Newport Hills plan update emphasizes neighborhood center, nature connections; council moves to adopt

The City Council on Sept. 16 directed staff to prepare ordinances to adopt an updated Newport Neighborhood Area Plan that the planning commission recommended after a year of engagement. Planning Commission Chair Khanh Lu summarized the commission's work: "The planning commission recommends a comprehensive plan amendment for the Newport neighborhood area plan and related changes." Chair Lu and staff emphasized that the neighborhood update focused on public‑realm priorities and did not itself change land‑use designations; they noted that code and zoning efforts (including the separate HOma/Houma initiative mentioned in testimony) proceed through other processes. Staff said the Newport plan reflects differing subareas within Newport — Newport Hills, Newport Shores and Greenwich Crest — and centers policy attention on the Newport Hills Shopping Center as the commercial core. Planning manager Kate Nesse said the plan adds policies to support the neighborhood center, preserve walkable links to parks and trails, support schools as community gathering assets and address congestion and pedestrian connections. Residents raised concerns in oral communications about outreach accuracy and data used in the plan. Faye Ho (spoke as Faye Howe in public comments) said the plan's claim that 80% of homes in Newport are owner‑occupied was incorrect for her block and urged council to return the plan to commission to correct data and add policies to track investor ownership and unpermitted rentals. Staff responded that demographic tables use American Community Survey figures and offered to update figures; staff and commission said they accommodated additional review time during the process to address community questions. The planning commission and staff emphasized that the neighborhood plan’s policies are intended to guide public‑realm investments and neighborhood priorities. Council directed staff to prepare the ordinance and the general documenting ordinance for final action as part of the 2025 comprehensive plan amendments.