HomeMy WebLinkAboutGeneral Plan Amendment GPA1990004 - ERA Memo Report Visitor-Serving Commercial Develop4r
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Memorandum Report
VISITOR-SEEVING COMMERCIAL
DEVELO?MENT ANALYSIS
HUNTINGTON BEACH COASTAL ZONE
PREPARED f-OR
COULTROUP DEVELOPMENT COMPANY
PREPARED BY
ECONOMICS RESEARCH ASSOCIATES
MAY 3, 1990
PROJECT NO. 9856
MEMORANDUM
TO: John Coultroup
Coultroup Development Company
FROM: Robert Reicher
Economics Research Associates
DATE: May 3, 1990
SUBJECT: Visitor-Serving Commercial Development Analysis
Huntington Beach Coastal Zone
(ERA Project No. 9856)
Coultroup Development (Coultroup) has retained Economics Research Associates
(ERA) to study certain issues relating to the development of a site on the north side of
Warner Avenue between Sceptre Lane on the west and Coultroup's residential
condominium development currently under construction to the east. The subject site is
designated as Areas A and B (a total of 2.7 acres) in the Huntington Harbour Bay Club
Specific Plan, as adopted in February 1983 and Revised in July 1984 by the Huntington
Beach City Council, and as included in the Local Coastal Program certified by the California
Coastal Commission in March 1985.
Specifically, in conjunction with its proposed development of the subject site as a
water-oriented residential development, Coultroup has asked that ERA study the potential
effects from the changing of the site's use from Visitor-Serving Commercial to Residential
on the ability of the area to serve the commercial facility needs of visitors, as provided for
in the City of Huntington Beach Local Coastal Program.
The purpose of this memorandum is to transmit findings in our study of the market
as it relates to this question. In the course of our study, we performed the following tasks:
• Reviewed and anal,;,zec' e Huntington Beach Local Coastal Program and
related documents to Determine existing and potential areas of Visitor-
Serving Commercial development and relate;' uses, as well as the definitions
of such development.
• Physically surveyed areas defined as Visitor-Serving Commercial in the plan,
as well as sites considered to be visitor-serving or having such potential both
in Huntington Beach and in neighboring areas.
Reviewed documents and reports prepared by or for the City of Huntington
Beach that relate to commercial development in and around the Coastal Zone
portions of the city.
• Analyzed published and unpublished reports prepared by other government
agencies and private firms regarding retail sales and other factors relating to
the site's potential as a visitor-serving commercial site.
• Interviewed officials of public and private sector agencies or firms regarding
various aspects of the site and the factors that influence visitor-serving
commercial development.
• Prepared this memorandum report and the tables and exhibits that are
included.
Following a summary of ERA's conclusions is a summary of pertinent information
collected and analyzed during the study. Supporting tables and exhibits are found at the end
of the report.
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS
Based on the analysis that follows and our observations during the course of
preparing this report, ERA concludes that a change in use of the subject site from visitor-
serving commercial to residential will have little, if any effect on the ability of the
Huntington Beach Coastal area to serve the needs of its visitors, either in the short term or,
perhaps more importantly, in the long term.
• The Huntington Beach Coastal area currently is served by a broad variety of
visitor-serving facilities, both from the public sector (which provides and
services the beaches and other basic amenities) and from the private sector.
The shortcomings in visitor-serving facilities noted in the Local Coastal
Program have, for the most part, been remedied, and there is a significant
amount of new visitor-serving development in the pipeline and/or potentially
available to be developed on existing sites.
Through the efforts of private developers and the City Redevelopment
Agency, a major upgrading of the area on and around Huntington City Pier
is underway, and this will have the effect of focusing even more the activities
of visitors to the coast to the area around the pier. In the past, efforts at
providing visitor-serving facilities outside the pier area -- including Peter's
Landing and, on a less coordinated basis, the small retail shops in the
commercial nodes along Pacific Coast Highway between 6th and Goldenwest
-- have been notably unsuccessful, and this tendency may only be accelerated
in the future.
• Existing visitor-serving retail establishments in Huntington Beach perform at
levels below average for Orange County, indicating that even the existing
stock of visitor-serving commercial may be adequate to serve the area's
present and at least near-term future needs. Businesses along Pacific Coast
Highway, particularly in the visitor-serving areas of Huntington Beach, close
and/or change ownership with surprising frequency.
• From a planning and market perspective, development of the subject site with
visitor-oriented commercial facilities is not readily supportable. Within very
close proximity, there already exist sufficient facilities to supply the
commercial and recreational needs of the existing visitor base, and the close
proximity of the site to existing residential uses could create conflicts.
• The subject site's approximate 2.7 acres represent an estimated three percent
of the land specifically-designated for Visitor-Serving Commercial uses in the
Huntington Beach Coastal Zone.
In view of the fact that the area's existing visitor-oriented businesses are not
particularly strong, that there is a significant node of visitor-serving activity developing miles
away (near the Pier), and that the site itself is not particularly supportive of commercial
development , we conclude that the use change from Visitor Serving Commercial to
Residential will be beneficial , both to the site itself and to the overall development dynamics
of the Coastal Zone portion of the City of Huntington Beach.
BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
Sub'ect Site Overview
As noted, the subject site is a portion of a specific plan area that was incorporated
into the Local Coastal Plan when it was certified by the Coastal Commission. The public-
serving facility on the site, Huntington Harbour Bay Club, included a public banquet facility
as well as tennis courts, and the Specific Plan apparently accommodated these uses. The
facility has been closed since earlier this year.
The property is bounded on both the east and west by residential condominium
developments, and on the north by a public marina. Visitor-serving facilities of many types
are in close proximity, as detailed in later sections of this report. Warner Avenue, the
southern boundary of the site, carries a portion of the traffic from inland Orange County
and areas to the north. Average Daily Traffic (ADT) on the street is approximately 25,700,
according to City sources; in comparison, Pacific Coast Highway ADT through the city is
estimated at over 42,000.
Visitation Patterns and Attractions
The City of Huntington Beach enjoys a total of 8.5 miles of beach frontage,
extending from the City's northwest edge at Warner to the southwest end of the City at the
Santa Ana River. The northern and southern portions of the beaches are within two state
beaches -- Bolsa Chica to the north and Huntington to the south -- while the middle section,
including the area surrounding the city's pier, is under control of the City. According to
statistics collected by each jurisdiction, about 12 million people visited the beaches last
year, with about 6 million at the state facilities and another 6 million on the city-
administered portion of the coastline.
In recent years, subject to weather, visitor totals at City beaches have generally been
climbing , while the State beach areas appear to have levelled off in the 6 to 7 million range.
However, the pattern of growth could be somewhat distorted by the fact that in 1987 the
City's area of jurisdiction expanded from being just 1.1 miles (south of the pier only) to
a total of 3.3 miles (both north and south of the pier), and that a number of new off-street
metered lots have recently been opened along the bluff area between the south end of
Bolsa Chica State Beach and the Pier.
As might b:. expected, beach attendance is highly seasonal, with October through
February being the lowest months, with a total of less than 10 percent of the year's visitors
recorded in the three-month period. The peak period is June through August (accounting
for about 60 percent of the year's visitor total), with July typically the strongest single
month (about 25 percent of visitors for the entire year).
According to city surveys, most beach visitors come from within an hour's driving
time. About half the total visitor population is from Orange County, including almost 20
percent from the City itself.
The beach area around Main Street is frequented primarily by young beachgoers in
their mid-teens to mid-20s, with relatively few families in evidence. Families apparently use
beaches to the south because of better parking, easier beach access and the lack of facilities
selling alcohol -- which in turn discourages the more rowdy element.
With the possible exception of the still-under construction Pierside Pavilion (with a
sixplex movie complex) and the 300-room Waterfront Hilton (which will cater to small
groups and includes a total of more than 14,000 square feet of meeting rooms), there are
few facilities other than the beaches that can generate significant levels of visitor-serving
commercial demand in the Huntington Beach Coastal Zone.
Historical Visitor-Servin Develo ment
Retail development in Huntington Beach has had an unusual evolutionary pattern.
Around the turn of the century, Philip Stanton and a group of investors subdivided 20 acres
on each side of Main Street for a proposed West Coast version of Atlantic City. After a
little more than one year, in which time the concept did not materialize, the area was sold
to Huntington Beach Company, which is now wholly-owned by Chevron Oil.
In the years following the discovery of oil in 1920, Huntington Beach Company's
business concentrated on resource extraction, although in more recent years the company
has turned to land development projects, including the successful Huntington Seacliff.
Today, just 10 percent of the company's business is in oil, and the company still owns over
900 acres of land, making it the city's largest private landholder. [Interestingly, the city --
which was incorporated in 1909 - was named after the company, which in turn was named
after Henry Huntington (then owner of Pacific Electric Company) in what was described
as an attempt to 'bribe" him to extend the company's Red Car rail line to link the area --
then called "Pacific City" -- with Los Angeles].
Most of the city's development since World War II has occurred generally in the
city's eastern areas, near such major local or regional traffic arteries as Beach Boulevard
and the San Diego Freeway. Although the beach area has been bolste° ed by its popularity
as a surfing destination, little new in the way of commercial development has occurred in
the area until the recent past, when the city's Redevelopment Agency began actively
upgrading the area in. conjunction with local developers.
Around the time the Huntington Beach Local Coastal Program and Coastal Element
of the General Plan were being prepared (in the late 1970s and early 1980s), an inventory
of the area's visitor-serving facilities was undertaken. According to the September 1979
survey, which covered all areas of the Coastal Zone within the City of Huntington Beach,
"visitor-serving facilities include public and private developments that provide
accommodations, food and services, including hotels, motels, campgrounds, restaurants, and
commercial-recreational developments ... including the area's ... bars, theaters, specialty
and retail shops, markets, drug stores, gas stations, laundries, beauty salons, post office,
banks, doctors, dentists, and other services."
• At the time of the survey, visitor accommodations consisted of 239 motel
rooms located in five facilities between Goldenwest Street and Beach
Boulevard along Pacific Coast Highway, plus a 150-vehicle recreational
vehicle parking lot at Huntington City Beach and a private travel trailer park
of 140 spaces. The survey reported that these facilities were generally fully-
occupied in the summer, but had vacancies during the winter months.
• Except for the Huntington Harbour area, restaurants were characterized as
being "luncheon-type, fast food or beach concession facilities ... [with] few
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opportunities for evening dining." Huntington Harbour was identified as
having a "racquet club with dining facilities and six dinner restaurants", while
neighboring Sunset Beach (outside the City limits) had "four dinner
restaurants as well as a few coffee shops and fast-food facilities."
• Other types of visitor-serving facilities (essentially consisting of a variety of
retail uses) were identified as being primarily in the Downtown area, with a
second grouping in Huntington Harbour.
The report concluded that the Coastal area of the City needed the following:
• Lower-cost visitor-serving facilities
Additional hotel/motel rooms and restaurants
• Additional overnight recreational vehicle camping areas.
Desi ated Areas of Visitor-Servin Commercial and Recreational Develo ment
The Coastal Element of the Huntington Beach General Plan designates a number
of areas of potential visitor-related commercial and recreational develop,nent, include the
following.
District I
This District consists of three small sites along Pacific Coast Highway between
Goldenwest and 8th Street, totalling about 8 gross acres interspersed among medium
and high-density residential developments and designated to provide "commercial
facilities to serve visitors to the City and State 3eaches." The Plan allows a wide
range of visitor-serving commercial uses, centering around specialty retail, apparel,
eating and drinking places, personal services and -- with a Conditional Use Permit -
- such uses as motels and service stations.
District 3
Located in the five blocks along Pacific Coast Highway between 6th and Lake Streets
across from the City pier, this approximately 15 acre area is designated to serve the
needs of visitors as well as residents of the surrounding community. A variety of
visitor-oriented retail uses, including those allowed in District 1 as well as such
large-area entertainment uses as theaters, dance halls and discos, and convention
facilities, are allowed in this district.
6
i
District
A strip along Pacific Coast Highway extending southeast of the Downtown core, from
Lake Street to Huntington Avenue and providing commercial facilities for both
seasonal visitors and year-round residents in an area of approximately 13 acres. It
is considered to be a "continuous commercial link" between Downtown and District
9, which is described below.
District 9
This approximately 29 acre area extends along Pacific Coast Highway from
Huntington Street on the west to Beach Boulevard on the east, and is established to
"encourage large, coordinated development that is beach-oriented and open to the
public for both commercial and recreational purposes." Commercial uses, which
typically require Conditional Use Permits, include hotels, motels, restaurants and
recreational facilities.
District 10
1 his area, designated Pier-Related Commercial, extends along both sides of the
(currently-closed) pier, and between Pacific Coast Highway and the sand from Lake
Street and Seveuth Sheet, the latter an area of about three acres. A Conditional
Use Permit is required for the permitted uses, which include such visitor facilities
as restaurants, beach-related retail sales, aquariums and museums.
District 11
Designated as Beach Open Space, District 11 extends from Goldenwest Street to
Beach Boulevard between Pacific Coast Highway and the Pacific Ocean. Allowed
within the district are a variety of beach-oriented recr..ation facilities, as well as
beach concession stands "limited to 2,500 square feet and spaced at intervals no
closer than 1,000 feet."
urrent Visitor-Related Develo ment Activi
Because of its location at the south end of the Huntington Harbour area, the subject
site relates in part both to its surrounding area (including Huntington Harbour and Sunset
Beach) as well as to the major concentration of activity along Pacific Coast Highway
between Goldenwest Street and Beach Boulevard.
7
Sunset Beach
Sunset Beach is an unincorporated area located along Pacific Coast Highway
generally between Anderson Street on the north and 2nd Avenue (the western extension
of Warner Avenue) on the south. Along Pacific Coast Highway, the area is characterized
by a large concentration of generally older visitor-oriented businesses, including
approximately 15 restaurants or bars and about 10 motels, many of which have been
constructed in the years since certification of the Huntington Beach LCP. Rack rates at the
newer accommodation facilities are in the $80 to $100 range, and motels reportedly fill
during the summer months ( starting in June) but appear to have significant vacancies the
balance of the year.
Much of the area's retail stock has turned over in recent years and/or is in need of
refurbishing, and there are numerous signs offering facilities for lease and/or sale.
A retail center at the northwest corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Varner (about
one-half mile west of the subject site) offers a, mix of local resident-serving and visitor-
oriented shops, including restaurants and food stores of various types, a bar, a beaci,wear
store, a surf shop, a laundry and dry cleaners, w travel agency, a liquor store and a large
convenience store/ market. One storefront, housing an auto parts outlet, apparently has
been closed for over a year. The gas station at the corner of the site at Pacific Coast
Highway and Warner has recently been remodeled and expanded to include a car wash.
Peter's Landing
Located on Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Harbour, this uniquely-designed
center (reportedly modeled after Port Grimaud on the Gulf of Saint Tropez in France)
contains a total of 65,000 square feet of retail shops, 28,000 square feet of office space, four
restaurants and two banks.
At present, two of the restaurant locations (totalling 14,000 square feet) and one 500
square foot shop, as well as a total of about 7,600 square feet of second floor office sr?ce
are vacant. Asking rents are $1.75 (full service) for offices and $2.00 (NNN) for retail.
The restaurant spaces have been vacant for about four to five c onths, and the site is
considered "difficult" for restaurants, according to leasing agents. Turnover in the retail
shops, although not quantifiable, appears to be fairly high.
Most of the center's customers come from the immediate local area, including
Huntington Harbor and Sunset Beach. It is anticipated by Peter's Landing agents that the
center under construction at Pacific Coast Highway and Main Street will provide significant
competition to Peter's Landing.
Huntin on Harbour Mall
This neighborhood center is located on Algonquin "Street between Boardwalk and
Davenport, about one-half mile northeast of the subject site. The center was built about
20 years ago by Signal, and was acquired by its current owners (who refurbished it and
recently built a 10,000 square foot addition) about three years ago.
There are approximately 100,000 square feet in the center, including 80,000 square
feet of retail and 20,000 square feet of office space. At present, vacancies include one
retail space (1,188 square feet at $1.94 per square foot per month NNN) and three small
offices ($1.35 to $1.55 per square foot per month full service).
The center, which is anchored by a supermarket and drug store and has primarily
independent local-serving businesses as tenants, has a trading area that generally includes
Huntington Harbour as well as the area west of Bolsa Chica and south of Heil. Only
minimal business comes from visitors, primarily in the summer.
Snerific Plan Visitor Servin -Zoned Areas
With the exception of the currently under-construction projects at Main and Pacific
Coast Highway and the Waterfront Hilton (both of which are major undertakings), plus a
50-room Quality Inn that recently opened between 8th and 9th Street, there has been little
new development activity in the "Visitor Serving Commercial" areas designated in the
Coastal Plan. In most of the designated areas, existing development consists of older
visitor-oriented businesses including older motels, fast food stores, water and beach-oriented
retail, and a restaurant that is currently vacant and has suffered from significant turnover
through the years.
The major concentration of building activity around the intersection of Pacific Coast
Highway and Main and in The Waterfront project are expected to dominate area
development in general, and visitor-serving commercial development in particular, for years
to come.
Exi tin Visitor Accommodations
According to the Huntington Beach Visitors and Conference Bureau, there are
currently nine existing motels with a total of 393 rooms in Coastal Huntington Beach, and
the Waterfront Hilton will add another 300 rooms when it opens in July. The existing
properties, which appear to be full only in peak periods, operate at an estimated 50 to 60
percent occupancy level on an annual basis.
9
either under construction or in the development process in the Main-Pier Redevelopment
Area, which covers a portion of the City's Coastal Zone area.
Pierside Pavilion Pier Colon
Located between Main and Second Street on the north side of Pacific Coast Highway,
this project (currently under construction) includes a 1,750 seat six-plex movie theater, over
39,000 square feet of retail ' i restaurants and 15,000 square feet of office space, plus 130
condominium units. Pre-leased tenants include the movie complex, a variety of food service
outlets (including four restaurants and a nightclub), and a number of visitor-oriented
specialty retail shops. Completion is expected in Early Summer 1990.
Main Promenade and Parkin Structure
With frontage on Main Street, this five level structure currently under construction
includes 834 auto spaces plus 32,000 square feet of commercial and retail space on the
ground level, along Main. It is expected to be complete in Early Summer 1990.
North Pier Parkin Structure
This proposed terraced lot on the north side of the pier on the ocean side of Pacific
Coast Highway will accommodate 850 cars and be home to a proposed international surfing
museum. Construction has not yet begun.
Huntin on Beach Pier
This historic structure was closed in July 1982 due to damage from a series of storms,
and an effort is underway in the community to provide supplemental funds for
reconstruction, scheduled now to begin in late 1990 with completion in 1991.
Pierside Village
This approximately three-acre site is located between Pacific Coast Highway and the
sand immediately to the south of the pier, and has been proposed for development of three
new restaurants and a new building for the existing Maxwell's Restaurant, with a total of
approximately 30,000 square feet of food service space. The City recently gained title to the
underlying land, and has announced plans to proceed, although it appears that such plans
may be opposed by the State Lands Commission and other parties.
In addition to the coastal-oriented properties along Pacific Coast Highway, there are
seven other motels or hotels in the city, with a total of 544 rooms among them. The largest
of these non-coastal properties, the 224-room Holiday Inn near the San Diego Freeway and
Beach Boulevard, reportedly has had a very difficult time (and a change of ownership) since
its opening a few years ago.
The Conference Bureau-compiled list of restaurants in the area shows a total of 22
restaurants located in Coastal Huntington Beach, including three full-service dinner houses
and a wide variety of fast food, deli and convenience-oriented outlets. Reportedly, t;:re will
be a variety of restaurants as well as a food court in the under-construction Pierside Pavilion
at Main and Pacific Coast Highway.
Beach Facilities
There are numerous visitor-serving facilities along the city's 8.5 miles of beach,
including parking for over 5,000 cars and a series of beachfront concession stands and
restrooms. Huntington State Beach houses four snack bars, while there are five at the City.
Beach and an additional five along Bolsa Chica State Beach.
Other Visitor-Servin Facilities N' ar the Sub'ect Site
In addition to the wide variety of services in the areas specifically zoned for visitor-
serving commercial uses, there are numerous visitor-serving facilities less than one-half mile
from the subject site, including the two aforementioned shopping centers -- one in Sunset
Beach, and the other in Huntington Harbour -- that serve needs of both visitors and local
residents. Other nearby visitor-oriented facilities include:
A public parking lot on the south side of Warner, designated to serve visitors
to the adjacent Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve
® Earl D. Mercy Marine Park on the north side of Warner, with its adjacent
metered public parking lot
Huntington Harbour Yacht Club and the adjacent metered parking lot, public
boat ramp, public restrooms and fire station.
Pro osed Visitor-Servin Develo ment Activity
Largely through the efforts of its very active Redevelopment Agency, the City of
Huntington Beach is in the process of significantly upgrading the size and nature of its
visitor-serving commercial infrastructure. Following is a brief summary of selected projects
10
The Waterfront
In addition to the 300-room Waterfront Hilton currently under construction, plans
for this proposed 44-acre project call for three more hotels and 875 residential units, plus
a health club and shopping plaza. The Hilton is scheduled to open in Summer 1990, with
construction of the additional phases anticipated to be complete by 1998. Upon
completion, the full-service destination resort will offer over 1,500 hotel rooms, as well as
tennis, fitness club, spa services, pools, restaurants, conference facilities and boutiques.
Anal 'sis of Retail Sales
Article 949 of the City Planning Ordinance details the various uses allowed in a
Visitor-Serving Commercial (VSC) District. Without a Conditional Use Permit, the uses are
primarily apparel, specialty retail, personal services, food service, and off-sale beverage
stores of various types, while with a Conditional Use Permit such uses as gas stations, on-
sale beverage outlets, entertainment facilities, lodging, parking lots and residential use (with
a visitor-serving commercial use at ground level) are allowed.
Unfortunately,, available statistics do not delineate sales in all visitor-serving
categories specifically for Huntington Beach retail outlets in the Coastal 'Zone, and publicly-
released data for non-taxable retail sales are virtually lion-existent. However, an analysis
of State Board of Equalization data for taxable retail sales in the City of Huntington Beach
is available, and comparison of such data to overall performance for retail outlets in Orange
County reveals that, on average, visitor-oriented types of retail establishments in Huntington
Beach sell significantly less than the Orange County average.
The following tables and graphs are based on special tabulations of State data for the
year of 1988, which is the most recent full year period available. The last column in Table
I compares average sales per outlet by store category for Huntington Beach and the overall
County by calculating an Index, in which figures greater than 1 indicate that the Huntington
Beach outlets are performing better than the County average; figures of less than 1 indicate
just the opposite. (In some categories, because of confidentiality problems, data had to be
grouped and thus are not comparable.)
• In the major visitor-oriented categories of Apparel Stores, Specialty Stores,
Eating and Drinking Places and Services, Huntington Beach outlets were
consistently lower than the County average. Only in such local-serving
categories as General Merchandise and Building Materials was the City
ptronger than County averages.
• In specific store types that relate to visitors, the City most often was lower
than County averages, as well. [Because of disclosure problems, the State had
o group the City's Service Station sales with Fuel and Ice Dealers, so that a
direct comparison to County totals is not possible. However, manipulation of
the numbers indicates that even in service stations the City (with an estimated
average of about $700 per unit) falls short of the County total (almost $1,200).
On a per capita sales basis, the City is also generally lower than County averages in
those categories that tend to serve the needs of visitors. As estimated by Sales and
Marketing Management Magazine's Survey of Buying Power and summarized in Table II,
in 1988 the only expenditure categories in which per capita sales in the City exceeded
County averages were General Merchandise and Furniture/Furnishings/Appliances. In the
categories of Food, Eating & Drinking Places, and Drug Stores, Huntington Beach
consumers were generally outspent on a per capita basis by their Orange County neighbors.
.f
TABLES AND EXHIBITS
A. Huntington Beach Coastal Zone Map
B. Specific Plan Zoning Map-Coastal Zone
C. Retail Sales per Outlet (graph)
D. Retail Sales by Store Type (table)
E. Per Capita Sales by Category (graph)
F. Retail Sales by Category (table)
HUNTINGTON BEACH COASTAL ZONE MAP
15
SEAL
BEACH
HUNTINGTON
BEACH
/ HUNTINGTON BEACH C4IFORN
PLANNING DIV ION
I
NEWPORT
BEACH
Coastal Zone
SPECTFiC PLAN ZONING MAP-COASTAL ZONE
17
LEGENDDistrict #1- Visitor-Serving CommercialDistrict1117- ResidentialDistrict #3- Visitor-Serving CommercialDistrict #4 - Mixed Use; Office/>ResidentialDistrict #5- Mixed Use; Commercial/Office/ResidentialDistrict #6- Mixed Use; Commercial/Office/ResidentialDistrict #7- Visitor-Serving CommercialDistrict #B- High Density ResidentialDistrict #9- Commercial/RecreationDistrict #10- Pier-Related CommercialDistrict #11- Beach Open Space"?,146,1uuudcU ooo tioo ooa ooroaoaoaaoa aoaoooaoooo :o oaooaaoaaaao 2 3IIIIA C I 1 I C0 Cso7A11SpecificPlan ZoningDistrictsHUNTINGTON BEACH CALIFORNIAPLANNING DIVISION
RETAIL SALES PER OUTLET
19
Retail Sales per OutletHuntington Beach vs. Orange CountyThousands3L ................................0Apparel Genl. Merch. SpecialtyHuntington BeachEat/DrinkTotal Retail ServicesOrange County
RETAIL SALES BY STORE TYPE
Z1.
Table f
Taxable Sales by Outlet Type
Huntington Beach vs. Orange County - 1988
1
Huntington Beach Orange County Avg Sales per Outlet Index-HB
Type of Business Permits Sales-000 Permits Sales-000 Hunt.llch Org. Cnty.vs. OC
Women's Apparel 55 17,542 923 305,605 318.9 331.1 0.96
Men's Apparel 9 5,392 239 109,807 599.1 459.4 1.30
Family Apparel 36 14,064 572 360,142 390.7 629.6 0.62
Shoes 24 9,387 425 164,704 391.1 387.5 1.01
Apparel Stores Group 124 46,385 2,159 940,258 374.1 435.5 0.66
Limited Price Variety'1 44 40,517 0.0 920,8 0.00
Department & Dry Goods 17 160,646 255 2,195,614 9,449.8 8,610.3 1.10
Drug Stores 25 22,510 374 311,964 900.4 834,1 1.08
Other General Merchandise 5 27 107 117,776 5,4 1,100.7 0.00
General Merchandise Group 48 183,183 780 2,665,871 3,816.3 3,417.8 1.12
Gifts, Art Goods, Supplies 42 4,961 720 120,593 118.1 167.5 0.71
Sporting Goods 40 33,165 421 238,840 829.1 567.3 1.46
Florists 30 3,496 402 67,815 116.5 168.7 1.69
Photo Equip. & Supplies 12 10,546 144 59,269 878.8 411.6 2.14
Musical Instruments 9 5,003 199 148,958 555.9 748.5 0.-/1
Stationery & Books 28 6,596 594 246,325 235.6 414.7 0.57
Jewelry 30 6,339 485 121,985 211.3 251.5 0.84
Office, Store & School Supp.40 17,190 594 517,535 429.8 871.3 0,49
Other Specialties 265 40,514 3,773 771,214 152.9 204.4 0.75
Specialty Stores Group 496 127,810 7,332 2,292,534 257.7 312.7 0.82
Food Stores:All types liq.25 67,894 296 835,919 2,715.6 2,824.1 0.96
All other food stores 65 13,565 1,163 247,613 908.7 212.9 0.98
Packaged liquor stores 44 17,772 460 172,433 403,9 374.9 1.08
Eating placcs:no Alcohol 203 53,371 2,748 822,583 262.9 299.3 0.88
Eating places: Beer & Wine 140 28,991 1,697 482,274 207.1 284.2 0.73
Eating places: All liquors 60 48,061 813 767,148 801.0 943.E 0.85
Eating & Drinking Group 403 140,423 5,258 2,072,005 348.4 394.1 0.88
Home Furnishings 106 50,392 1,703 578,601 475.4 339.8 1.40
Household Appliance Dealers 24 52,212 303 351,163 2,175.5 1,159,0 1.88
Second-hand Merchandise 10 614 245 42,032 61.4 1'1.6 0.36
Farm Implement Dealers'2 #57 85,050 0.0 1,4i ..1,0.00
Farm & Garden Supply 12 5,557 172 101,568 463.1 590.5 0.78
Fuel & Ice Dealers '2 46,212 15 5,371 23,106.0 358 .1 64.53
Lumber & Building Materials 22 156,420 270 951,735 7,110.0 3,52 w 2.02
Hardware Stores 10 1,699 148 135,340 169.9 914.5 0.19
Plumbing & Electrical Supply 5 1,5005 101 132,088 301.0 1,307.8 0.23
Paint, Glass .c Wallpaper 11 8,817 151 76,494 801,5 506.6 1.58
Building Materials Group 48 168,441 670 1,295,657 3,509.2 1,933.8 1.81
New vehicle dealers 20 279,519 216 2,676,360 13,976.0 12,390.6 1.13
Used vehicle dealers 13 2,544 316 189,360 195.7 599.2 0.33
Auto supplies & parts 50 16,573 642 243,063 331.5 378.6 0.88
Service Stations'68 #913 1,075,362 0.0 1,177.8 0.00
Mobile homes, trirs., rampe 5 1,337 123 103,365 267.4 840.4 0.32
Boat, Motorcycle & Plane 28 8,701 251 132,267,310.8 527.0 0.59
Automotive Group,184 2,461 4,419,830 0.0 1,795.9 0.00
RETAIL STORES TOTAL 1,593 1,229,134 23,074 16,105,905 771.6 698.0 1.11
Business & Pemoml Services 638 41,365 8,415 1,294,360 64.8 153.8 0.42
All Other Outlets 4,083 251,095 52,278 8,008,436 61.5 153.2 0.40
Total All Outlets 6,314 1,521,594 83,767 25,408,701 241.0 303.3 0.79
•City and County figures are not comparable due to confidentiality constraints,
SOURCES: State Board of Equalization
Economics Research Associates
PER CAPITA SALES BY CATEGORY
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it,
Retail Sales by CategoryHuntington Beach vs. Orange CountyThousands10,0Total Retail SalesRIM r"I"'IFood Eat/Drink Genl Merch Furn/Appl Auto Drug-rtE >' County Per Capita City Per Capita
RETAIL SALES BY CATEGORY
25
d
IyTable IIPer Capita Sales by CategoryHuntington Beach vs. Orange County - 1988Orange County (000)Huntington Beach (000)Sales/CapitaTotalSls/CapTotalSls/CapIndexTotal Population2273.7191.2Total Retail Sales ($)17,860,987.07,855.51,340,777.07,012.40.89Food 3,467,139.01,524.9270,887.01,416.80.93Eating & Drinking Places 2,397,016.01,0542149,481.0781.80.74General Merchandise 1,904,945.0837.8176,621.0923.81.10Furniture/Furnishings/Appliances 758,020.0333.476,777.0401.61.20Automotive 4,152,216.01,826.2296,523.01,550.90.85Drug 588,609.0258.948,023.0251.20.97SOURCES: Sales and Marketing Management MagazineEconomics Research Associates
Economics Research Associates
Memorandum Report
VISITOR-SERVING COMMERCIAL
DEVELOPMENT ANALYSIS
HUNTINGTON BEACH COASTAL ZONE
PREPARED FOR
COULTROUP DEVELOPMENT COMPANY
PREPARED BY
ECONOMICS RESEARCH ASSOCIATES
MAY 3, 1500
PROJECT NO. 9856
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Ir
MEMORANDUM
TO: John Coultroup
Coultroup Development Company
FROM: Robert Reicher
Economics Research Associates
DATE; May 3, 1990
SUBJECT: Visitor-Serving Commercial Development Analysis
Huntington Beach Coastal Zone
(ERA Project No. 9856)
Coultroup Development (Coultroup) has retained Economics Research Associates
(ERA) to study certain issues relating to the development of a site on the north side of
Warner Avenue between Sceptre Lane on the west and Coultroup's residential
condominium development currently under construction to the east. The subject site is
designated as Areas A and B (a total of 2.7 acres) in the Huntington Harbour Bay Club
Specific Plan, as adopted in February 1983 and Revised in July 1984 by the Huntington
Beach City Council, and as included in the Local Coastal Program certified by the California
Coastal Commission in March 1985.
Specifically, in conjunction with its proposed development of the subject site as a
water-oriented residential development, Coultroup has asked that ERA study the potential
effects from the changing of the site's use from Visitor-Serving Commercial to Residential
on the ability of the area to serve the commercial facility needs of visitors, as provided for
in the City of Huntington Beach Local Coastal Program
The purpose of this memorandum is to transmit findings in our study of the market
as it relates to this question. In the course of our study, we performed the following tasks:
• Reviewed and analyzed the Huntington Beach Local Coastal Program and
related documents to determine existing and potential areas of Visitor-
Serving Commercial development and related uses, as well as the definitions
of such development.
• Physically surveyed areas defined as Visitor-Serving Commercial in the plan,
as well as sites considered to be visitor-serving or having such potential both
in Huntington Beach and in neighboring areas.
" • Reviewed documents and reports prepared by or for the City of Huntington
Beach that relate to commercial development in and around the Coastal Zone
portions of the city.
• Analyzed published and unpublished reports prepared by other government
agencies and private firms regarding retail sales and other factors relating to
the site's potential as a visitor-serving commercial site.
• Interviewed officials of public and private sector agencies or firms regarding
various aspects of the site and the factors that influence visitor-serving
commercial development.
• Prepared this memorandum report and the tables and exhibits that are
included.
Following a summary of ERA's conclusions is a summary of pertinent information
collected and analyzed during the study. Supporting tables and exhibits are found at the end
of the report.
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS
Based on the analysis that follows and our observations during the course of
preparing this report, ERA concludes that a change in use of the subject site f' - visitor-
serving commercial to residential will have little, if any effect on the ab. of the
Huntington Beach Coastal area to serve the needs of its visitors, either in the she, -m or,
perhaps more importantly, in the long term.
• The Huntington Beach Coastal area currently is served by a broad variety of
visitor-serving facilities, both from the public sector (which piovides and
services the beaches and other basic amenities) and.from the private sector.
The shortcomings in visitor-serving facilities noted in the Local Coastal
Program have, for the most part, been remedied, and there is a significant
amount of new visitor-serving development in the pipeline and/or potentially
available to be developed on existing sites.
• Through the efforts of private developers and, the City Redevelopment
Agency, a major upgrading of the area or. and around Huntington City Pier
is underway, and this will have the effect of focusing even more the activities
of visitors to the coast to the area around the pier. In the past, efforts at
providing visitor-serving facilities outside the pier area -- including Peter's
Landing and, on a less coordinated basis, the small retail shops in the
commercial nodes along Pacific Coast Highway between 6th and Goldenwest
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-- have been notably unsuccessful, and this tendency may only be accelerated
in the future.
• Existing visitor-serving retail establishments in Huntington Beach perform at
levels below average for Orange County, indicating that even the existing
stock of visitor-serving commercial may be adequate to serve the area's
present and at least near-term future needs. Businesses along Pacific Coast
Highway, particularly in the visitor-serving areas of Huntington Beach, close
and/or change ownership with surprising frequency,
•From a planning and market perspective, development of the subject site with
visitor-oriented commercial facilities is not readily supportable. Within very
close proximity, there already exist sufficient facilities to supply the
commercial and recreational needs of the existing visitor base, and the close
proximity of the site to existing residential uses could create conflicts.
The subject site's approximate 2.7 acres represent an estimated three percent
of the land specifically-designated for Visitor-Serving Commercial, uses in the
Huntington Beach Coastal Zone.
In view of the fact that the area's existing visitor-oriented businesses are not
particularly strong, that there is a significant node of visitor-serving activity developing miles
away (near the Pier), and that the site itself is not particularly supportive of commercial
development, we conclude that the use change from Visitor Serving Commercial to
Residential will be beneficial, both to the site itself and to the overall development dynamics
of the Coastal Zone portion of the City of Huntington Beach,
BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
Sub`ect Site Overview
As noted, the subject site is a portion of a specific plan area that was incorporated
into the Local Coastal Plan when it was certified by the Coastal Commission. The public-
serving facility on the site, Huntington Harbour Bay Club, included a public banquet facility
as well as tennis courts, and the Specific Plan apparently accommodated these uses. The
facility has been closed since earlier this year.
The property is bounded on both the east and west by residential condominium
developments, and on the north by a public marina. Visitor-serving facilities of many types
are in close proximity, as detailed in later sections of this report. Warner Avenue, the
southern boundary of the site, carries a portion of the traffic from inland Orange County
and areas to the north. Average Daily Traffic (ADT) on the street is approximately 25,700,
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according to City sources; in comparison, Pacific Coast Highway ADT through the city is
estimated at over 42,000.
Visitation Patterns and Attractions
The City of Huntington Beach enjoys a total of 8.5 miles of beach frontage,
extending from the City's northwest edge at Warner to the southwest end of the City at the
Santa Ana River. The northern and southern portions of the beaches are within two state
beaches -- Bolsa Chica to the north and Huntington to the south -- while the middle section,
including the area surrounding the city's pier, is under control of the City. According to
statistics collected by each jurisdiction, about 12 million people visited the beaches last
year, with about 6 million at the state facilities and another 6 million on the city-
administered portion of the coastline.
In recent years, subject to weather, visitor totals at City beaches have generally been
climbing, while the State beach areas appear to have levelled off in the 6 to 7 million range.
However, the pattern of growth could be somewhat distorted by the fact that in 1987 the
City's area of jurisdiction expanded from being just 1.1 miles (south of the pier only ) to
a total of 3.3 n'" (both north and south of the pier), and that a number of new off-street
metered lots h4.-ro;cently been opened along the bluff area between the south end of
Bolsa Chica State Beach and the Pier.
As might be expected, beach attendance is highly seasonal, with October through
February being the lowest months, with a total of less than 10 percent of the year's visitors
recorded in the three-month period. The peak period is June through August (accounting
for about 60 percent of the year's visitor total), with July typically the strongest single
month (about 25 percent of visitors for the entire year).
According to city surveys, most beach visitors come from within an hour's driving
time. About half the total visitor population is from Orange County, including almost 20
percent from the City itself.
The beach area around Main Street is frequented primarily by young heachgoers in
their mid-teens to mid-20s, with relatively few families in evidence. Families apparently use
beaches to the south because of better parking, easier beach access and the lack of facilities
selling alcohol -- which in turn discourages the more rowdy element.
With the possible exception of the still-under construction Pierside Pavilion (with a
sixplex movie complex) and the 300-room Wat.front Hilton (which will cater to small
groups and includes a total of more than 14,000 square feet of meeting rooms), there are
few facilities other than the beaches that can generate significant levels of visitor-serving
commercial demand in the Huntington Beach Coastal Zone.
4
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I Historical Visitor-Servin Develo ment
Retail development in Huntington Beach has had an unusual evolutionary pattern.
Around the turn of the century, Philip Stanton and a group of investors subdivided 20 acres
on each side of Main Street for a proposed West Coast version of Atlantic City. After a
little more than one year, in which time the concept did not materialize, the area was sold
to Huntington Beach Company, which is now wholly-owned by Chevron Oil.
In the years following the discovery of oil in 1920, Huntington Beach Company's
business concentrated on resource extraction, although in more recent years the company
has turned to land development projects, including the successful Huntington Seacliff.
Today, just 10 percent of the company's business is in oil, and the company still owns over
900 acres of land, making it the city's largest private landholder. [Interestingly, the city --
which was incorporated in 1909 -- was named after the company, which in turn was named
after Henry Huntington (then owner of Pacific Electric Company) in what was described
as an attempt to "bribe" him to extend the company's Red Car rail line to link the area --
then called "Pacific City" -- with Los Angeles].
Most of the city's development since World War II has occurred generally in the
city's eastern areas, near such major local or regional traffic arteries as Beach Boulevard
and the San Diego Freeway. Although the beach area has been bolstered by i:s popularity
as a surfing destination, little new in the Nray of commercial develop_;,ent has occurred in
the area until the recent past, when the city's Redevelopment Agency began actively
upgrading the area in conjunction with local developers.
Around the time the Huntington Beach Local Coastal Program and Coastal Element
of the General Plan were being prepared (?n the late 1970s and early 1980s), an inventory
of the area's visitor-serving facilities was undertaken. According to the September 1979
survey, which covered all areas of the Coastal Zone within the City of Huntington Beach,
"visitor-serving facilities include public and private developments that provide
accommodations, food and services, including hotels, motels, campgrounds, restaurants, and
commercial-recreational developments ... including the area's ... bars, theaters, specialty
and retail shops; markets, drug stores, gas stations, laundries, beauty salons, post office,
banks, doctors, dentists, and other services."
• At the time of the survey, visitor accommodations consisted of 239 motel
rooms located in five facilities between Goldenwest Street and Feach
Boulevard along Pacific Coast Highway, plus a 150-vehicle recreational
vehicle parking lot at Huntington City Beach and a private travel trailer park
of 140 spaces. The survey reported that these facilities were generally fully-
occupied in the summer, but had vacancies during the winter months.
n Except for the Huntington Harbour area, restaurants were characterized as
being "luncheon-type, fast food or beach concession facilities ... [with) few
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opportunities for evening dining." Huntington Harbour was identified as
having a "racquet club with dining facilities and six dinner restaurants", while
neighboring Sunset Beach (outside the City limits) had "four dinner
restaurants as well as a few coffee shops and fast-food farilities."
Other types of visitor-serving facilities (essentially consisting of a variety of
retail uses) were identified as being primarily in the Downtown area, with a
second grouping in Huntington Harbour.
The report concluded that the Coastal area of the City needed the following:
• Lower-cost visitor-serving facilities
• Additional hotel/motel rooms and restaurants
A Additional overnight recreational vehicle camping areas.
Desi ated Areas of Visitor-Servin Commercial and Recreational Development
The Coastal Element of the Huntington Beach General Plan designates a number
of areas of potential visitor-related commercial and recreational development, include the
following.
District 1
This District consists of three small sites along Pacific Coast Highway between
Goldenwest and 8th Street, totalling about 8 gross acres interspersed among medium
and high-density residential developments and designated to provide "commercial
facilities to serve visitors to the City and State Beaches." The Plan allows a wide
range of visitor-serving commercial uses, centering around specialty retail, apparel,
eating and drinking places, personal services and -- with,a Conditional Use Permit
- such uses as motels and service stations.
District
Located in the five blocks along Pacific Cou.' Highway between 6th and Lake Streets
across from the City pier, this approximately 15 acre area is designated to serve the
needs of visitors as well as residents of the surrounding community. A variety of
visitor-oriented retail uses, including those allowed in District 1 as well as such
large-area entertainment uses as theaters, dance halls and discos, and convention
facilities, are allowed in this district.
6
District 7
A strip along Pacific Coast Highway extending southeast of the Downtown core, from
Lake Street to HL' igton Avenue and providing commercial facilities for both
seasonal visitors and year-round residents in an area of approximately 13 acres. It
is considered to be a "continuous commercial link" between Downtown and District
9, which is described below.
District 9
This approximately 29 acre area extends along Pacific Coast Highway from
Huntington Street on the west to Beach Boulevard on the east, and is estahlished to
"encourage large, coordinated development that is beach-oriented and open to the
public for both commercial and recreational purposes." Commercial uses, which
typically require Conditional Use Permits, include hotels, motels, restaurants and
recreational facilities.
District 10
This area, designated Pier-Related Commercial, extends along both sides of the
(currently-closed) pier, and between Pacific Coast Highway and the sand from Lal:e
Street and Seventh Street, the latter an are,:. of about three acres. A Conditional
Use Permit is required for the permitted uses, which include such visitor facilities
as restaurants, beach-related retail sales, aquariums and museums.
District 11
Designated as Beach Open Space, District 11 extends from Goldenwest Street to
Beach Boulevard between Pacific Coast Highway and the Pacific Ocean. Allowed
within the district are a variety of beach-oriented recreation facilities, as well as
beach concession stands "limited to 2;500 square feet and spaced at intervals no
closer than 1,000 feet."
urrent Visitor-Related Develo ment Activi
Because of its location at the south end of the Huntington Harbour area, the subject
site relates in part both to its surrounding area (including Huntington Harbour and Sunset
Beach) as well as to the major concentration of activity along Pacific Coast Highway
between Goldenwest Street and Beach Boulevard.
Sunset Beach
Sunset Beach is an unincorporated area located along Pacific Coast Highway
generally between Anderson Street on the north and 2nd Avenue (the western extension
of Warner Avenue) on the south. Along Pacific Coast Highway, the area is characterized
by a large concentration of generally older visitor oriented businesses, including
approximately 15 restaurants or bars and about 10 motels, many of which have been
constructed in the years since certification of the Huntington Beach LCP. Rack rates at the
newer accommodation facilities are in the $80 to $100 range, and motels reportedly fill
during the summer months ( starting in June) but appear to have significant vacancies the
balance of the year.
Much of the area's retail stock has turned over in recent years and/or is in need of
refurbishing, and there are numerous signs offering facilities for lease and/or sale.
A retail center at the northwest corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Warner (about
one-half mile west of the subject site) offers a mix of local resident-serving and visitor-
oriented shops, including res, , ,' ants and food stores of various types, a bar, a beachwear
store, a surf shop, a laundry • dry cleaners, a travel agency, a liquor store and a large
convenience store/ market. c.,,ae storefront, housing an auto parts outlet, apparently has
been closed for over a year, The gas station at the corner of the site at Pacific Coast
Highway and Warner has recently been remodeled and expanded to include a car wash.
Peter's Landing
Located on Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Harbour, this uniquely-designed
center (reportedly modeled after Port Grimaud on the Gulf of Saint Tropez in France)
contains a total of 65,000 square feet of retail shops, 28,000 square feet of office space, four
restaurants and two banks.
At present, two of the res aurant locations (totalling 14,000 square feet) and one 500
square foot shop, as well as a total of about 7,600 square feet of second floor office space
are vacant. Asking rents are $1.75 (full service) for offices and $2.00 (NNN) for retail.
The restaurant spaces have been vacant for about four to five months, and the site is
considered "difficult" for restaurants, according to leasing agents. Turnover in the retail
shops, although not quantifiable, appears to be fairly high.
Most of the center's customers come from the immediate local area, including
Huntington Harbour and Sunset Beach. It is anticipated by Peter's Landing agents that the
center under construction at Pacific Coast Highway and Main Street will provide significant
competition to Peter's Landing.
8
Huntin on Harbour Mall
This neighborhood center is located on Algonquin Street between Boardwalk and
Davenport, about one-half mile northeast of the subject site. The center was built about
20 years ago by Signal, and was acquired by its current owners (who refurbishe.i it and
recently built a 10,000 square foot addition) about three years ago.
There are approximately 100,000 square feet in the center, including 80,000 square
feet of retail and 20,000 square feet of office space. At present, vacancies include one
retail space(1,188 square feet at $1.94 per square foot per month NNN) and three smalloffices ($1.35 to $1.55 per square foot per month full service).
The center, which is anchored by a supermarket and drug store and has primarily
independent local-serving businesses as tenants, has a trading area that generally includes
Huntington Harbour as well as the area west of Bolsa Chico and south of Heil. Only
minimal business comes from visitors, primarily in the summer.
ecific Plan Visitor Set vin -Zoned Areas
With the exception of the currently under-construction projects at Main and Pacific
Coast Highway and the Waterfront Hilton (both of which are major undertakings), plus a
50-room Quality Inn that recently opened between 8th and 9th Street, there has been little
new development activity in the "Visitor Serving Commercial" areas designated in the
Coastal Plan. In most of the designated areas, existing development consists of older
visitor-oriented businesses including older motels, fast food stores, water and beach-oriented
retail, and a restzurant that is currently vacant and has suffered f:om significant turnover
through the years.
The major concentration of building activity around the intersection of Pacific Coast
Highway and Main and in The Waterfront project are expected to dominate area
development in general, and visitor-serving commercial development in particular, for years
to come.
Existin Visitor Accommodations
According to the Huntington Beach Visitors and Conference Bureau, there are
currently nine existing motels with a total of 393 rooms in Coastal Huntington Beach, and
the Waterfront Hilton will add another 300 rooms when it opens in July. The existing
properties, which appear to be full only in peak periods, operate at an estimated 50 to 60
percent occupancy level on an annual basis.
9
either under construction or in the development process in the Main-Pier Redevelopment
Area, which covers a portion of the City's Coastal Zone area.
Pierside Pavilion Pier Coles
Located between Main and Second Street on the north side of Pacific Coast Highway,
this project (currently under construction) includes a 1,750 seat six-plex movie theater, over
39,000 square feet of retail and restaurants and 15,000 square feet of office space, plus 130
condominium units. Pre-leased tenants include the movie complex, a variety of food service
outlets (including four restaurants and a nightclub), and a number of visitor-oriented
specialty retail shops. Completion is expected in Early Summer 1990.
Main Promenade and Parkin Structure
With frontage on Main S:reet, this five level structure currently under construction
includes 834 auto spaces plus 32,000 square feet of commercial and retail space on the
ground level along Main. It is expected to be complete in Early Summer 1990.
North Pier Parkin Structure
This proposed terraced lot on the north side of the pier on the ocean side of Pacific
Coast Highway will accommodate 850 cars and be home to a proposed international surfing
museum. Construction has not yet begun.
Huntin on Beach Pier
This historic structure was closed in July 1988 due to damage from a series of storms,
and an effort is underway in the community to provide supplemental funds for
reconstruction, scheduled now to begin in late 1990 with completion in 1991.
Pierside Village
This approximately three-acre site is located between Pacific Coast Highway and the
sand immediately to the south of the pier, and has been proposed for development of three
new restaurants and a new building for the existing Maxwell's Restaurant, with a total of
approximately 30,000 square feet of food service space. The City recently gained title to the
underlying land, and has announced plans to proceed, although it appears that such plans
may be opposed by the State Lands Commission and other parties.
11
In addition to the coastal-oriented properties along Pacific Coast Highway, there are
seven other motels or hotels in the city, with a total of 544 rooms among them. The largest
of these non-coastal properties, the 224-room Holiday Inn near the San Diego Freeway and
Beach Boulevard, reportedly has had a very difficult time (and a change of ownership) since
its opening a few years ago.
The Conference Bureau-compiled list of restaurants in the area shows a total of 22
restaurants located in Coastal Huntington Beach, including thr:.e full-service dinner houses
and a wide variety of fast food, deli and convenience-oriented oh lets. Reportedly, there will
be a variety of restaurants as well as a food court in the under-construction Pierside Pavilion
at Main and Pacific Coast Highway.
Beach Facilities
There are numerous visitor-serving facilities along the city's 8.5 miles of beach,
including parking for over 5,000 cars and a series of beachfront concession stands and
restrooms. Huntington State Beach houses four snack bars, while there are five at the City.
Beach and an additional five along Bolsa Chica State Beach.
Other Visitor-Servin Facilities Near the Sub'ect Site
In addition to the wide variety of services in the areas specifically zoned for visitor-
serving commercial uses, there are numerous visitor-serving facilities less than one-half mile
from the subject site, including the two aforementioned shopping centers -- one in Sunset
Beach and the other in Huntington Harbour -- that serve needs of both visitors and local
residents. Other nearby visitor-oriented facilities include:
A public parking lot on the south side of Warner, designated to serve visitors
to the adjacent Polsa Chica Ecological Reserve
• Earl D. Mercy Marine Park on the north side of Warner, with its adjacent
metered public part: ng lot
• Huntington Harbour Yacht Club and the adjacent metered parking lot, public
boat ramp, public restrooms and fire station.
Pro osed Visitor-Servin Develo meet Activi
Largely through the efforts of its very active Redevelopment Agency, the City of
Huntington Beach is in the process of significantly upgrading the size and nature of its
visitor-serving commercial infrastructure. Following is a brief summary of selected projects
10
The Waterfront
In addition to the 300-room Waterfront Hilton currently under construction, plans
for this proposed 44-acre project call for three more hotels and 875 residential units, plus
a health club and shopping plaza. The Hilton is scheduled to open in Summer 1990, with
construction of the additional phases anticipated to be complete by 1998. Upon
completion, the full-service destination resort will offer over 1,500 hotel rooms, as well as
tennis, fitness club, spa services, pools, restaurants, conference facilities and boutiques.
Anal sis of Retail Sales
Article 949 of the City Planning Ordinance details the various uses allowed in a
Visitor-Serving Commercial (VSC) District. Without a Conditional Use Permit, the uses are
primarily apparel, specialty retail, personal services, food service, and off-sale beverage
stores of various types, while with a Conditional Use Permit such uses as gas stations, on-
sale beverage outlets, entertainment facilities, lodging, parking lots and residential use (with
a visitor-serving commercial use at ground level) are allowed.
Unfortunately, available statistics do not delineate sales in all visitor-serving
categories specifically for Huntington Beach retail outlets in the Coastal Zone, and publicly-
released data for non-taxable retail sales are virtually non-existeat. However, an analysis
of State Board of Equalization data for taxable retail sales in the City of Huntington Beach
is available, and comparison of such data to overall performance for retail outlets in Orange
County reveals that, on average, visitor-oriented types of retail establishments in Huntington
Beach sell significantly less than the Orange County average.
The following tables and graphs are based on special tabulations of State data for the
year of 1988, which is the most recent full year period available. The last column in Table
I compares average sales per outlet by store category for Huntington Beach and the overall
County by calculating an Index, in which figures greater than 1 indicate that the Huntington
Beach outlets are performing b tter than the County average; figures of less than 1 indicate
just the opposite. (In some categories, because of confidentiality problems, data,had to be
grouped and thus are not comparable.)
• In the major visitor-oriented categories of Apparel Stores, Specialty Stores,
Eating and Drinking Places and Services, Huntington Beach outlets were
consistently lower than the County average. Only in such local-serving
c °,ories as General Merchandise and Building Materials was the City
§tronger than County averages.
• In specific store types that relate to visitors, the City 'post often was lower
than County averages, as well. [Because of disclosure problems, the State had
to group the City's Service Station sales with Fuel and Ice Dealers, so that a
12
direr. comparison to County totals is not possible. However, manipulation of
the numbers indicates that even in service stations the City (with an estimated
average of about $700 per unit) falls short of the County total (almost $1,200).
On a per capita sales basis, the City is also generally lower than County averages in
those categories that tend to serve the needs of visitors. As estimated by Sales and
Mat'keting Management Maf,azine's Survey of Buying Power and summarized in Table II,
in 1988 the only expenditure categories in which per capita sales in the City exceeded
County averages were General Merchandise and Furniture/Furnishings/Appliances. In the
categories of Food, Eating & Drinking Places, and Drug Stores, Huntington Beach
consumers were generally outspent on a per capita basis by their Orange Count}- neighbors.
11
TABLES AND EXHIBITS
A. Huntington Beach Coastal Zone Map
B. Specific Plan Zoning Map-Coastal Zone
C. Retail Sales per Outlet (graph)
D. Retail Sales by Store Type (table)
E. Per Capita Sales by Category (graph)
F. Retail Sales by Category (table)
14
HUNTINGTON BEACH COASTAL ZONE MAP
6
SEAL
BEACH
HUNTINGTON
BEACH
HUNTINGTON BEACH COILIFORNIA
PLANNING DIVISION
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NEWPORT
BEACH
CCastal Zone
SPECIFIC PLAN ZONING MAP-COASTAL ZONE
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I
LEGENDDistrict #i-Vise-;-Servina Commercial-District' #2-Resi ntialDistrict #3-Visitor-Serving CommercialDistrict#4-Mixed Use; Office/fesidentialDistrict#5-Mixed Use; Commercial/Office/ResidentialDistrict#6-Mixed Use; Commercial/Office/ResidentialDistrict *7-District #9-District #9-DistrictDistrict11'D 0 DDnDDDD:1 DDDDD 000000000000000-00000000000000:D 0000000000000022J L-.r r mrrr -_11AVisitor-Serving CommercialHigh Density ResidentialCommercial/Recreation110- Pier-Related Commercial#11- Beach Open SpaceJouuuoI3r rrdr' 14orrrraso11NHUNTINGTON BEACH ClLIF.ORNINSpecific Plan Zoning DistrictsPL4NNING DIVISION
RETAIL SALES PER OUTLET
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Retail Sales per OutletHuntington Beach vs. Orange CountyThousands4I0................................................ .....................:.........I.....,......,.......iApparel Genl. Meech. SpecialtyEat/Drink Total Retail ServicesHuntington Beach Orange County
RETAIL SALES BY STORE TYPE
Table I
Taxable Sales by Outlet Type
Huntington Beach vs. Orange County - 1988
Huntington Beach Orange County Avg Sales per Outlet Index-HBType of Business Permits Sales-000 Permits Sales-000 Hunt.Bch Org. Cnty.vs. OC
Women's Apparel 55 17,542 923 305,605 318.9 331.1 0.96
Men's Apparel 9 5,392 239 109,807 599.1 459.4 1.30
Family Apparel 36 14,064 572 360,142 390.7 629.6 0.62
Shoes 24 9,387 425 164,704 391.1 387.5 1.01
Apparel Stores Group 124 46,385 2,159 940,258 374 .1 435.5 0.86
Limited Price Variety 1 44 40,517 0.0 920.8 0.00
Department & Dry Goods 17 160,646 255 2,195,614 9,449,8 8,610.3 1.10
Drug Stores 25 22,510 374 311,964 900.4 834.1 1.08
Other General Merchandise 5 27 107 117,776 5.4 1,100.7 0.00
General Merchandise Group 48 183,183 780 2,665,871 3,816.3 3,417.8 1.12
Gifts, Art Goods, Supplies 42 4,961 720 120,593 118.1 167.5 0.71
Sporting Goods 40 33,165 421 238,840 829.1 567.3 1.46
Florists 30 3,496 402 67,815 116.5 168.7 0.69
Photo Equip . & Supplies 12 10,546 144 59,269 878.8 411.6 , '4
Musical Instruments 9 5,003 199 148,958 555.9 748.5 w.,4
Stationery & Books 28 6,596 594 246,325 235.6 414.7 0.57
Jewelry 30 6,339 485 121,985 211.3 251.5 0.84
Off-ice, Store & School Supp.40 17,190 594 517,535 429.8 871.3 0.49
Other Specialties 265 40,514 3,773 771,214 152.9 204.4 0.75
Specialty Stores Group 496 127,810 7,332 2,292,534 257.7 312.7 0.82
Food Stores:Ali types liq.25 67,894 296 835,919 2,715.8 2,824.1 0.96
All other food stores 65 13,565 1,163 247,613 203.7 212.9 0.98
Packaged liquor stores 44 17,772 460 172,433 403.9 374.9 1.08
Eating places : no Alcohol 203 53,371 2,748 822,583 262.9 299.3 0,88
Eating places: Beer& Wine 140 28,991 1,697 482,274 207.1 284.2 0.73
Eating places: All liquors 60 48,061 813 767,148 801.0 943.6 0.85
Eating & Drinking Group 403 140,423 5,258 2,072,005 348 .4 394.1 0.88
Home Furnishings 106 50,392 1,703 578,601 475.4 339.8 1.40
Household Appliance Dealers 24 52,212 303 351,163 2,175 .5 1,159.0 1.88
Second-hand Merchandise 10 614 245 42,032 61.4 171.6 0.36
Farm Implement Dealers'2 #57 85,050 0.0 1,492.1 0.00
Farm & Garden Supply 12 5,557 172 101,568 463.1 590.5 0.78
Fuel & Ice Dealers'2 46,212 15 5,371 23,106.0 358.1 64.53
Lumber & Building Materials 22 156,420 270 951,735 7,110.0 3,524.9 2.02
Hardvnre Stores 10 1,699 148 135,340 169.9 914.5 0.19
Plumbing & Electrical Supply 5 1,505 101 132,088 301.0 1,307.8 0.23
Paint, Glass & Wallpaper 11 8,817 151 76,494 801.5 506.6 1.58
Building Materials Group 48 168,441 670 1,295,657 3,509.2 1,933.8 1.81
New vehicle dealers 20 279,519 216 2,676,360 13,976.0 12,390.6 1.13
Used vehicle dealers 13 2,544 316 189,360 195.7 599.2 0.33
Auto supplies & parts 50 16,573 642 243,063 331.5 378.6 0.88
Service Stations*68 #913 1,075,362 0.0 1,177.8 0.00
Mobile homes, trirs., campers 5 1,337 123 103,365 267.4 840.4 0.32
Boat, Motorcycle & Plane 28 8,701 251 132,267 310.8 527.0 0.59
Automotive Group'184 2,461 4,419,830 0.0 1,795.9 0.00
RETAIL STORES TOTAL 1,593 1,229,134 23,074 16,105,905 771.6 698.0 1.11
Business & Personal Services 638 41,365 8,415 1,294,360 64.8 153.8 0.42
All Other Outlets 4,083 251,095 52,278 8,008,436 61.5 153.2 0.40
Total All Outlets 6,314 1,521,594 83,767 25,408,701 241.0 303.3 0.79
'City and County figures are not comparable due to confidentiality constraints.
SOURCES: State Board of Equalization
Economic Research Associates
V
PER CAPITA SALES BY CATEGORY
detail Sales by CategoryHuntington Beach vs. Orange CountyFood Eat/Drink GenlMerch Fran/Appl Auto DrugCounty Per CapitaE. 1,11"City Per Capita
RETAIL SALES BY CATEGORY
25
Table IIPer Capita Sales by CategoryHuntington Beach vs. Orange County - 1988Orange County (000)Huntington Teach (000)Sales/CapitaTotalSls/CapTotalSts/CapIndexTotal Population2273.7191.2TotzilRetail Sales ($)17,860,987.07,855.51,340,777.07,012.40.89Food 3,467,139.01,524.9270,887.01,416.80.93Eating & Drinking Places 2,397,016.01,054.2149,481.0781.80.74General Merchandise 1,904,945.0837.8176,621.0923.81.10Furniture/Furnishings/Appliances 758,020.0333.476,777.0401.61.20Automotive 4,152,216.01,826.2296,523.01,550.90.85Drug588,609,'.258.948,023.0251.20.97SOURCES: Sales and Marketing Management MagazineEconomics Research Associates