The Newport Beach City Council is set to decide on October 13 whether to grant voluntary development rights to Eagle Four Partners, the company operating the Newport Beach Country Club, for a proposed 78-home housing community.
The project, named Fairway Three, could bring up to 78 multimillion-dollar homes to the northeastern edge of the 128-acre Newport Beach Country Club. The proposed development would occupy 2.2 acres, overlooking Hole 3 of the private golf course. Residents of the potential community would also be within walking distance of Fashion Island and Newport Center, Orange County’s financial hub.
While the council's approval would provide Eagle Four Partners with the certainty and the option to build the homes within five years, it would not directly approve construction. City staff have clarified that the company would still need to complete the entitlement and building process after receiving the development rights. Eagle Four Partners, listed as the applicant in staff reports, has not yet submitted detailed housing plans or named any building partners.
The Newport Beach Planning Commission previously recommended the project last month following a September 17 hearing. During that hearing, Planning Commissioner Mark Rosene expressed support, stating, "from my perspective it works."
Eagle Four Partners is a Newport Beach-based real estate development company with a portfolio that includes the Ritz-Carlton Residences in Newport Beach, Pendry Newport Beach, Vea Newport Beach, Balboa Bay Resort & Club, and the Paséa Hotel & Spa in Huntington Beach. Golf Realty Fund LP is listed as the property owner for the proposed Fairway Three site.
If all 78 homes are built, the development could generate significant revenue for the city. City staff indicate that Eagle Four Partners would pay the city $128,205 for each home constructed, potentially totaling almost $10 million.
The proposal comes as Newport Beach addresses its state-mandated Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) of 4,845 new units, which also includes a requirement for affordable housing. Eagle Four Partners views the project as an opportunity to build homes in one of Orange County’s most expensive residential markets.
However, the project has drawn criticism for not including affordable housing. Newport Beach Director of Community Development Jaime Murillo confirmed that Fairway Three is not subject to an inclusionary housing requirement, meaning Eagle Four Partners would not be required to designate a portion of the units as affordable housing. Kevin Martin, a partner at Eagle Four Partners, noted the company has contributed to affordable housing on other Newport Beach projects, including a payment to an affordable housing fund for its Ritz-Carlton Residences development. Martin stated he could not yet speak specifically to whether a similar arrangement would apply to Fairway Three.
The homes are expected to fetch multimillion-dollar prices. Reports on Housing indicate the median home sale price in Newport Beach last month was $3.2 million. Nearby condominiums in the guard-gated Granville community, which also overlook the Newport Beach Country Club, have sold for approximately $2.6 million to $5 million this year, according to recent sales records.
