A Newport Beach parking lot near Goldenrod and Fifth avenues will be closed for repaving on June 8 and 15 — causing Harbor View Elementary School Principal Charlene Metoyer to warn parents to make other parking arrangements those days. The last day of school is June 22.
The lot, which has 11 marked spots including two spots for vehicles with disabled placards, typically is overflowing during Harbor View Elementary School’s drop off and pick up times.
Metoyer told parents at a Parent Faculty Organization meeting on Thursday morning that city officials left her a telephone message with information about the repaving and said they would begin work at 8:30 a.m., after school begins.
Some parents asked why the work could not be done in summer, when fewer cars would be trying to access the area.
“I think it’s really stupid,” said parent Mindy Froehlich. “It’s challenging enough to drop off the kids without losing those spaces.”
The project is part of the city’s annual street slurry seal project that has been ongoing in Corona del Mar this spring, said Tara Finnigan, a Newport Beach city spokeswoman, in an email.
“In response to the timing question, we have a large amount of ongoing infrastructure work – occurring throughout the city – and that truly requires us to work year-round,” her email said. “Slurry seal projects do create some inconvenience, but the upside (?) is that it’s temporary and only requires a street, lane or parking lot to be closed for a short period – usually a few hours during the day.”
City staff will work with the contractor to try to accommodate both morning drop off and afternoon pickup at the school, she said.
The parking lot is near tennis courts that are part of Grant Howald Park and is not a Newport-Mesa Unified School District lot, although it is commonly used for overflow parking during school hours.
