CORONA DEL MAR : Merchants Plant Seeds of Revival

Carnations, orchids, poinsettias and a garden of other flowers will blossom along Corona del Mar’s business strip this summer because to the efforts of some artists and the Chamber of Commerce.

Colorful depictions of more than a dozen flowers--for which many of Corona del Mar’s street are named--have been painted onto canvas banners and will be attached to light posts high above Coast Highway.

More than 50 banners will be hung--each one designed to coordinate with a street’s name. A banner displaying marigolds will be displayed at East Coast Highway and Marigold Avenue. A dahlia banner will adorn the highway’s intersection with Dahlia Avenue.

It’s all part of a campaign by merchants to boost the business district’s recession-bruised economy as well as highlight the “village” atmosphere of the area.

“We hope this gives us some hope for the future and pride in our community,” said Patty McDonald, a real estate agent and member of the Corona del Mar Chamber of Commerce. “We hope this adds beauty to the community and lets people know we are here.”

The business district runs along East Coast Highway roughly from Avocado Avenue to Poppy Avenue. It is marked by a variety of restaurants, furniture stores, specialty shops and the historic Port movie theater.

Local artists volunteered their time to design and draw the banners. Each banner measures 60 inches tall by 30 inches wide and was hand-painted. Corona del Mar merchants and residents donated money to purchase the supplies.

Last week, a Newport Beach Fire Department hook-and-ladder truck hoisted one of the banners onto a light post so that merchants could see how it looked. Under Caltrans rules, the banners must be placed at least 18 feet above the ground if they face the road or 14 feet high if they face the sidewalk.

After examining both options, chamber officials decided the banners will face the road, McDonald said. They will be permanently installed within the next few weeks.

The banners are the second phase of a revitalization effort that has already seen the planting of 12 evergreen topiaries in the East Coast Highway median near Marguerite Avenue. The trees are cut in the shape of dolphins.

Chamber officials also have been encouraging retail business owners to consider sprucing up their storefronts. The row of shops is far from blighted, but McDonald said the area could look even better if some facades are cleaned up.

Such a move would better highlight the street’s varied architectural styles, including Cape Cod, Victorian, English Tudor and Mediterranean.