Newport Beach City Council unanimously voted Tuesday to rescind the previously approved parking restrictions around Corona del Mar High School and implement more lenient regulations.
Council voted 6-0 to approve the new restrictions. Councilman Keith Curry was absent.
The item included removing the ban on the west side of Mar Vista Drive, between Domingo Drive and Vista del Oro, and limiting the no parking restriction on the north side of Vista del Oro, between Eastbluff Drive and Mar Vista Drive, to between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. on weekdays. Street sweeping will also be moved to another day, likely Monday morning.
Mayor Pro Tem Kevin Muldoon pulled the item from the consent calendar for discussion.
The safest place to park is on campus, Muldoon said, but current parking is limited. He urged the students and parents in the audience take their requests to the school board so that they, along with the city and community partners, can continue to look for a solution.
The city, NMUSD, residents, students, and parents, all need to continue to work together in a mutually respectable manner, City Manager Dave Kiff said.
Council and city staff have been working with the Newport-Mesa Unified School District on the “longstanding parking conflict” around Corona del Mar for many years, said Director of Public Works Dave Webb.
The issue deals with parking challenges, safety concerns, jaywalking, trash, behavior, and more.
At the Aug. 9 meeting, Council voted to “basically eliminate” parking on Vista del Oro, Webb explained, among other restrictions in the area.
On Tuesday, a number of people spoke during public comment, including many CdM students. The majority of speakers opposed the previously approved restrictions. A few local residents spoke in support of the limited parking, citing access, safety, visibility, on-campus parking solutions, and more.
The changes are effective immediately.
