CORONA DEL MAR TODAY

China Cove Volleyball Court Installed Today

China Cove beach volleyball players — without a court for more than a year — soon will be able to hit the sand following construction that began today.

Newport Beach crews were at the beach this morning with earth moving equipment, leveling out the court location, and the poles were sitting nearby ready to go in, sources said.

Players will need to bring their own net and take it down at the end of play, and hours will be restricted.

Volleyball players have used the beach since the 1980s, but when poles broke and players asked the city for permission to relocate it, staff discovered the court did not have a permit. The city’s Parks, Beaches and Recreation Commission held hearings, and eventually the Coastal Commission heard testimony.

Some neighbors against the court said that players were noisy and careless with the balls, and that they drank alcohol and used nearby yards for bathrooms. In February, the Coastal Commission tabled the issue after a lawyer raised claims about compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act.

Players said they behaved appropriately, and that they enjoyed the location because the beach is sheltered, and the court is less crowded than those at Big Corona Beach. Finally in March, Coastal Commissioners voted to approve the court.

Read our earlier stories here, here and here.

Photo courtesy of Kathy Temple Vrebalovich.