More trees headed to Corona del Mar

Mathis Winkler

CORONA DEL MAR -- East Coast Highway will soon be home to more than 90

additional trees after Caltrans approved the planting Thursday.

City officials had stored the trees -- king palm trees and Hong Kong

orchid trees -- since October and waited for the state agency’s go-ahead.

The planting should begin next week and be completed by the end of

June, said Don Glasgow, who chairs the village’s business improvement

district.

Glasgow added that the highway has never been lined by more than 100

trees. Together with 100 specimens that have already been planted over

the past two years, East Coast Highway will soon get close to the 200

mark.

The trees form part of Vision 2004, a redesign project for Corona del

Mar’s centennial in 2004.

In addition to linear parks along street medians, park benches and

water fountains, the plan calls for a repaving of the highway and the

replacement of Caltrans-style street lights with nicer-looking models.

Village leaders hope the project will create a more

pedestrian-oriented atmosphere and turn the business district into a

shopping and dining destination.

While Vision 2004 supporters, such as Ed Selich, who also chairs the

city’s Planning Commission, originally came up with the idea after ficus

trees had been removed from the side of the highway, the city must take

control of East Coast Highway from the California Department of

Transportation in order to make the changes.

Negotiations with Caltrans officials over how much money the city will

receive as a result of taking over maintenance responsibilities will take

place before June, when the California Transportation Commission will

hold a public hearing to make its decision regarding the proposal.

Caltrans officials have said they would prefer a complete

relinquishment of the highway throughout the city or at least up to

Newport Boulevard. City Council members, who still have concerns over the

financing of the $12-million project, oppose that idea, and Vision 2004

supporters have said they hope to convince the commission to just hand

over the Corona del Mar portion of East Coast Highway.