Initiatives/Achievements
INITIATIVES AND ACHIEVEMENTS
Below are some of SPON’s initiatives and achievements since its inception in 1974:
1974 - SPON began by actively supporting the Friends of Newport Coast to save the coves between Newport and Laguna Beach from over development.
1975- SPON organized homeowners’ associations along the bay to devote one day a week to clean up trash.
1976- SPON asked the City of Newport Beach to form the Citizen’s Water Quality Committee which today is the Water Quality and Tidelands Committee.
1978 - SPON provided support for a park ordinance that was created by Dr. Gene Atherton. The ordinance required that five acres of park per thousand residents be established.
1980 - The City of Newport Beach sued the County of Orange to prevent expansion of the John Wayne Airport. This set the stage for the 1985 JWA Settlement Agreement.
1981 - SPON formed the Airport Working Group (AWG) to focus on a single issue: controlling airport growth. AWG is still actively working today to mitigate the growth and negative impacts from JWA.
1984- To prevent bay and harbor contamination, SPON worked to require holding tanks on all boats with heads, to increase the number of pump-out stations in the harbor, to require onshore bathrooms in all marinas, to limit the number of live-aboards on moorings, and to educate the public on pollution prevention.
1985- In response to residents’ growing concerns about airport noise, pollution and expansion threats, SPON joined with the City of Newport Beach and AWG and sued the County of Orange over the airport’s intrusion on the quality of life for Newport Beach citizens. As a result, the County entered into a Settlement Agreement that provided for, and continues to provide for nighttime curfew on flight departures, limits on average daily departures, and places a cap on the annual passengers allowed for commercial flights.
1986- With algae blooms turning many bay beaches an unwanted green, SPON tracked down the source, and then worked to convince the upstream nurseries to recycle their fertilizer laden runoff.
1988- SPON sued the City over their support to expand Newport Center. The result was the dedication of 80 acres of the Upper Newport Bay that surrounds the Muth Interpretive Center as protected land.
1990- SPON formed Friends of the Bay that became the Newport Bay Conservancy to obtain and preserve open space.
1993- SPON’s initiative to purchase Castaways, Newport North and Bayshore Landing qualified for the ballot (Measure A). While it failed to pass, the effort resulted in the Irvine Company giving Castaways Park to the City in exchange for development rights.
2004- SPON worked to gather enough signatures to defeat Measure L - a hotel where Marina Park currently sits.
2005- Members of SPON joined with Friends of the Harbor, Beaches and Parks to begin the Green Vision Project. This project identifies key pieces of land in Orange County that could be candidates for wildlife access and open space for recreation.
2006- SPON provided significant input to the Newport Beach Local Coastal Plan during the development stages.
2009- SPON sponsored the creation of Jan’s Wildflower Meadow which was planted in honor of Dr. Jan Vandersloot.
2013- SPON played a major role in raising funds for the Environmental Nature Center
2015- SPON provided two matching grants to help inform the public about the importance of preserving Banning Ranch, the last open space along the Orange County coast.
2020- SPON supported the California Coastal Commission regarding its mandate to remove illegal private property encroachments on public land on Balboa Peninsula beaches.
2022- SPON took a “NO” position on Measure B (a directly elected mayor) and played a major role in the defeat of this measure.
2023- SPON is currently working towards the formation of the Newport Beach Housing Trust. The trust is being formed with generous support from Eagle Four Partners and Lyon Living. Both local companies are in the hospitality and housing businesses. When complete the trust will help with the financing of affordable housing in Newport Beach.
