What Do YOU Think: Is a Downtown Makeover Just What Surf City Needs?

Check this out! The Register has a story this morning on Huntington Beach remaking its downtown. Apparently the last time Downtown HB’s master plan was updated was in 1989, so they feel it’s time to bring the heart of Surf City USA into the 21st Century.

So what’s happening now in Surf City? The city has hired consultants to rethink downtown, which may include more mixed-use development, more eco-friendly building standards, and new walkways to connect the soon-to-be Pacific City and Strand projects with the Hyatt Regency resort at PCH and Beach Blvd. Oh yes, and the city is still thinking about closing off Main Street (or at least, the first couple blocks above PCH) to all vehicular traffic! Wow!

Or wait, should that be, “HUH?!” OK, OK, Surf City Nights is doing just fine on Tuesdays. But still, is Surf City ready to close Main Street to cars permanently? Is Surf City ready for high density, high-end development in downtown? And is Surf City possibly ready to see the entire character of its downtown changed as the master plan changes? I want to know what YOU think about this, so please feel free to tell me what you’re thinking about Huntington Beach.

And while we talk about HB, please check out Joe Shaw’s wonderful local blog, Greetings from Downtown Huntington Beach. You can find even more info about everything happening in everyone’s favorite beach city over there. But in the mean time, stay here and tell me what you think! 🙂

11 Comments

  1. You have to be kidding me! It’s impossible to park along main street as it is, and there is nothing on the side streets to support either traffic or parking. What do they plan to do, fill in with parking garages?

  2. Good point, PB. There may already be a shortage in parking spaces downtown, and there doesn’t seem to be any major thoroughfare for vehicular traffic downtown other than Main Street. So what can be done? Direct traffic to Beach Blvd. and Goldenwest? Make the other streets one-way streets to make up for the loss of Main? Some of the ideas floating around about downtown redevelopment sound good, but others (like closing Main St) really don’t. If these consultants can’t figure that out for the city, than I don’t know what good this whole “rethinking” will be.

    After all, doesn’t the city want to improve downtown?

  3. Andrew, Mike, Chris, etc.

    Why is it that this blog has hardly mentioned the uproar in Anaheim with the appointment of Harald Martin? The “Bob Dornan” of the school district. The reps, media, Claudio and even Gustavo have all written about while the Liberal OC has barely mentioned it. What gives? HB Redevelopment and Laguna Beach shoreline is more important than this current recall effort? We could really use the help of this blog on this very important issue.

    We need 2,300 hundred signatures in the next few days. Please take notice of this important voter and civil rights issue in the heart of Orange County.

  4. Where’s the Outrage:

    Yes, we do have it here. And yes, I believe we HAVE had some coverage of the Harald Martin scandal here. HOWEVER, you must also understand that Harald Martin is not the ONLY big issue in Orange County right now. And as The Liberal OC is a blog that covers ALL of Orange County, we work our hardest to cover stories from ALL OVER ORANGE COUNTY, whether they be good news from Laguna Beach or not-so-good news from Dana Point or funny news from Angel Stadium or just weird news from Santa Ana. This blog is for ALL of OC, and we’re working our hardest to cover everything.

    If you’d like to complain to me personally, please do so by emailing me at atdnextATgmailDOTcom. If you have something important to tell me or anyone else who blogs here about Harald Martin, we’ll listen. And perhaps, you might even find something new about Martin at The Liberal OC soon.

  5. If I thought mentioning this issue to you personally would have any effect on you, Andrew, I would have done so a while ago.

    But you need not trouble yourself. The OC Weekly, the OCBlog and Orange Juice have had great coverage. I will continue to look to those blogs on the Harald Martin issue. Thank you, but nevermind.

  6. Did it ever dawn on you, “Where’s the Outrage,” that perhaps none of the folks who contribute here are particularly passionate about the Harald Martin/AUHSD mess? Or maybe they just have other priorities.
    As far as I’m concerned, Andy Hilbert is doing a great job of covering the topic over at HorseSense and Nonsense, and the effort is getting plenty of attention at OCBlog, Orange Juice, and in the mainstream media.
    If you care so deeply about it, WTO, you are welcome to write as a guest blogger or start your own blog about your favorite subject.
    Until then, I suggest you refrain from hijacking other topics to advance your own agenda. It’s really tacky.

  7. Wow! Such hostility! I hope you have a much better evening, then you did during the day, “Where’s your blog.” I do apologize for bringing up an issue that I care about, but that you do not. As I already said… I will get my information elsewhere. I was hoping the Liberal OC would help out with the cause, but alas, I was very wrong.

  8. Your childish pouting is really getting old, WTO. Nobody pays attention to you anymore.
    Every time you have a new cause, you try to make it the cause of those around you. But you don’t ever bother to make a case for WHY they should care. You just try to BULLY them into caring the same way you do.
    You cannot browbeat the OC Young Dems into making an election in Long Beach their cause. You cannot force the bloggers here to take up your obsession with Harold Martin.
    I can finally understand why they call you are the most hated person in OC Democratic politics and in California Young Dems. You’ve earned the reputation.
    Try a new tactic.
    Until you start behaving like an adult, GOOD RIDDANCE!

  9. Isn’t this lovely, Gila? I love being amused by flame wars. Nothing to make my evening exciting! 😉

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