NEWPORT BEACH

The East Coast Highway project, intended to correct tree-root damage to sidewalks and curbs in the Corona del Mar business district, is changing the look and feel of the area, some business owners say. Flora Hills, co-owner of a boutique on the highway, said that while she understands the need for the trees’ removal, their replacements are disappointing: “All of our customers are asking why they’re taking such old trees for small, unimportant ones.”

Forty-eight ficus trees, planted 40 years ago, are being replaced with Hong Kong orchid and king palm trees, said Royal Radtke, past president of the Corona del Mar Chamber of Commerce. The trees were a safety concern, he said. The roots “were pushing the concrete up, the curbs out and were encroaching into the plumbing in the businesses,” he said. “The number of liability lawsuits from people tripping over the curbs has been outrageous over the years.”