Newport Beach's Planning Commission has unanimously recommended a development agreement for Eagle Four Partners' proposed Fairway Three project at the Newport Beach Country Club. The City Council could hold its first hearing as soon as its scheduled Oct. 13 meeting, followed by a possible second reading two weeks later, according to the Los Angeles Times.
What the agreement would do
The agreement would give Eagle Four five years of vested development rights on the 128.5-acre country club property. The developer has committed to 78 homes in the site's northeastern area, while considering another portion at the golf course's northwestern corner for possible housing later. No construction plans have been submitted for either area. The city identified two portions of the property as housing opportunity sites in 2024, according to the Times.
The agreement would not settle the design or approval of any later project. Mark Rosene said the applicant is reserving the 78 units under the current arrangement, while city staff told commissioners that a future housing proposal would still need Planning Commission review, the Los Angeles Times reported.
How the unit count fits the housing plan
City staff tied the 78-unit commitment to the broader housing capacity planned for Newport Center. Newport Beach's state-approved Housing Element assigns 2,439 of the city's 4,845-unit obligation for 2021 through 2029 to the Newport Center focus area, while staff used an overall Newport Center ceiling of roughly 2,500 homes in explaining the project number. The broader state planning framework is described in CEQA records and a review of the city's housing plan by OC Real Estate. The project-specific explanation and staff discussion were reported by the Los Angeles Times.
Fees and affordable housing
Required park and development impact fees are estimated at about $6.5 million. The agreement would also permit negotiations over as much as $3.3 million in additional public-benefit fees, according to the Times.
The current draft contains no commitment to affordable units. A reference to an affordable-housing condition appeared in an earlier version but was later removed. Jim Mosher, a Newport Beach resident and former City Council candidate, objected during the commission review that the draft did not ensure progress toward the city's affordable-housing obligations, the Los Angeles Times reported. Shawna Schaffner, representing Eagle Four, supported sending the agreement to the council.
Wider political backdrop
The proposal arrives while Newport Beach continues to contest how much housing its state obligations should accommodate. An Orange County Superior Court judge upheld the city's 6th Cycle Housing Element in June 2025 after two challenges sought to invalidate it, according to OC Real Estate. Still Protecting Our Newport had separately sued over alleged violations of Charter Section 423.
A Responsible Housing Initiative is also listed for the Nov. 3 ballot. The measure would seek to limit the city's General Plan housing allocations to state-mandated minimums, according to Hoodline. The council's consideration of the Fairway Three agreement will determine whether the country club proposal advances beyond the commission recommendation.
