Newport Beach Commission Meeting - June 5, 2025: Easton's Beach Resiliency Presentation
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Newport Beach Commission Meeting - June 5, 2025: Easton's Beach Resiliency Presentation
The Newport Beach Commission met on June 5, 2025, at 10:00 AM, with Chair Mark Fitzgerald presiding. Five of eight members were present, achieving quorum. The meeting centered on a detailed presentation from city staff and consultants on the Easton's Beach Resiliency Study, which included scientific data, modeling, building assessments, and public engagement results. The commission also approved the previous meeting's minutes and heard updates on beach operations.
Consent Calendar
- The minutes from the May meeting were reviewed, a motion was made to accept, and they were unanimously approved.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Michael Wilson, a Newport resident, suggested exploring the use of sunken structures similar to those deployed in Normandy as a barrier to reduce erosion. He acknowledged that analysis would be needed to determine the effect on Rhode Island Sound, which faces south rather than north.
Discussion Items
The primary item was a presentation on the Easton's Beach Resiliency Study, phase II, led by Teresa Crean (Department of Sustainability and Resiliency) and consultant Beth Kimsey (Fuss & O'Neill). They outlined:
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Project Timeline and Approach: Phase I (2022) concluded the landform is at extreme risk and new permanent structures are not feasible until the landform is stabilized via dynamic, nature-based solutions. Phase II aims to design a resilient beach system using science-based analysis. Key upcoming dates: public workshops June 16–18 (walkshop and visioning sessions) and a virtual final presentation on June 30 (6–8 PM).
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Coastal Data and Modeling (Woods Hole Group): Brittany Hoffnagel and Kirk Bosma presented field surveys and modeling results.
- Topographic and bathymetric surveys, sediment grain size (well-sorted fine sand), and ADCP wave measurements were collected from October 2024.
- No eelgrass was found; shellfish (Atlantic surf clams and other species) were present.
- Long-term shoreline change (85 years) shows slight erosion (<0.25 ft/year), but short-term (21 years) indicates accelerated erosion.
- Wave transformation modeling shows waves approach from the south-southwest, aligning strongly shore-perpendicular. Wave heights are reduced by about 40% from offshore to nearshore. A large shoal in western Easton's Bay influences wave energy distribution.
- Alongshore sediment transport is very low (hundreds of cubic yards per year net) and predominantly eastward, making the site favorable for nature-based solutions. Cross-shore sediment transport during storms is the dominant erosive force; a 2-year storm causes splash-over onto Memorial Boulevard, and a 10-year storm could undermine the parking lot.
- The validated model will be used to test performance of proposed dune and beach nourishment designs.
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Building Assessments (DBVW Architects): Martha Warenfels (via recorded message) reviewed:
- The carousel and snack bar were demolished in 2024 due to deterioration; the rotunda (1939) is preserved.
- A 2022 master plan for replacement buildings was estimated at $35 million and not advanced.
- The bathhouses are deteriorated due to poor drainage on the concrete deck; the deck needs repitching, requiring removal of the bathhouses. Immediate rotunda repairs (roof, windows, masonry, electrical, plumbing, elevator) are estimated at $3 million, excluding interior fit-out.
- Future design options will explore fewer or movable buildings and dune configurations.
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Public Engagement Results: Beth Kimsey presented survey data from over 700 respondents.
- Top priorities: public restrooms (critical), walking, preserving natural beauty, and sustainable facilities.
- Most respondents drive; parking availability and cost were key access concerns.
- Open responses indicate love for the beach as-is but desire for better concessions, restrooms, and water quality, paired with resilience improvements.
- A public listening session (January) identified core themes: addressing environmental challenges, keeping the beach accessible, a cautious approach to permanent structures, seasonal/movable amenities, and improved multimodal connectivity.
- Differing views emerged between hard vs. soft solutions and level of development.
Key Outcomes
- The commission approved the May meeting minutes.
- The presentation was informational; no formal vote was taken. The data and modeling will inform the upcoming public workshops.
- Next steps:
- June 16: Walkshop at Easton's Beach (time not specified) followed by visioning session at Innovate Newport (6–8 PM).
- June 17–18: Easton's Beach Resilience Committee check-in meetings (8–9 AM on the 17th, 12–1 PM on the 18th, hybrid).
- June 18: Design open house (half presentation, half feedback).
- June 30: Virtual final workshop presentation (6–8 PM).
- Dave (beach manager) reported a successful beach opening and clarified the new resident free parking policy: Newport residents with a City Hall parking sticker can park for free in lots 1 and 3 year-round. Enforcement scans license plates; residents do not need to use the kiosk or app at the beach. Non-resident permits remain available.
- The meeting adjourned after brief discussion.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening, everyone. Welcome to the June 4th meeting of the Newport Beach Commission. My name is Mark Fitzgerald. I'm the current chair. By surveying the bench here, I see that we have five of our eight members, so I believe we have achieved a quorum. The meeting minutes of last month's meeting have been distributed amongst the membership. Does anyone have any questions, comments, or concerns about them? Would anyone care to make a motion to accept? Motion to accept. Any other discussion? All those in favor? May meeting minutes accepted. We have a presentation this evening from Teresa Crean from the Department of Sustainability and Resiliency. And she is going to be presenting with our consultants from DBVW and their partners on data gathered about Easton's Beach and its environs. Due to the length of time they need and the amount of data, we're going to cut our usual business meeting short and move it to the end of the meeting so we can jump right into the data presentation. So with that, I will ask Ms. Theresa Crean to take over. Great. Thank you, Chair Fitzgerald, and welcome everyone from the city. We also have Director Bill Riccio and City Manager Colin Kennedy in the room tonight for this presentation. We all this is the first of several events that are taking place in the month of June for the Easton's Beach planning for a resilient future. There is a schedule of events that we have as a handout. If anybody wants to take this home, and if you want to just snap the QR code, you can do that too and get a link to the events this um this month. So this is our kickoff. Um we're doing a information session tonight, as uh Chair Fitzgerald said with our consultant team. We are patching in our other consultants through WebEx, so we will have them uh you know speaking into the room in a few minutes. Um but this is meant to be the set the stage and give you all an update on where we are with the project, what work has been completed to date, and really do our homework and understanding what we need to know to go into a series of public sessions that are scheduled for June 16th, 17th, and 18th. And we have those um events again all summarized here. If you're on the city's um news uh newsletter circulation, you've received this in your inbox from the city's newsletter called Currents, and um we encourage you to attend all of those sessions on the 16th, 17th, and 18th, and then we'll have a final workshop presentation on Monday, June 30th from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. And that is fully virtual, so you can sit at home with your cup of coffee and enjoy it from home. Um so with that, I we have a lot to get through tonight. So I would like to introduce um our consultants, DBBW and Beth Kimsey will lead us on that conversation. Thank you. Thank you, Teresa, and thank you, Mr. Chair and members of the beach commission for having us here tonight. We are looking forward to presenting to you um nine months worth of work tonight. Um and as uh Teresa mentioned, we have a number of our team members who will be joining us remotely, and so we will try to move seamlessly through um all of those separate pieces of our presentation. I'm just gonna reopen my presentation here uh so that I can see the slides. I might want to take this quick second of something I forgot to mention. Um most of the team is virtual, they are not in the room here this evening. And is anyone who's ever been the victim of a teams meeting talking over each other? It doesn't really work out very well. So if anybody has any public comment or would like to ask a question, we have to go with old school of raising our hands and time permitting. We will address it if it is germane to the slides being presented, but just being able to speak out, you won't get anywhere because it's we have to cancel each other out in order for the recording session to work. So again, if you have anything that you would like to bring up, I'd please ask you to wait till the end of the presentation. We will then have some QA and please just follow the raising your hand to uh to make a public comment. Thank you. Yeah, and and uh Chair Fitzgerald, one more comment. We are recording this session.
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