Fenced-Off Public Land In Newport's Back Bay Sparks Tension

NEWPORT BEACH, CA — A chain-link fence that separates public land from an expansive bay-view property has become a point of heated conversation for Newport Beach residents, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The chain-link fence is located on a hill toward the Upper Newport Bay, where hikers, bikers and dog-walkers share a path that runs alongside the water. According to the LA Times, the entirety of the fenced-in property doesn't belong to its owner, Buck Johns, an energy executive who has been vying for the land for years.

Johns tried buying the plot from Orange County in 2019 and said that the parcel used to belong to him, Voice of OC reported. His request was eventually denied, the report said.

According to the report, the California Coastal Commission told the county that the fence should be removed so the public can access the space last month.

Roughly a third of an acre of the fenced-off parcel is public parkland, according to the LA Times. A group of about 40 Newport Beach residents decried the lack of access during a protest outside of Johns' home on Thursday.

“I walk by every day on a six-mile hike. I think these are beautiful public parklands, and it’s very unfortunate that part of it is fenced off. If we let it happen here, it’s going to happen in other places,” Newport Beach resident David Lumion told the LA Times.

To read more about the fenced-off public land in Newport Beach's Upper Newport Bay, view the full article on the Los Angeles Times.