Newport Beach has spent more than two years studying 1.27 miles of East Coast Highway, from Avocado Avenue to Hazel Drive. At the end of that work, the number that shapes the result is 30. That is the most homes staff has proposed allowing across the entire corridor. Thirty is far below 100, and 100 is the point where Newport Beach's charter would send the change to every voter in the city.
That cap explains the rest of the Corona del Mar Commercial Corridor Land Use and Mobility Study. The plan does very little about how big the village can get. It does much more about what the village does after dark, which businesses can open there, where visitors park, and how people cross Coast Highway at Orchid Avenue. Most of the changes residents notice will come from those smaller levers.
The threshold the plan was written around
Under Charter Section 423 and City Council Policy A-18, any General Plan amendment that adds more than 100 dwelling units, 40,000 square feet of nonresidential floor area, or 100 peak-hour trips in the morning or evening counts as a "major amendment" and needs a public vote. The September 17, 2026 Planning Commission staff report says the proposed caps were set so any growth fits the corridor's current commercial character "and remains below the thresholds of Charter Section 423."
Staff presented three scenarios. None has been chosen.
| Scenario | New homes | New commercial floor area | Measured against the vote threshold |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1, residential only | Up to 30 | None | 30 of 100 units |
| 2, lot consolidation only | None | Up to 25,000 sq. ft. | 25,000 of 40,000 sq. ft. |
| 3, combination | Up to 30 | Up to 18,700 sq. ft. | Below both limits |
The new commercial square footage would not be open to every owner. It goes only to owners who combine lots. It equals the gap between the 0.75 floor-area ratio the General Plan allows today and the 1.0 ratio a consolidated site could reach if it provides enough parking. Any homes would sit above the ground floor, never on it. The proposed maximum heights match today's Corridor Commercial standards, 32 feet for flat roofs and 37 feet for sloped roofs, so they do not go up.
Housing has drawn the most disagreement. City staff's own presentation records community feedback against upper-floor housing and worries about losing local-serving businesses such as the tire shop. In June 2026, two residents wrote to Stu News Newport opposing the rezoning, saying outreach had been inadequate and raising concerns about density, parking, traffic and neighborhood character. The opposite view appeared in the Daily Pilot's coverage of the November 2025 City Council study session. Councilmember Noah Blom backed housing, Mayor Joe Stapleton supported revitalization, and Mayor Pro Tem Lauren Kleiman asked how to revive a main street that also serves as a highway without leaving the village empty.
With building size capped, the plan changes hours and uses
Because the plan does not allow much new square footage, most of its proposals deal with how existing space is used. The staff report calls food and beverage businesses "preferred uses" that bring foot traffic, and proposes making them easier to open. The approval process would loosen in one place and tighten in another.
Easier to open:
- Restaurants that close by 11 p.m. Their Minor Use Permit would be decided by the Director of Community Development instead of the Zoning Administrator. Neighbors would still get notice, and anyone could appeal to the Zoning Administrator.
- Late-night restaurants. These would need a Zoning Administrator permit instead of a Planning Commission Conditional Use Permit.
- A new "Wine Bar" category. Possible rules include limits on pour size and a required food menu.
- A small fast-casual category of up to 20 seats. Alcohol and late hours would be allowed, with one parking space required per 250 square feet.
- Veterinary services. These would move from a Conditional Use Permit to a Minor Use Permit.
Tighter at night:
- Under the fast-track review, outdoor patios would close at 9 p.m. every day. Live entertainment would have to be indoors and end by 9 p.m. Staff tied both limits to residents' concerns about outdoor dining next to homes. A restaurant that wants its patio or live entertainment to run past 9 p.m. would go through the regular Zoning Administrator hearing, where neighbors can speak.
- Bars, lounges and nightclubs would still need a Conditional Use Permit from the Planning Commission.
The plan also lists uses it would ban. Animal boarding, vehicle rentals, repair and sales, car washes and detailing, and drive-through or drive-up windows would no longer be allowed. Businesses already operating could stay as nonconforming uses. Some of these bans would cover every Corridor Commercial property in the city, Newport Boulevard included, not only the Corona del Mar overlay between Avocado and Hazel.
Parking holds the whole plan together
Each of those new restaurants still needs parking, and parking comes up throughout the study. For larger restaurants, staff suggests an optional monthly in-lieu parking fee instead of a parking study and permit. The money could pay for leasing private lots or for trolley service. The amount has not been set. A property owner who removes or combines driveways to create street parking could get two credits for each space added. Paid meters and a remote employee shuttle were considered and dropped.
Any upstairs homes would need their own parking. The proposed requirements range from 1.1 spaces for a studio to 2.0 for a three-bedroom, plus 0.3 visitor spaces per unit for projects of three or more units.
The first changes you will actually see
The zoning is still in draft, but the parking and safety work is already moving. These are the first changes residents will see.
- Main Beach ramp. Since June 2026, a digital sign at the top of the ramp has shown how many spaces are open in the Corona del Mar State Beach lots.
- Two new message signs in the Coast Highway median. One is planned at Fernleaf Avenue for eastbound traffic and one at Poppy Avenue for westbound. The city posted the request for proposals on October 6, with proposals due October 27. The signs will show parking availability, road and lot closures, and other time-sensitive notices. Staff aimed to begin installation by the end of 2026.
- A HAWK beacon at Orchid Avenue. Pedestrians will be able to activate this signal at one of the corridor's busiest crossings. Staff expects construction to begin by the end of 2026.
The city also tested a parking app. It "did not ultimately meet the City's objectives," so staff is looking at other technology. Further out, the study's draft atlas suggests curb bulb-outs and more crosswalk markings at priority intersections, including MacArthur Boulevard and Orchid Avenue. It also proposes a bike route on or near Fifth Avenue to move cyclists and e-bikes off the highway, and gateway signs and branded light-pole banners to mark the village. Safety has been part of the discussion from the start. In the Daily Pilot's 2025 coverage, Bungalow Restaurant owner Jim Walker called for safety improvements along the corridor.
Where it stands, and where to weigh in
At the September 17 study session, the Planning Commission took comments only and made no decisions. Five residents spoke. Staff confirmed it has not proposed any limit on how many parcels can be combined. The meeting video is on the city's channel. The amendments, along with their environmental review, will come back at a noticed public hearing before the Commission sends a recommendation to City Council. No hearing date has been set. The city's project page has an interest list for updates.
The next public briefing is the Corona del Mar Chamber's Good Morning CdM on Thursday, November 12, from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club, 1601 Bayside Drive. Principal Planners Joselyn Perez and Liz Westmoreland will cover the proposed zoning and next steps. The meeting is free, no RSVP is needed, and the lot has free parking. Less than a month later, on December 6, the 47th Annual Corona del Mar Christmas Walk fills the same stretch of PCH from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
This post reports on staff proposals that have not been adopted. It is general information, not legal advice. Property and business owners along the corridor should confirm how any final rules apply to them with the city and their own advisors.
If you own property near the village and want to talk through how these proposals could affect your block, Tara Shapiro is glad to share what she is seeing on the ground in Corona del Mar. Let's Connect.
