was selected to serve as the city’s historian laureate. Lobdell has lived in Newport Beach since 2015, and previously served as a writer and editor for the Daily Pilot and the Los Angeles Times. He launched the podcast “Newport Beach in the Rearview Mirror” in 2021.
In the role, Lobdell will interpret past events in the city and provide narratives and presentations when required. The role is a four-year volunteer position with no term limits.
