Time to get involved in general plan

A large part of this paper's mission ? perhaps obviously enough ? is covering the community's two city halls. And the nuts and bolts of that coverage involves sitting through a lot of meetings. Our reporters do it routinely. Editors do it occasionally (and have done it a bunch in the past). And we can report that frequently these meetings are excruciating. There is minute detail. There are cranky residents who repeat the same argument over and over and over again.

A lot of what is said is in city jargon that's fairly unintelligible.

And so we understand why more people don't go to more meetings more often. But there are meetings coming up in the next two months in Newport Beach that residents should get to, despite the fact that the meetings are on a subject more prone to bureaucratic jargon and painful minutia than most.

In fact, residents should go precisely because of the meetings' topic: the city's general plan update.

For three years, city leaders have been working on updating the city's general plan ? its guide for development and growth ? and they are now in the final stages, hoping to get the plan before voters in November. At 6:30 p.m. on May 18 and June 8, the planning commission will be going through the proposal. At 7 p.m. on May 23 and June 13 and 27, the City Council will be doing the same. Both will be meeting in the council chambers at City Hall, 3300 Newport Blvd.

Everyone should try to attend at least one of these meetings.

Of particular interest right now is the city's attempt to trim the amount of traffic that the updated plan would allow. Proposed changes include reducing housing numbers in Newport Center and changing development standards in parts of Balboa Island, Balboa Peninsula, Corona del Mar and West Newport so only one home could be on a lot, down from the two now allowed.

That's potentially a huge change. It certainly sounds like one that could rile residents.

If so, it would be far better to hear concerns now, when tweaks can be made, than after the plan is signed, sealed and delivered to voters in November. Even if it means sitting through a boring meeting.