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Newport Beach council forms citizen advisory committee to re‑examine police‑headquarters sites amid heated public opposition to park plan
Summary
After extended public comment opposing a police headquarters on civic‑center parkland, council dissolved an assessment committee and approved a new advisory committee that will include three council members and four residents to review the civic center, Dove Street and Santa Barbara options and guide possible design and financing work.
The Newport Beach City Council on May 12 voted to dissolve the Police Headquarters Assessment Committee and form a new Police Headquarters Advisory Committee that will include three council members and four resident appointees to evaluate potential locations, costs and designs for a proposed new police headquarters.
Deputy City Manager Ben Zadiva told the council the advisory committee would assess feasibility, cost and design of the civic‑center campus and other candidate sites and report back to the council. Staff noted the council previously set aside $1.5 million for environmental studies at the civic‑center site; the advisory group would recommend next steps and could ask the council for additional funding if broader work were needed.
The item drew extensive public comment. Dozens of residents urged the council to remove civic‑center parkland from consideration and criticized the process as rushed or insufficiently transparent. "The overwhelming majority of city residents do not support this location," said Keith Curry, a public commenter, arguing the civic‑center option would be the most expensive, would destroy popular parkland and posed operational and environmental concerns.
Other speakers asked for a more open appointment process, suggested adding environmental and operations experts to the committee, and urged the council to consider multiple alternatives including dispersed substations. Council members amended the resolution on the dais to clarify the committee’s scope would include discussion, assessment and public input on multiple candidate sites and extended the applicant window for citizen members; the mayor will form an ad hoc selection panel and nominations will be confirmed by full council.
Council members said the revised committee is intended to "reset" the process and broaden public participation after strong community interest; the motion to create the advisory committee carried unanimously. Staff said notices will be posted, the mayor will assemble an ad hoc interview panel, and appointments will return to council for confirmation.
The advisory committee is charged with producing recommendations to council on site feasibility and design options; any new contract work or additional environmental study would require separate council authorization.
