Corona del Mar Today: Crews move boulders to make way for home
Crews began loading boulders from the sands of Little Corona Beach onto trucks and hauling them away Thursday morning.
The effort is part of an agreement between a Corona del Mar couple and the California Coastal Commission.
The removal was expected to cost about $100,000, homeowner Jerrod Blandino said in an interview last summer.
In July, the Coastal Commission granted a permit for a new home to be built in Shore Cliffs, on the bluff above Little Corona.
The project involves demolition of a 3,530 square-foot single-family home and replacing it with a 12,364 square-foot, two-level, single-family home with a semi-subterranean basement and a 2,621-square-foot subterranean garage. There also will be a 501-square-foot detached guest house.
The boulders, which were placed at the beach near the tide pools in 1982, also would be removed, according to a Coastal Commission staff report.
Commission staff requested the removal, the homeowners said.
The couple was required to obtain a Newport Beach encroachment permit and to schedule the work between Labor and Memorial days.
Beginning about 7 a.m. Thursday, construction equipment was on the beach, scooping up the rocks and moving them onto the beach path to waiting trucks near the Little Corona restrooms. A worker was on the beach with an orange flag, making sure beach visitors were out of the way of the equipment as it moved from the beach path to the sand.
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Should small dogs get their own space?
The city of Newport Beach is asking residents if they think small dogs should have their own play area within the Civic Center’s dog park.
An online survey asks just one question: Would you be in favor of having a separate fenced-off area for small dogs to play at the Civic Center Dog Park? The survey includes links to maps as well as a space for comments.
The plan includes a fenced-off area for small dogs at the northern end of the park with a separate double-gate entry and a water fountain.
The survey will be live for two weeks; to participate visit https://www.connectnewportbeach.com/proposed-small-dog-area-at-the-civic-center-dog-park.
The dog park opened in spring 2013, and some owners quickly complained that small dogs had to mingle with larger dogs, and city staff also had to add nets to the fencing to keep small dogs from escaping.
That summer, City Manager Dave Kiff said that staff was considering carving out a space for small dogs within the park.
In December, the Parks, Beaches & Recreation Commission created an ad hoc committee to consider adding dog parks to other areas of the city.
The dog park is located between Avocado Avenue and MacArthur Boulevard, just north of San Miguel Drive. It is open daily from 7 a.m. to dusk, except on Wednesdays, when it opens at 9 a.m. for maintenance.
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Restaurant, smoke shop opening
A tobacco shop and a new restaurant are set to open in a shopping center in the 3600 block of East Coast Highway, according to signs in the windows.
The tobacco and accessories smoke shop will replace Ivviva, which closed in December 2013.
The restaurant will replace Bohemia, a clothing boutique that closed last summer.
A sign has been added to the shopping center, indicating that the new restaurant will be called Damasq Cafe. A banner hanging from the roof shows food items, including gyro meat, falafel and kabobs. The restaurant will be located next to Chronic Tacos.
A search of the city of Newport Beach’s online business license records did not yet show licenses issued for either new business.
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Cleaners moves to Irvine
The Al Phillips dry cleaning business at 2934 East Coast Highway has closed.
Signs in the window said the business has relocated to 2636 Dupont Drive in Irvine because “we lost our lease.”
A manager did not return a call seeking additional information about the closure.
Corona del Mar Today appears Sundays in the Daily Pilot. Read daily updates at coronadelmartoday.com.