CORONA DEL MAR TODAY

From the Sincere to the Seriously Silly, CdM Improvement Ideas Discussed at B.I.D. Meeting

At the December Christmas Walk, Corona del Mar Business Improvement District leaders decided to try something new: Seeking public input on what improvements are needed in town, using a giant map and offering passersby red Sharpies to make their marks.

The B.I.D. board had a brief discussion of the results at Thursday’s monthly meeting.

“There are some really interesting ones in there,” said Scott Palmer. “There are some that are obviously facetious.”

The serious ideas will be discussed at future meeting, with some clearly being more simply implemented than others. In all, dozens of suggestions were submitted during the Dec. 4 event.

One person suggested ashtrays be placed on street corners and in front of restaurants, which B.I.D. board member Bernie Svalstad was something the group may discuss at its next meeting.

Other suggestions that the group plans to discuss in upcoming months include creating a four-way crosswalk at East Coast Highway and Marguerite Avenue, where motorists would all have red lights so pedestrians could cross diagonally.

“That might be interesting, at least in the summer,” said Mayor Nancy Gardner.

Other ideas included making the Flower Streets one-way, planting California native plants in the center medians, adding bike sharrows, putting power lines underground, adding off-street parking structures and creating a run lane on Ocean Boulevard.

Amid the sincere input were suggestions that raised eyebrows and drew laughs, including “Porn shop on PCH between Poinsettia & Orchid,” “Need more fun allowed in Newport Beach,” “Water slide from Marigold to the beach” and “Wind and wave machine in the ocean so there is more surf.”

“People might have had a cocktail,” said Linda Leonhard, the Corona del Mar Chamber of Commerce president.

“People might have had several cocktails,” Svalstad said.

The board members said the effort was a success despite the joke responses, which were outnumbered by the serious ones. They also said that if they did maps at a future Christmas Walk or other event, they may have two: one for residential areas, and one for the commercial district.

To read more about the Christmas Walk maps, read our earlier stories here and here.