Balboa Village businesses feeling construction pinch

June Casagrande

BALBOA VILLAGE -- Businesses suffering because of construction work

may find that city solutions are too little too late.

Local officials are looking for ways to ease the burden on shops along

Balboa Boulevard where sidewalks are torn up, parking spaces are taken

away and access to stores is blocked off. The work, which began in

November, is just the first phase of a three-phase project to improve and

beautify the small commercial area.

But like most improvements, the benefits won’t come until after

sacrifices that, for some, could be too much to bear.

“We’re really suffering here,” said Maggie Allison, co-owner of Balboa

Market.

Her store is at the intersection of Balboa Boulevard and Washington

Street, where a new storm drain and water main are being installed. Crews

have sometimes blocked off access to her parking lot altogether, she

said.

“Two days before Thanksgiving, I had customers who wanted to come

here, who wanted to buy turkeys and other things, calling me saying, ‘How

do I get in there?”’ she said.

City officials have been meeting with area merchants to find ways to

help the businesses deal with the parking, access and other problems

caused by work crews. A sign has been installed on Balboa Boulevard

announcing that businesses are open during construction. Also, about 100

of the 310 parking spaces at Balboa Pier that were taken for work have

now been restored.

Officials are considering adding more signs and finding more parking

solutions, but everyone acknowledges that work will continue to be a

bother until it’s over.

“Any construction project is going to cause some problems,” said City

Councilman Tod Ridgeway, whose district includes Balboa Village.

At the next City Council meeting, the staff plans to offer more

solutions for helping the businesses.

“In the two-block area where I am, they haven’t done any work yet at

all, but they already took all the parking away,” said Yvonne Mithrush,

owner of Mithrush Fashions. “They’ve got so much blocked off and so many

restrictions that people just give up and don’t come.”

The first phase of the construction project is the most complex --

replacing roadway and constructing new sidewalks.

Because funding is not secured for the final phases of the project,

estimated at $7.5 million, it’s unclear when all work will be finished.

When it is, there will be new lighting and sewers and rebuilt restrooms

at the base of the Balboa Pier. Parking spaces on Balboa Boulevard in

Balboa Village are off limits until May 2002.

* June Casagrande covers Newport Beach. She may be reached at (949)

574-4232 or by e-mail at o7 june.casagrande@latimes.comf7 .