Santa Ana Heights

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The Santa Ana Heights Community

Santa Ana Heights is an area roughly bounded by Upper Newport Bay to the south, Santa Ana Avenue to the west, Bristol Street to the north, and the Bayview Terrace area (near the Marriott Suites) to the east. Santa Ana Heights was annexed to the city of Newport Beach in two segments – the area east of Irvine Avenue came into the city in January of 2002 and the area west of Irvine Avenue came in on January 1, 2008.

Much of Santa Ana Heights has special zoning standards within a Specific Plan and is within a redevelopment project area. The County of Orange formed this project area long before it was annexed into Newport Beach in an attempt to eliminate or limit “blight” in the area, in large part caused by noise from aircraft at John Wayne Airport. The County remains in charge of administering the redevelopment project area and retains property tax increment to fund bond repayments associated with local infrastructure projects and to repay the County’s 1994 bankruptcy debt. The Santa Ana Heights Project Advisory Committee (SAHPAC) offers advice to the Orange County Board of Supervisors as to uses of the project area funds. For more information about the administration of the redevelopment project area, please contact Jeff Kirkpatrick of the County's Community Services Department at (714) 480-2727 or jeff.kirkpatrick@hcs.ocgov.com.

The City of Newport Beach works with SAHPAC and the community to help the County accomplish projects using redevelopment funds. The City and County worked cooperatively to purchase and build the Santa Ana Heights Fire Station (at the corner of Acacia and Mesa) and to purchase and develop the Mesa-Birch Park (at the corner of Mesa and Birch). A large utility undergrounding project (UUD #19) is underway which would place most utility lines (cable TV and electrical) underground along Cypress Avenue and Mesa Drive. Most funding for the undergrounding project comes from redevelopment agency dollars, although residents will have to fund the connections from their homes to the street hook-ups.

The following documents and links relate to Santa Ana Heights:
Map of the Santa Ana Heights Project Area
Map of the Santa Ana Heights Specific Plan Area
Underground Utility District 19

For more information, please call 949-644-3002 or e-mail dkiff@newportbeachca.gov.

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