More trees headed to Corona del Mar
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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.
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