The group will meet one more time before handing over the report to the City Council, where it will likely be discussed in an April study session.

The report includes a proposed meeting between police and bicycle advocates. “A concern of cyclists is that motorists are unaware of cyclists’ rights and that in the case of conflict or accidents the police are not as sensitive to the cyclists as they might be,” the report states.

It also asks that the city establish a policy requiring bike racks for all public development, and add more “Share the Road” signs throughout the community.

At the Monday meeting, task force members also discussed how specific the report’s recommendations should be, or whether the report should leave room for city staff to apply its own research.

“I feel heartbroken as I read this,” said member Frank Peters, referring to the section on sharrows, or marked lanes where motorists and cyclists must share the roadway. “Why does it not read Corona del Mar?” Peters reminded the group that in the first meeting where the group discussed sharrows, they agreed that Corona del Mar would be a good test location; read our story here.)

The group discussed why the city staff might prefer a test of the sharrows lanes in another part of town, which led to more discussion about whether any of Corona del Mar’s cycling safety issues would be addressed as result of the task force’s work.

“There are really perceived safety issues for Corona del Mar,” Councilwoman Leslie Daigle agreed. “Cyclists do think, ‘Oh no, I have to ride through Corona del Mar…’”

City staff will have budget restraints as well as the legal considerations, making it impossible to force sharrows or any other changes in a specific area like Corona del Mar, the group decided. They then agreed to ask the City Council to implement the suggestions within one year.

City Councilwoman Nancy Gardner, who sought the creation of the task force in response to a bicyclist’s death last summer, told the group not to be discouraged. “I know it’s frustrating, but by taking this measured approach, I think we have a much better chance of getting buy-in” from other council members, she said. “The council, hopefully, will say this is a priority.”

The final task force meeting will be 4:30 p.m. March 22 in the Council Chambers at 3300 Newport Blvd.; the public is welcome.

Firefighters had a waterflow alarm call at 9:50 p.m., said Jennifer Schulz, a Newport Beach Fire Department spokeswoman. When firefighters arrived on scene at 21161 Newport Coast Drive, sprinklers were activated in the business and light smoke was coming from the roof. Firefighters entered the shops and found smoke but no flames, but firefighters on the roof discovered flames and quickly extinguished them, Schulz said.

Five retail spaces had water and smoke damage, she said, adding that the sprinklers significantly helped prevent the fire from spreading. A total of 28 firefighters from Newport Beach, Costa Mesa and the Orange County Fire Authority responded as well as Newport Beach Police units, Schulz said. No injuries were reported.

On Tuesday morning, clean-up crews were at the scene, removing debris and setting up big fans. The damaged businesses include the Bellagio Spa and Pink Laundry, near the Bank of America branch. The space occupied by the now-closed Fiore Flowers also was damaged.

Top photo courtesy of the Newport Beach Fire Department.

On March 4, teachers, parents, students and administrators throughout the state wore blue, handed out fliers and rallied to protest “against the state budget cuts that are destroying the future for a generation of students and the future of California,” according to the district’s agenda for tonight’s meeting. The resolution also states that investing in public education is essential to the future of this state and that it is “crucial to find a solution to ongoing and long-term assaults on public education funding.”

Read the entire resolution by clicking on the district’s website’s agenda for tonight here. Read our stories from last week’s protesthere and here.

The Board of Education also will present employee Super Star Awards, including award to Kristin Botta, a fourth-grade teacher at Harbor View, and Brandon Fischer, a math teacher and student government advisor at Corona del Mar High School.

The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at 2985 Bear Street in Costa Mesa and is open to the public.

“I feel really bad about doing it,” said owner Karmela Stimac. “I was hoping I could turn it around, but the rent is much too high.”

The shop at 2711 East Coast Highway opened 11 years ago. A sign in the window announces a moving sale, with items up to 75 percent off.

Siena Interiors will continue as a design business, Stimac said. She hopes to relocate to an office on Newport Center Drive, where she will focus on working with private clients.

In other police news, a 41-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of disorderly conduct at 1:22 p.m. Friday at East Coast Highway and Heliotrope Avenue. The man, who said he was transient, also had a Long Beach warrant. His bail was set at $15,000.

At 3:15 a.m. Saturday, a 22-year-old Huntington Beach man was arrested in the 3700 block of Ocean Boulevard on suspicion of DUI, records state. He also had a warrant, and his bail was set at $15,000.

At 12:26 a.m. Friday, police arrested a 43-year-old Dana Point man on suspicion of DUI at East Coast Highway and Cameo Shores Road; his bail was set at $2500. And at the same location at 2:10 a.m. Saturday, police arrested a 36-year-old Las Vegas man on suspicion of possession of narcotics; his bail was set at $20,000.

The Carnation Avenue construction is a continuation a project that includes repaving streets and fixing deteriorated concrete, curbs and gutters, as well as removing and reconstructing sidewalks. Begonia and Acacia avenues are included in the project.

Contractors have completed most of the work on curbs, sidewalks, gutters and ramps along Carnation Avenue, but they are now ready to repave, which will close all but one lane. That lane will remain open to detour cars from Bayside Drive, which also has three lanes closed because of a county sewer project. (Read our story here.)

Traffic from East Coast Highway to Bayside Drive will be detoured along Second Avenue to Heliotrope Avenue.

City officials said that street sweeping parking enforcement is suspended until the project is completed, which should be next month. More information and a map can be found here.

Newport Beach officials delayed another project — planting palm trees in Corona del Mar medians — because that project also would close lanes on East Coast Highway; that project will take place in late April or May when the other projects in the village are complete.

The Newport Coast Drive lane closures will be to allow the Irvine Ranch Water District to being a corrosion projection project between Coast Highway and the 73. Crews will be working on a 10-year-old pipeline that is suffering from numerous water leaks because of unexpectedly early corrosion, officials said. The work will be done in segments, with the right lanes and bike lanes generally being closed, they said.