Fire pits approved in Newport Beach, but not at Corona del Mar

A last-minute hitch has kept the debate over wood-burning fire pits in Newport Beach flickering. The California Coastal Commission Thursday approved the city's proposal to permanently allow a mix of 40 wood and charcoal pits at two coastal locations, but delayed acting on the proposal's recommendations for Corona del Mar State Beach after the state parks department raised objections. 

The Commission had been poised to approve the entire plan, which includes 16 wood and eight charcoal fire rings at Corona del Mar. But officials with the California Department of State Parks, which owns that beach, sent two letters to the commission within the last two days maintaining that the city of Newport Beach must first seek State Parks' permission to change any fire rings at Corona del Mar.

"First, and most importantly, [Department of Parks and Recreation] does not agree that the Coastal Commission has the authority to permit or dictate the operation and management of fire rings available for public use at DPR designated state beaches in California,"  State Parks Central Sector Superintendent for the Orange Coast District Todd Lewis wrote to the Commission on Tuesday.

Although he supported reinstating wood-burning fire rings at Corona del Mar, Lewis opposed the proposal's requirements that the fire rings be free to the public, first come, first served. He said state parks officials should maintain the right to make changes to the fire rings as needed.

The Commission Thursday postponed action on the Corona del Mar rings for at least 90 days.

While the state owns the beach, the city oversees the parking and lifeguard services and manages the concession stand at Corona del Mar.

Newport Beach City Manager David Kiff told the Commission he would work with State Parks to come to some type of agreement within the next three months.

"This has been a long process," he said. "We are here today with a project that I think has the approval of almost every group that has weighed in on this."

A map of Newport Beach's proposed plan for fire rings at Corona del Mar State Beach, submitted along with the permit application to the California Coastal Commission.

The Coastal Commission approved the recommendations to have 15 fire rings - eight charcoal and seven wood - will sit east of the Balboa Pier. On the other side of the pier, there will be 17 fire rings, eight charcoal and nine wood.

Four more wood fire rings will be added to the Newport Dune Resort and Marine site for a total of eight rings.

Newport Beach also committed to hiring a Fire Rings Ambassadors team to warn beachgoers who are burning the wrong types of fuel. Repeat offenders could be subject to fines. 

Under a rule issued by the South Coast Air Quality Management District, the wood fire rings must be spaced at least 100 feet from each other if they are within 700 feet of homes.

The debate over whether to get rid of wood-burning fire rings at Newport Beach has gone on for three years, ever since residents along the coastline first complained in 2012 of smoke filling their homes at night. 

"Wood burning is bad for public health and the environment," Corona del Mar resident Barbara Peters said at Thursday’s Coastal Commission meeting.

Some locals said the rule requiring greater spacing among wood rings has pushed some of the pits too close to their homes. 

But others, like Newport Beach resident T.J. Fuentes, told the Commission that keeping the wood-burning rings maintains a low-cost Southern California beach tradition.

"It’s a tradition I grew up with," he said. "I look forward to sharing it with my daughter and hopefully my next child."

A couple of the commissioners said they had health concerns about smoke from the fire rings but said the Coastal Commission’s hands were tied. Air quality and health issues are not part of the commission’s jurisdiction; they're the responsibility of the South Coast Air Quality Management District, said Commissioner Mary Shallenberger, who voted for the fire rings plan.

"We cannot overrule the AQMD," she said. "Do I like it? No, I personally do not but I will support it because I believe it is consistent with what the AQMD did."

At the request of one of the commissioners, the Newport Beach City Manager Dave Kiff said he would ask the AQMD to set up air quality monitors on the beach to gather data over several years on the smoke from the fire rings.

Once the Coastal Commission signs off on the overall plan,  the Newport Beach city council will need to give its stamp of approval.