Residents have always been able to ask for evaluation of content and appeal those evaluations, but a formalized process to do so was not set in place until January of this year. The first hearing comes on April 15.
Approvals for the project went through in a tight 4-3 vote of the City Council in January. The total cost of the lecture hall, $23.4 million, will be split between the city and the Newport Beach Public Library Foundation.
The space, once inhabited by Bistro Express, is about 600 square feet and is more meant for warming or prepackaged food. It has been vacant since April last year.