Save Newport Real News in Newport Beach
Many readers are aware of the longstanding of the Public Dock on the mainland side of the channel by the harbor entrance. The dock has historically allowed 72 hour dinghy docking.
As we reported back in 2019, the then-newly-appointed Lt. Corn decreased the hours of the dock– not by a legal vote, but by his own personal declaration– from 72 hours to just 20 minutes. Since being installed as Harbor Master, Lt Corn has chipped away at public access, reducing public parking lot access by his own decree (not by a vote), public dock use, public dinghy parking, ADA Access, and temporary guest visitor docking.
Now, it appears that by closing the visitor dock, he is pushing the public dock limits even further, implementing policies that could very well remove the Newport Beach Lifeguard boats from the publicly-owned docks closest to the harbor mouth by converting their slips into “visitor slips”– the same types of visitor slips that Lt Corn has limited use of in the past.
The changes being requested by Lt Corn will not just reduce the public dock hours, but actually eliminate the public dock entirely, reducing coastal access for visitors to our harbor and to our beaches. (See CCC letter to OCSD, here)
Ideally, the California Coastal Commission will uphold its task of maximizing coastal access to our beaches, harbor, and ocean, and restore this area to what it is legally zoned as.
If you want your voice heard, please email SouthCoast@coastal.ca.gov using this reference in your subject line – Public Comment on March 2021 Agenda Item Wednesday 12a.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO DO THIS IMMEDIATELY, AS THE DEADLINE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT IS TODAY, FRIDAY MARCH 5th, at 5pm
