City advances on buying Coast Highway stretch

June Casagrande

A deal with Caltrans that would let the city take over a portion of

Coast Highway in Corona del Mar is one step closer, but still months

away from being formally inked.

City and Caltrans officials met Wednesday to negotiate the price

the transportation agency should pay Newport Beach to cover costs of

maintaining a roughly three-mile stretch of Coast Highway between

Jamboree Road and Newport Coast Drive.

City Manager Homer Bludau said that Wednesday’s meeting has

advanced the city’s hopes of taking over the highway, but nothing’s

definite until further negotiations take place.

Caltrans officials said on Wednesday that they needed about a

month to consider financial effects of relinquishing the stretch of

highway and to come up with a counter offer. Because negotiations are

ongoing, Bludau declined to give specifics on dollar amounts

discussed this far.

“They traded some new numbers with us on what they would be

willing to do, but there’s still some additional work that needs to

be done so those numbers might change,” Bludau said.

The transportation agency and the city will also take a closer

look at laws that govern such transfers of ownership.

Proponents of Corona del Mar’s Vision 2004 revitalization plan say

that city ownership of Coast Highway is crucial to their plan because

it would remove formidable barriers to obtaining work permits.

Business improvement district representatives who were hopeful

that Wednesday’s talks would secure a solid offer will now have to

wait a least a month for Caltrans and the city to revisit the matter.

In that time, Corona del Mar business community representatives

might look for ways to secure state money or other grants to help

cover the costs to the city for taking over the highway. In addition

to repaving and landscape maintenance, legal liability could also be

costly for the city.

Once city staff and Caltrans agree on a figure, the matter will

have to go before the City Council for final approval.

* JUNE CASAGRANDE covers Newport Beach and John Wayne Airport.

She may be reached at (949) 574-4232 or by e-mail at

[email protected].