Newport Beach voters may have the chance to wipe out a surf park project if a petition submitted to City Hall this week qualifies for the November 2026 ballot.
Steve Vickers, a referendum proponent, turned over more than 9,500 signatures to the Newport Beach City Clerk’s office on Dec. 4 in hopes of forcing a citywide vote on the development, which would replace the central grounds of the Newport Beach Golf Course with an artificial wave pool.
The Orange County Registrar of Voters is currently reviewing the signatures to see if at least 6,100 are valid, the requisite number for the ballot measure’s going forward.
The Newport Beach City Council unanimously approved the 15-acre, 10-million-gallon surf park on Oct. 28 during a packed council meeting.
“The City Council once again proved they are tone deaf by approving the financially speculative wave pool project,” argued Benny Hallock, a volunteer chair of the group Save Newport Beach Golf Course. “Nearly 2,000 City Council comments were submitted, and hundreds attended the meeting, knowing the fix was in.”
The Snug Harbor Surf Park has driven a wedge in the community, with opposition to the project having grown since a rally in July drew hundreds to preserve the golf facility.
Opponents argue the golf course property is the sole affordable option for the sport in the city and a lifeline for organizations that host fundraisers at the venue.
Supporters claim the surf park will help train surfers when beach conditions a few miles away are not optimal.
Before approving the project, the City Council voted to bypass the Orange County Airport Land Use Commission’s concerns about the project being in John Wayne Airport’s flight path.
In the lead-up to the vote, the city also sent a cease-and-desist letter to the American Legion Newport Harbor Post 291, as some members of a group affiliated with the organization, including Hallock, had used their titles in public opposition to the project.
In a Save Newport Beach Golf Course press release, Hallock cited both instances as ones where Newport Beach officials “put their thumb on the scale.”
Proponents of the petition claim a coalition of residents, small business owners, veterans, golfers, environmentalists and surfers worked hard to collect thousands of signatures within 30 days amid inclement weather and the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.
The effort also received donations from more than 145 contributors, though it is unclear at this time who may be financially backing the ballot petition.
Hallock told The Pilot his coalition wants the ballot measure scheduled for next November’s general election, as opposed to conducting a costly special election months earlier.
“The November 2026 general election is the most cost effective for Newport’s taxpayers,” Hallock added.
Newport Beach Mayor Lauren Kleiman, appointed to the position during a council reorganization meeting Tuesday, did not comment for this story.
If the Registrar certifies enough valid signatures, council members could either repeal their approval of the surf park or schedule the ballot measure for a citywide vote.
Next November, Newport Beach voters will already be deciding a referendum on whether to reverse course on a council-approved housing plan, after petitioners in that effort gathered a sufficient number of valid signatures.