CdM Chamber To Host “5 Minute” Presentation Lunch
The Corona del Mar Chamber of Commerce will host a repeat of its popular “5 Minute Networking” luncheon on Tuesday Feb. 21.
The event allows six members to speak for five minutes each about their businesses during a three-course lunch. The speakers will be limited to the first six members who call or email the chamber to reserve their spot.
The event, to be held at Five Crowns Restaurant, will begin at 11:30 a.m. with check-in and networking opportunities followed by the lunch and program from noon to 1:15 p.m.
The cost is $25 for chamber members who reserve in advance and $30 for guests. Reservations are required, and the event is expected to sell out.
For more information or to reserve a spot, call (949) 673-4050.
Five Crowns is located at 3801 East Coast Highway.
Coastal Commission: Ocean Blvd. Home Would Be Too Tall, Too Unstable and Remove Too Much Bluff
A proposed home to built on Ocean Boulevard near Poppy Avenue would be too tall and big, would destroy coastal bluff, would be geologically unstable and could lead to more coastal bluff development, according to a Coastal Commission staff report.
The Coastal Commission will consider a permit for the home at 3725 Ocean Blvd. at a Feb. 8 meeting in Santa Cruz, according to the staff report included with the meeting’s online agenda.
John McInnes, the project’s architect, said he was “flabbergasted” by the report, which he said made little sense and which he planned to correct at the hearing next week.
The home passed through the Newport Beach Planning Commission unanimously in May, when many neighbors spoke in support of the project that would replace a 1950s home that was described as a blight on the area. The commissioners agreed to variances that would allow the home to exceed the curb height by 1 foot, 9 inches at the northerly corner and 3 feet 10 inches at the southerly corner and to exceed height restrictions that would not be have any view impact because they are on the hillside; read our story here.
The new home would be built on three levels plus a basement, with a two-car attached garage and decks. It would be be 7,354 square feet — 478 percent larger than the existing home, which the Coastal Commission staff report listed as only one of its many concerns.
“The proposed residence would result in development that extends 28-feet below the finished floor of the existing residence and require 2,750 cubic yards of grading…” the report states. Excavating more of the bluff face “would result in significant landform alteration,” the report states.
“The proposed residence would go down the bluff face 24-feet below the finished floor level of the adjacent residence to the north and would go down 11-feet more into the bluff face than the finished floor level of the adjacent residence to the south,” the report states. Also, the home would extend above the curb, making it too tall by Newport Beach codes and could lead to other projects being built above the curb and limiting public views.
The proposed house would encroach upon the bluff face, which could lead to other homes building on the bluff face, the report states.
“If allowed, such development would disrupt the existing development pattern, and begin to change the character of the community,” the report states. “Future proposals on surrounding lots may likely seek to expand their development footprint to cover more of the bluff face. Over time, these incremental impacts can have a significant cumulative adverse visual impact. If the proposed development were approved, and others like it were approved as well, the bluff along this area of Ocean Boulevard could eventually become a wall of buildings with little bluff face remaining visible, thus causing significant, cumulative adverse visual impacts since the site is visible from adjacent public vantages.”
The building site also is not stable and the project “does not minimize risks to life and property in areas of high geologic hazard, does not assure stability and structural integrity and creates or contribute significantly to erosion and geologic instability,” the report states.
The homeowners could remodel or rebuild the existing home, the staff report states, so it is consistent with the neighborhood and geologically stable.
McInnes said the staff report took information out of context, and that the site was “extremely stable.”
“I have never seen anything so bad” as this staff report, he said. “It makes us look bad, be we are consistent with the neighborhood. It makes you mad.”
The homeowner, Desmond Fischer, said he was in Europe handling personal affairs and would be unable to attend the hearing. He also said the staff report was “amazing.”
“I question who could have written such a report,” he said in a telephone interview this week. “Were they really qualified to write a staff report like that and make those conclusions? I think not. This doesn’t seem normal or fair, and I have to ask why?”
Obama to Visit Shore Cliffs in Private Event
President Barack Obama will visit a private Shore Cliffs home on Feb. 16, according to an invitation to the event.
“Obama for America invites you to join President Barack Obama for a breakfast with supporters like you in Corona del Mar,” the invitation states. Entrance to the breakfast costs $2,500 per person, with a $10,000 photo reception and breakfast option and a $35,800 “greet + breakfast” option.
The event is hosted by Jeff and Nancy Stack of Corona del Mar. Jeff Stack did not reply to emails and a telephone message seeking comment for this story.
The event begins at 7 a.m. with doors closing promptly at 8 a.m. because of security concerns, the invitation states.
Newport Beach police would work with Secret Service officials to coordinate the visit, but they had not been contacted about the event as of today, said Kathy Lowe, a Newport Beach Police Department spokeswoman. It was not known if, or when residents would be notified, about street closures or other security measures, she said.
Fire Map Meeting Scheduled for Feb. 9 at OASIS Center
The Newport Beach Fire Department will host a meeting at 7 p.m. Feb. 9 at the OASIS Senior Center to answer questions about the proposed adoption of Cal Fire’s Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps.
About 5,000 Newport Beach homes fall within the state’s Very High Fire Hazard Severity Map Zone, which includes homes along Buck Gully and Morning Canyon and stretches from Orchid down to Crystal Cove with most of Newport Coast also is included. If the maps are adopted, homeowners would face more intense scrutiny of fire hazards such as location of woodpiles, tree species, where trees are located and how many trees are clustered together as well as buffer zones for firefighters to access blazes. New construction also would face stricter regulation, and homeowners would have to disclose to future buyers that their houses fall within the Very High Fire Hazard area.
The Newport Beach City Council discussed the maps at a Jan. 24 Study Session meeting, but council members delayed a vote on adopting the proposed ordinance, saying it needed refinement as well as more public outreach; read our story here. The item will be on the Council’s Feb. 14 agenda.
The meeting at the OASIS Center will include an overview of the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone Map, as well as an opportunity for the audience to ask questions.
The new map can be viewed at the Newport Beach Fire Department Administration Office (Building D) located at 3300 Newport Blvd. or on the city’swebsite.
The OASIS Senior Center is located at Fifth and Marguerite avenues.
CdMHS Officials Seek Remedy to Seagulls Swarming Campus
Corona del Mar High School students walk through campus with books over their heads these days — trying to avoid being targeted by swarms of seagulls that have invaded the campus over the past few months.
“I got pooped on yesterday,” one student said today as she scurried across the quad between finals, shielding herself from dozens of birds flying overhead.
The birds have long been a nuisance on campus, particularly around lunch when they scramble for food scraps. But since October, the birds have become so pervasive and aggressive that school officials are working on finding a solution, Principal Tim Bryan told members of the PTA at a meeting this morning.
“They used to sort of sit up on the top of buildings and wait,” Bryan said. “The birds were getting aggressive and flying through the quad. It’s become a real problem. It’s a serious concern for me.
This week, he said, a bird flew alongside a teacher who was carrying a tray of food, hovering menacingly as she walked. “Now it’s actually a safety issue.”
The birds have not injured anyone, but they have created a mess. Students are regularly hit by bird droppings, and feathers litter the campus along with bird droppings on the pavement. Custodians can’t wash the droppings because the water drains to the bay, so they’ve had to wash each mess with a rigged device of a stick with a tennis ball on the end, doused in a cleaning solution.
“We were really grateful for the rain,” he said.
The birds apparently are nesting in the roof of the school’s gymnasium. The warmer weather has resulted in migration pattern changes, Bryan said, which is why there are more birds on campus then usual, all fighting for the same amount of food scraps.
School officials considered hiring a falconer to try to reduce the problem, but the expense and other concerns made that unfeasible, Bryan said. Currently, he said he and district officials are researching other remedies, including a sonic system that could frighten away the birds.
“At first it was sort of amusing,” he said. “But we really do not want the birds hanging out.”
No Bicycle Safety Committee Meeting Scheduled For February
The Newport Beach Bicycle Safety Committee will not be meeting Monday, city officials confirmed this week.
The committee usually meets the first Monday of each month. But the committee was officially sunsetted in December, and although the City Council voted in January to extend its tenure, members have not yet been named.
The deadline for applications was Friday, and the city has 20 applications for the seven positions, said Tara Finnigan, a Newport Beach city spokeswoman. Those applications include new ones, applications of current committee members and applications on file.
Interviews will be conducted on Feb. 8, nominations will take place on Feb. 28 and the appointments will be made March 13, she said.
Read our earlier story here.
Police Seek Suspect in CdM Bank Robbery
Police are seeking information about a man who robbed the Union Bank in Corona del Mar on Tuesday afternoon.
The man entered the bank at 2865 East Coast Highway about 4:45 p.m., according to a police statement. He approached the teller with a note and demanded the teller empty the money drawer, the statement said. He left the bank through the front door. Police did not disclose the amount of money stolen.
The man is described 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighing about 180 pounds, with long hair and a goatee. He was wearing a gray undershirt, a dark T-shirt and black sweatpants along with a gray and black striped beanie and black sunglasses.
Anyone with information regarding the suspect’s identity or whereabouts should call the Newport Beach Police Department at (800) 550-NBPD. If you wish to remain anonymous, you may call O.C. Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS or 1-855-847-6227, the statement said.
Photos courtesy of the Newport Beach Police Department.
CdM Library to Host “Destination Animals” Kids Program on Saturday
A free program designed to teach kids about exotic and native wildlife will be presented at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Corona del Mar Branch Library.
“Destination Animals” will be presented by Cheryl Rendes of the nonprofit Wonders of Wildlife, Inc. The program will let kids get up close to animals while teaching how they adapt and survive in their environment.
No reservations are necessary, and seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis. The program is funded by Friends of the Library.
For more information, call Corona del Mar Branch Library at (949) 644-3075. The branch is located at 420 Marigold Ave.
Commission to Discuss Fire Rings at Feb. 7 Meeting
The future of Newport Beach’s 60 beach fire rings once again will come up for discussion at a Feb. 7 meeting of the Parks, Beaches and Recreation Commission.
No agenda has been posted for the meeting and is expected to be available on Friday. But a public notice mailed to residents who live near the fire rings states that the Commission “discuss solutions related to beach fire ring issues and forward a recommendation to the City Council.”
The city’s website states that while many beachgoers like rings, their smoke can impact nearby residents’ and other beach visitors’ health, can cause injuries and lead to beach curfew violations.
The City Council discussed possibly removing beach fire rings in 2009 but tabled the issue because the public outcry was taking too much staff time at a point when budget constraints were beginning to become a major city issue; read our story here. However, in September, Mayor Nancy Gardner suggested that the PB&R Commission study the issue again, largely because of a claim filed against Huntington Beach after a boy was burned on a fire ring there; read our story here.
Three commissioners were named to a fire ring subcommittee, but that group never held a public meeting; read our story here. At that meeting, two members of the public tried to testify against fire rings but were cut off.
One subcommittee member has prepared a written report that is critical of fire rings, citing health concerns, air quality issues, mess and injuries.
A group on Facebook called Save the Big Corona Fire Pits!, which formed two years ago, currently has more than 1,800 members.
If the city decides to remove beach fire pits, they would need to coordinate with the California Coastal Commission, said Tara Finnigan, a Newport Beach spokeswoman.
“(I)f we remove, relocate, or limit access we would need to work with Coastal Commission,” she said in an email. Big Corona has 27 rings, and the Balboa Pier area has 33, she said.
The Feb. 7 meeting will be held in Council Chambers at City Hall at 3300 Newport Blvd. The public is welcome to attend and may make comments. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. The staff report is expected to be available on Friday when the agenda is posted.
Five Restaurants Vie For Big Corona Beach Concessions Business
Five restaurants submitted applications for the Big Corona State Beach concessions business, and city officials say they are hopeful that one of them will be selected this week.
The five applications were from Babe’s Cafe, Beach Snack Bar, The Porthole, Rooster Cafe and Zack’s Beach Concessions and Catering. Four of the five proposers interviewed with city staff on Friday, said Tara Finnigan, a city spokeswoman.
“I hope we will have a selection by the end of this week / early next so a lease can be negotiated and the item can go to Council in February,” Finnigan said in an email.
The Big Corona snack stand has been vacant since November 2010, when the Fuji Grill closed. At the time, the owner said the bad economy and increased parking rates made it impossible for him to run a profitable business; read our story here.
The applications were not made available to the public. But one applicant, Ali Zadeh, owner of the Port Restaurant and Bar in Corona del Mar, said he would name the snack bar The Porthole and offer year-round service with seasonal menus that would include breakfasts of burritos, egg dishes, pastries, French toast and more; and lunches of salads, gourmet hot dogs, deli sandwiches, burgers and Mediterranean appetizers and grilled kabobs. The restaurant also would sell coffee drinks, smoothies and shakes.
He also would offer catering services, kid’s party options and an on-beach concierge service to provide information for out of town visitors, he said. Zadeh announced his application at a meeting last week of the Corona del Mar Business Improvement District board. Everything would cost less than $12, he said.
Last year, the city issued an request for proposals that yielded only one application, which the city declined to accept; read our stories here and here. The stand was empty, but over the summer, the city arranged for a variety of food trucks to be at the beach to serve refreshments; read more here, here and here.
When the city issued its latest RFP for concessionaires, it said “time was of the essence” because they hoped to have a business in place by Memorial Day; read our story here.
