<b>BREAKING NEWS:</b> LAFCO postpones Newport-Mesa annexation issues

A decision on Newport Beach/Costa Mesa annexation issues today was postponed until July by the Orange County Local Agency Formation Commission. The two cities have been haggling for years over several unincorporated areas that abut them both, namely the largely undeveloped Banning Ranch.

The commission, which decides annexation issues, heard a sweeping proposal from Orange County Supervisor John Moorlach that would give Costa Mesa control of Talbert Regional Park, turn over the county-owned portion of the Upper Newport Bay to Newport Beach, and annex unincorporated areas to the cities. But 412-acre Banning Ranch has been a sticking point, and officials will talk about how much of it each city would get before the commission’s July meeting.

Costa Mesa officials were pleased with the proposal, but it’s unclear whether Newport and some of the residents in the unincorporated areas will support it.