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INSIDE COASTAL REAL ESTATE GUIDE
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INSIDE COASTAL REAL ESTATE GUIDE
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City of Newport Beach and Newport Beach Library Foundation Break Ground on Lecture Hall

( L to R ) Newport Beach Mayor Pro Tem Joe Stapleton , City Council Members Brad Avery , Robyn Grant , Noah Blom , Lauren Kleiman , and Erik Weigand break ground on the new Library Lecture Hall . Photo courtesy of City of Newport Beach .
By Christopher Trela | NB Indy Let the lectures commence ! Well , not quite yet , but the City of Newport Beach took the first step in building a new Library Lecture Hall when City Officials and the Newport Beach Public Library Foundation hosted a groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday , Feb . 27 at the Central Library on Avocado Avenue to kick off construction

Newport Beach City Manager Update

Grace Leung , Newport Beach City Manager of the lecture hall .
Members of the Newport Beach City Council were there , shovels in hand , to symbolically turn the dirt where the new Lecture Hall will be built adjacent to the main library .
The Lecture Hall , which will be named Witte Hall in recognition of a donation from Bill Witte and Keiko Sakamoto , is reported to cost $ 23.4 million and is
By Grace Leung , Newport Beach City Manager
After many years of drought , our second year of healthy rainfall is a welcomed relief .
Orange County has recorded more than 15 inches of rainfall this season ( since July 1 , the beginning of the water year ), compared to an average of about 13 inches .
The Orange County Water District reports that it successfully captured 25,500 acre-feet of water as of mid-February , being financed through a cost-sharing agreement between the City and the Foundation .
According to information from the city of Newport Beach , the 9,814-squarefoot building is designed to complement the existing Central Library and City Hall architecture and will include tiered ,
LECTURE HALL Page 6
equivalent to 8.3 billion gallons , which is enough water for 204,000 people for a year . This remarkable feat is accomplished through a network of percolation basins , pumps , inflatable dams , and management of assets such as the Prado Dam .
Orange County ’ s groundwater system is a vital resource for Newport Beach and surrounding cities . The amount of water Newport Beach draws from the groundwater basin is increasing to 85
CITY MANAGER Page 10
MARCH 1 , 2024 | VOLUME XVI , ISSUE 05

Newport Beach Has a Lot in Store for 2024

By Joe Stapleton , Newport Beach Mayor Pro Tem
My main priority as Mayor Pro Tem of Newport Beach is to maintain and improve the quality of life that Newport Beach has provided for all of us .
I recently traveled to Washington , D . C . with our city ’ s Public Works Director , Dave Webb . We met with our federal representatives to discuss coastal resiliency , harbor dredging , sand replenishment , and bolstering anti-sand erosion projects .
I also met with representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency , Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water , the Army Corps , and others . This was part of the city ’ s efforts to shore up federal support to protect our coastal areas .
We have also prioritized rehabilitating or replacing aging public infrastructure and facilities with new improvements to better serve the needs of our community . This includes encouraging private redevelopment and undergrounding our overhead utilities , such as electric lines .
We are also improving our tidelands management , including enhancing our boating and visitor-supporting facilities along the coast . Water safety and personal

the

INDYPOLL

THIS WEEK ’ S QUESTION :
This year marks the 35th anniversary of the Pacific Symphony ’ s Music Director , Carl St . Clair .
Do you plan on attending a concert this special season ?
� Yes
� No
2024 Page 6

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Compass is a real estate broker licensed by the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws . License Number 01991628 . All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only and is compiled from sources deemed reliable but has not been verified . Changes in price , condition , sale or withdrawal may be made without notice . No statement is made as to accuracy of any description . All measurements and square footage are approximate . If your property is currently listed for sale this is not a solicitation .