Here are some items the council will...

Here are some items the council will consider Tuesday.

COAST HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENTS

At long last, the city will improve medians and add landscaping

along Pacific Coast Highway in Corona del Mar. Area businesses have

been pushing to refurbish that stretch of the road for some time, but

restrictive state standards made it slow going until Caltrans signed

that piece of highway over to the city in October.

If the council grants a construction contract Tuesday, the medians

between MacArthur Boulevard and Poppy Avenue that are now simply

painted will become raised concrete ones with landscaping and trees.

The project will cost about $806,000, with the Corona del Mar

Business Improvement District kicking in about $300,000.

WHAT TO EXPECT

While City Council members have kept an eye on costs for the

project, they have generally been supportive of the highway

improvement efforts, so they’ll probably approve the contract. Work

will begin within a month, and lane closures during construction will

likely cause traffic delays, though work won’t go on during peak

driving hours.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Staff members recommend approving the contract, and the council

likely will to ensure it maintains a valid dredging permit.

SEMENIUK SLOUGH STUDY

The Semeniuk Slough, a remnant of the previous alignment of the

Santa Ana River near Newport Shores, fills with silt over time and

needs periodic dredging. The city began a study more than a year ago

to see what’s in the slough, and now staff members are recommending

further study to find out how dredging can get done and how to pay

for it. An option is a partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of

Engineers. The proposed contract with Noble Consultants of Irvine is

for $20,000.

WHAT TO EXPECT

The preliminary study said it’s likely federal funds could be

obtained for a project in cooperation with the corps, so the council

will probably pursue that option.

DREDGING PERMIT APPLICATION

The city holds a blanket dredging permit it uses to allow

individual dock owners to dredge up to 1,000 cubic yards of material

for dock maintenance. That permit lasts five years, with the current

permit set to expire in July. The council will consider a $350,000

contract with Weston Solutions, a Carlsbad firm that will study

sediment from the harbor and help the city apply for a new permit.

-- Alicia Robinson