Hello Back Bayers, Happy Monday.

We would like to request the owners of the white Duffy boat currently parked on the sand bar near Pearson’s Port to please relocate before next low tide, the Newport Bay Conservancy is sharpening their pitchforks. This kind of thing used to only happen in Long Beach. Ready or not, the summer is here (and so are the crowds), and we are planning ahead for 4th of July celebrations, it’s going to be a big one.

To our new readers—welcome! The Back Bay Buzz delivers just the right amount of news and events for locals in Newport Beach and Costa Mesa. No crime, no politics, no spam—just the good stuff. We scan newspapers, blogs, social media, business journals, and Google alerts so you don’t have to.

In today’s Buzz:

— Jon Dougher, Publisher, Back Bay Buzz

Which townhomes on Dover, you ask? Yes. While two proposed projects replace aging medical buildings with multi-unit townhomes on Dover Drive, they are entirely separate developments—and both appear to be moving forward. The older 601 Dover Dr. proposal by Shea Homes was already approved by the Planning Commission in a 4–1 vote this past February. Despite residents raising heavy concerns about "perilous illegal U-turns" and a morning traffic bottleneck "in conjunction with drop-off traffic from Ensign Intermediate School," commissioners ultimately lauded the developer's design restraint. Local support also helped carry it through, with residents noting the existing building had "aged poorly" and that the community desperately needs starter homes because it is otherwise "impossible for young families to move back home to Newport Beach". The residents of St. James Place are understandably upset.

Now, the spotlight shifts to the newer Westcliff at Dover project at 1501 16th St.. This distinct 30-unit proposal by D.R. Horton features traditional Cape Cod-style architecture, a maximum height of 44 feet with rooftop decks, and handles all vehicular access via 16th Street. While it has garnered 44 letters of support, it faces unique pushback from the neighboring Environmental Nature Center (ENC) over privacy, noise, and ecological impacts. In response, the developer has already adjusted plans to remove certain balconies and expand landscaping buffers along the ENC boundary. The Planning Commission is scheduled to host a public hearing on this newer 16th Street location on June 18, 2026.

🌊 Water temp = 68º (if true, this would be the highest recorded water temp on this date on record)
Suit Rec: Spring suit 3/2

Thanks! Please ignore any typos, our editor got a Blackstone as an early Father’s Day present and wont stop griddling.

PS: Feel free to let me know any feedback or inside scoops you have for the newsletter. Just reply to this email, I read every one. Thanks!