Santa Ana Hts. PAC Information

Community Horse Arena  cost estimate $250K

This arena idea has been tossed around for as long as I can remember, but it started to take shape in about 2000 and we have been working on it since. Making slow progress as we work our way through the bureaucratic process. Be sure and look at the archive links above for history on this project.
Here is the latest update.....

Dave Kiff reports that costs incurred and billed within this period are $24,549.20 and include more detailed design, engineering and environmental permitting costs than initially expected. This project has not yet been approved by the Coastal Commission.

Keeton Kreitzer is currently acting as overall project manager to oversee the Arena project through the City's approval process and, subsequently, the CDP through the Coastal Commission process. He will be meeting with Rosalinh to discus the next steps to complete the plan preparation and environmental review process before proceeding to the Coastal Commission.

City Staff and Contracted Engineers met with the resources agencies last month. Based on that meeting, the City will be preparing a "mini" Resource Management Plan (RMP) to specifically address the proposed equestrian facilities because a portion of the site is located within the Orange County Nature Preserve designated area. Such facilities, as it currently stands, are not addressed in the State's and/or County's planning program for the area. As a result, we will update the environmental document to address the RMP and re circulate the proposed MND before proceeding to the Newport Beach Planning Commission and City Council.

Once the project is approved, we will proceed with the CDP approval process with the Coastal Commission. Once Keeton has met with Rosalinh to discuss the changes to the scope of work and project management responsibilities. They will also embark on the preparation of the RMP. After it is established who will prepare the RMP and the timing of that document, a revised schedule will be prepared.

George Berger reports: "We have received and are processing through the ten comment letters received from agencies and individuals from the Draft Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration. Among others, we received letters from the California Coastal Commission, and the California Department of Fish & Game; staff from the latter agency requested an extension of the comment period so that they could meet with our project team. Essentially, work on the project has been delayed a bit so we can accommodate their request. That meeting will be held at the end of next week. Following the meeting with CDF&G staff, we will amend the schedule and put it up on the City's website."

Blue Prints and Maps of the Equestrian Arena Area were displayed at the Back Bay Equestrians General Meeting on July 10, 2007 (thank you to George Berger at the city of Newport for providing these documents) The BBE Board is currently drafting an operations plan and a manure maintenance plan for the arenas to be submitted to the City of Newport for approval. Discussion of a few arena rules and regulations are also being considered. The BBE is looking for a club member that would like to volunteer as the Facility Coordinator once the arenas are complete.

The BBE is expected to play a very important part in the maintenance, operation and overall use of the facility. The club is very grateful to the city of Newport and the County of Orange for the opportunity to do so. Working on this project has been a pleasure and a privilege for the BBE Board members and the PAC Arena Sub-Committee. Richard Moriarty is now a member of the Equestrian Sub Committee:

Per George Berger at the City of Newport Beach the arena project's draft environmental document (the initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration) that was prepared in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) should be ready to go out on June 11, 2007.

The city has received and incorporated a number of comments from the County's flood Control District. The Flood Control District has done an excellent job of coordinating opinions and comments from a number of agencies within the county system. We all appreciate their ongoing efforts to support the project.

in February there was a meeting with the Coastal Commission staff. Keeton Kreitzer, Mark McKeehan and George Berger met with Commission staff Fernie Sy and Karl Schwing; they outlined the project using the conceptual grading (Fuscoe) and landscape (Pederson) plans and the current aerial photo of the area site. George also gave staff copies of Dave Pederson's revised landscape plan that incorporates the plant palette changes provided by Coastal Commission field staffer Matt Yurko.
the next step is to review once again the lapsed (2000) Coastal Development Permit (CDP) to ensure we've accommodated all the conditions we can meet ahead of time, and finish the CEQA documents. We're scheduling a second meeting with the OC Flood Control District staff to go over what are (on the basis of our positive initial meeting with the CCC) the final concept plans, and to try to get a draft City/County agreement started. Then it's on to the City approval process, the County approval process, and finally to the Coastal Commission for hearing and approval. In the meantime, we will be drafting operating and maintenance agreements. At about the time of the Coastal Commission hearing, we'll be working the Public Works Department into the mix, so they can begin drafting the construction bid package.

Mario Mainero suggests Then Dave Kiff and the City Attorney should draft a City/County agreement that provides for the funding of the construction of the horse arena.