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Month: February 2026

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CdMRA Historical Committee

 

CdMRA’s Historical Resources Committee Update

In collaboration with Sherman Library and the CdM Historical Society we are building awareness and a better understanding of our local history.  Ron Yeo, Committee Chair, CdMRA Historical Resources


 

Update: We are pleased to announce that we have compiled a video collection and launched a new smartphone app which makes finding the gems of Corona del Mar easy and fun.  We have also arranged to have Mary Everett Burton’s “Happy House” reprinted.  Details about these updates are included below.

Video Collection
As part of CdMRA’s YouTube Channel, the Historical Resources Committee has a Playlist which features videos of historic information and landmarks of Corona del Mar.  Click here to view the Historical Resources Committee Playlist “Get to Know Corona del Mar”. Or see a sample video about 50 Post WWII Cottages that we have included at the bottom of this page.

Mary Burton’s “Happy House”
Made possible by donations, our committee was able to reprint this delightful retelling of what it was like to live on Ocean Blvd over 100 years ago.  This booklet is not for sale but can be checked out at the Newport Beach Central Library, the OASIS Senior Center or by contacting the Sherman Library. You can read a bit more about the story of Mary’s family move from Pasadena in 1909 here.

There’s an App for that … PocketSights
Our committee has also been busy developing its first two walking tours of Corona del Mar for the smartphone app PocketSights:  

 

Download the PocketSights app to your smartphone from your App Store. 
Enter 92625 as your location. 
Enjoy the guided walking tours. 
After using the app, we’d appreciate your feedback. 


Our app’s quick user survey is available here.

 


We also created a quick app tutorial.  If you’d like a little help getting the app downloaded and started,
click here to view or download our PocketSights Tutorial.

 


Our ongoing projects include:

      1. Work with the County Historical Commission to gain historical recognition for local sites such as Five Crowns, Kerckhoff Lab and the China House. 
        (We succeeded in getting that recognition for the Del Mar Hotel.)  
      2. Coordinate with Ed Olen on oral history recordings.
      3. Collaborate with Bill Lobdell on his podcast “Newport in the Rearview Mirror”.
      4. Develop an outreach speaker program with our local schools on what CdM was like 100 years ago.
      5. Spearhead a speakers’ roundtable discussion program of local “Living Treasures”, including the history of CdM Village cottages
      6. Create additional videos of CdM’s historical sites and sites of interest for our YouTube Playlist
      7. Design additional walking tours for our PocketSights smartphone app.
      8. Consolidate the CdM Historical Society’s website into CdMRA’s website to become the one-stop resource for CdM’s historical resources.

End Notes
The OC Historic Commission is noted for saying “You can’t protect what you don’t know you have.”   As an example, the first house built in Corona del Mar in 1909 was Mary Everett Burton’s “Happy House”.  It was torn down in 2004. Following that Tom Heffernan, who lives in a 1930’s cottage in the Flower Streets, founded the CDM Historical Society.  Recently, 100 homes in Corona del Mar were chosen for historic value, and an article was published in the Preserve Orange County blog about our efforts.  [Article here].  You will also want to check out Sherman Library’s digital photo album of Corona del Mar cottages.  The album is quite extensive and available here.

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Code Violations – What you need to know

Code Enforcement Presentation February 2026
We encourage you to view the Code Enforcement Presentation made at CdMRA’s monthly community meeting on February 19, 2026. We have also recapped some of the highlights below.

The City depends on its residents and businesses to report code violations. If fact, 80% of all code violations are reported by residents and businesses. It is not possible to staff the Code Enforcement Department large enough to cover the entire city every day. But as a resident you know exactly what is happening on your street and in your specific neighborhood. In fact, our eyes and ears are the best tools that Code Enforcement has!

Reporting code violations is quick and easy, and you can even choose to do so anonymously. Examples of code violations include noise, construction hours, water pollution, use of gas-powered leaf blowers in non-exempt neighborhoods, street drainage/run-off, etc.

There are three easy ways to report a code violation:

      1. Use the MyNB App (download from Google or Apple stores). Once the app is installed, open the app and:
        • Select Service Request and then
        • Select Code Enforcement 
      2. Use the city’s Quest System available on the city’s website
      3. Call the Code Enforcement Department seven days a week until 11:00 p.m. However, if the violation is on a federal holiday you will need to call the NBPD’s Front Desk and they will contact the Code Enforcement Officer on duty.

How to track your reported Code Violation
Code Enforcement maintains a Violation Dashboard for residents to view and track the status of complaints. You can view the status of your complaints here.

Code Enforcement Outreach Programs
Code Enforcement officers are reaching out to residents and Homeowner Association Boards in the hopes of meeting on a quarterly basis to highlight and identify problem areas that need addressing. We encourage those of you in Homeowner Associations to talk to your Boards about inviting them to speak as well. Code Enforcement Staff phone and emails here.

Every step we take in addressing these issues improves the quality and safety of our community.