Corona del Mar Today: No action taken on proposal to add grates to tree wells

A $300,000 price tag has stalled a proposal to add metal grates around Corona del Mar’s business district tree wells.

Newport Beach Mayor Ed Selich proposed installing the grates at the January meeting of the Corona del Mar Business Improvement District, citing years of wasted effort and money to keep plants alive in the wells.

But the village has nearly 180 tree wells, all different sizes, said board member Scott Laidlaw at a district meeting Thursday.

Custom grates would cost more than $300,000, he said.

Instead, the board will continue to look for alternatives, including planting deer grass or rosemary, which have thrived in some tree wells.

Dogs using the plants as toilets were the biggest plant killers, Laidlaw said.

The group also discussed adding a row of bricks around the tree wells to reduce trampling by pedestrians.

Selich said bricks surround the tree wells on Balboa Island, where artificial grass is used, but that tree roots upend the bricks and create tripping hazards.

The district board took no action on tree-well improvements and will continue to discuss options at future meetings.

Chairman Bernie Svalstad said after the meeting that he never thought metal grates were the best solution.

“They get weeds and cigarette butts stuck inside,” he said.

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Section of Marguerite to be closed next week

A city repaving project will close Marguerite Avenue from Bayside Drive to Seaview Avenue from Tuesday to March 8, according to the Newport Beach city website.

The intersection at Bayside and Marguerite will remain open, the website states.

The work is part of the Ocean Boulevard and Marguerite Avenue Pavement Reconstruction Project.

City officials recommend that motorists use alternate routes. A full street closure is required during construction, the city website states.

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Orchesis Dance Co. tickets on sale

Tickets are on sale for the biggest dance event of the year for the Corona del Mar High School’s Orchesis Dance Co.

The spring show, “Dancing Over the Rainbow,” will take place March 5, 6 and 7 at Newport Harbor High School’s Loats Theater, 600 Irvine Ave.

Online tickets cost $17.

Tickets are selling for $15 at the school’s quad during lunch and break times and at the ASB window from Friday through March 6.

Tickets also will be available at the door for $20, although organizers say the shows typically sell out. All seats are general admission, and organizers suggest arriving early.

The doors will open at 6:30 p.m. with the show beginning at 7 p.m.

The annual spring show this year will have a “Wizard of Oz” theme. The show is the biggest event of the year for the dancers, who also perform at school rallies, football and basketball games and other events, including the HALO Dance for Autism Show.

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Christmas Walk beer garden could be expanded

The Corona del Mar Chamber of Commerce has been meeting with city and police officials to explore ways to expand the beer garden at the annual Christmas Walk and add a V.I.P. lounge for Champagne toasts at the Scenic 5K finish line.

Traditionally, the Christmas Walk’s beer garden is located in the parking lot area near Bandera restaurant, where 21-and-older crowds cram into a fenced-off space.

“We want more of a civilized and upscale beer garden,” said Linda Leonhard, president of the Corona del Mar Chamber of Commerce, which organizes the annual event.

A private area, perhaps sponsored by a winery, also could be featured within the beer garden, she said.

Leonhard described her vision to the Corona del Mar Business Improvement District board at its meeting Thursday. She said she also had talked with Newport Beach Police Chief Jay Johnson about a month ago.

The expanded beer garden could be in the same general location, but she hoped to have permission to close a stretch of Bayside Drive between Marguerite and Larkspur avenues.

Other changes could include designating parking lots with specific themes during the walk, possibly a children’s area or a classic car area, she said. The designated areas could help the walk draw sponsors and increase revenue, she said. The 2015 Christmas Walk is scheduled for Dec. 6.

The Scenic 5K, held each June, also could be updated.

“Instead of ending up in Restaurant Row,” she said, “there could be a lounge at the finish line where you could celebrate with a Champagne toast.” The lounge also could feature beer and wine and live entertainment.

During race registration, participants could pay an extra fee for access to the V.I.P. lounge, she said.

“There seems to be a trend with this in a lot of races,” she said.

Leonhard said she planned to follow up with the police chief this week.

Corona del Mar Today appears Sundays in the Daily Pilot. Read daily updates at coronadelmartoday.com.