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A Report by a Panel of the Urban Land Institute - 11/29 thru
HUNTINGTON BEACH CALIFORNIA A RGPW to the City of Huntington Beech LrINUINOS AND RECOMMENDATIONS by A PANEL OF THE URBAN LAND INSTITUTE November 29 through December 3, 1966 URBAN LAND INSMUTE 1200 18th Street, N.W. Washington, C.C. i r M 1 � a14 N ((gy�p�"' • . X'� �tlSf}�} 1( �.,*'a �� xi•`:r4 '� _ , yM 11lllfffff ,a •�M a+, w+..1�.a�1 �.` .�.!•}I-'R�.. • - l . jJ►• 't� of �`1 r-1{• S`�' �. � •4d""� Cam'. -•r 4� ` , h, _ i .�,..• '". .. _ ++.,• _ � ti. r„�l fit'' � r'._Y • •-; yt � .. .• Ift Is A* i Y,� i�t .rw of S. .r ..'`��•�, * * -'�b'7i � � teal tl••- 1 _ .`1tt. � _� � = _ w,�� - �t� �+'.� •.��' _- `-. r /.' r- a - t - �,�, • f M Downtown i TABLE OF CONTENTS Page �7 �7 i FOREWORD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . so . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 ACKNOWLEDGMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 MEMBERSOF THE PANEL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 I I HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PANEL'S REPORT . . . . . . . . . . . • • . . . . . • . . . . . • . . 17 BACKGROUND OF THE HUNTINGTON BEACH STUDY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 INTLODUCTORY REMARKS BY JOSEI.11 W. LUND, CHAIRMAN OF THE PANEL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 I LAND USE AND POPULATION DENSITIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ease . . . . . 25 ! CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 TRANSPORTATION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CIVICCENTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . a . . . . . . . . . . . 41 DOWNTOWN AREA LEVELOPMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 REA:H ARi:A DEVELOPMENT. . . . . to . . . . . . . oases . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 OILORDINANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT . . . . . . . . : . . . . : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 PARKS AND RECREATION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 IMPLEMENTATION AND COMMUNITY ACTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : . . . 59 APPENDLX A — DISCUSSION OF THE PANEL'S REPORT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 LAND USE AND POPULATION DENSITIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 SIGNCONTROL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 LIBRARY FACILITIES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 TRANSPORTATION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 . . a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 CIVICCENTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [ . . . . . . . . . 65 DOWNTOWN REDEVELOPMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 3 i l page URDA14RENEWAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . a8 ]BEACH AREA DEVELOPMENT. . . . . . . . . OILREVENUES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 071 LANDSCAPINGOIL INSTALLATIONS. . . • • . • • . • • • • • • • • • • j • • • • • • • ' 71 INDUSTRIALDEVELOPMENT . . . . . . . . . . • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • 71 INDUSTRIALZONINGS. . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 71 IMPLEMENTATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 APPENDIX B - QUESTIONS Z EL 3 IANS V BY THE SPONSOR (WITIi INDEX • 75 TO THE PA LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS • . . . . . . . . . • • . . 2 Frontispiece - Mwntown Huntington Beach, Looking Northwest onh`ca h Figure I - Geographic Relatonship Between Huntington aLd Other Urban Areas in Orange Cow�ty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Figure 2 - Original Townsite and Present City Limits of Huntington Beach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Figure 3 - Huntington Beach, California . . . . . . . . . . . • • • 14 • • • • . . • • . . • • • • 18 4 - oil and the Beach . • • . . • . • . • • � • • • • . • • • . • . Figure 20 Figure 5 - Huntington Harbour. . . . . . . . . . • . • . . . • . • • ^� Figure G - Study Area Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sees . . . . Figure 7 - Single Family Residential Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . :s2 . . . . . . j - ortation Arteries and Facilities. . . . . . . . • • • • • • • • • • • ' ' 36 i Figure 8 Transp Figure 9 - Alternative Civic Center Sitos . . . . . 0 . . • . • . • . • • . . • . ' . • • • . •40 I Figure 10 - Downtown . . . $ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 . . . . . . . . . . Figure 11 - Surfing at Huntington Beach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . • • • • . ,46 4 Figu 48 Figure 12 - Beach Activity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • • • • • . . . . . • . Figure.13 - Oil Areas—Cleanup and Beautification N?cded. . . . . . . . • . • . ' .52 . • . . • . S4 Figure 14 - Lndustry sec fiuutington Beach . . . . . . . . . . . . • • . • . . • • . . • • • 1 i 4 FOREWORD At the request of the City of Huntington Beach, California, a Panel of the Urban Land Institute conducted r.a on-the-ground study of Huntington Beach, November 29- December 3, 1965. The purporq of the panel study was to review various problems of land use, planning and development and to suggest means of solving them. At the con- clusion of their investigations on Friday, December 3, 1965, inumbers of tho Panel presented their findings and recommendations to the Sponsor and invited guests at a public meeting In the Sheraton Beach Inn, Huntington Beach, California. This report forms a permanent record of the Panel's proposals. This is .the 59th panel study the Institute has undertaken since the service was initiated in 15.47. The 13 men relected to serve on the Huntington Beach Panel were chosen because of their outstanding knowledge and accomplishments in various phases of urban development, including: urban planning, zoning and redevelopment; real estate investment and property management; tourist and recreational development; shopping center planning, development and management; industrial park development; plant loca- tion; economic consulting; residential development; and other related activities. These businessmen contribute their time and knowledge to this and other ULI work without personal remuneration. Urba,i Land Institute was established in 1936 as an independent, nonprofit research and educational organization to study and rejwrt on trends affecting urban real property and to advance research and education in the planning, development and rebuilding of urban areas. Three CoEmeils implement this work: the Central City Council; the Com- munity Builders' Council; and the Industrial Cowmil. Membership of the .Panel which'conducted the,Huntington Peach study was drawn from all three ULI Cou.nci►s. The study is representative of the action phase of the Institute'e broad program to improve the standards wad t rhr_iques of planning and developing urban ln.nd, It is hoped that the following observations and recommendations will help correct existing land use problems; guide future growth in HuntV.-gton Beach into compatible and harmonious patterns; and unite the husiners, governmental and civic leadership strongly behind an action program which will benefit the entire nommunity, 5 t f I ACKNOWLEDGMENT The Urban Land Institute wishes acknowledge Planning Department, and the work done by the City of Huntington 13 , special ULI Liaison Committee in formulating the questions and preparing the comprehensive two-volume Advance Kits which were forwarded to the Panel members prior to this study. Special mcognition is due Air. Jake R. Stewart, City Councilman an'd Chairman of the ULI ITAaison Committee; Dr. Henry Kaufman, fast Chair- nian, the Huntington Beach Planning Commission and Vice-Chairman of the Liaison Committee; Air. Loyle Miller, City Administrator; Air. Kenneth A. Reynolds, Planning Director; and Air. John L. Costello, Administrative Analyst. IndividURI members of the ULI Liaison Committee, the staff of the Huntington Beach Planning Department, the directors of various departments of the City government, and Air. George T. ShL'ridan, Assistant to the Vice Prooldent, Huntington Beach Company, are to be commended for the excel- lent work and willing assistance they so generously contributed to this study. Further thanks are duo the many city and county officials, business and civic leaders, the Chamber of Commerce, community organizations and citizens who cooperated with the Panel and were so hospitable throughout the entire ULI study. I 6 i } n i I i f MEMBERS OF THE PANEL JOSEPH IV. LUND of Boston, Clialiman of the Panel, is president of R, At Bradley and Company, Inc., (one of the largest general realty firms in Now Eng- � lsnd), a past president of the Urban Land Institute and of the National Association of Real Estate Boards and a former chairman of the Boston Redevelopment Au- thority. Air. Lund is a member of the Central City Council izad a trustee of ULI. ROjVALD L, CAMPBELL of Sapi Mateo, a professional city planner,is executive vice president of the David D. Bohannon Organization, a community development firm which has developed high quality communities(residential areas,shopping centers, and industrial parks) throughout the San Francisco Bay area. Air. Campbell is a member of ULI's Community Builders Council. U. A. DENICER of Wichita, formerly president and vice chairman of the board of Thu Wheeler Kelly & liagny Investment Company (developers of The Village and The Midland Industrial Properties in Wichita), is a real estate broker and counse or specializing in real estate investment and development. For many years he has served an a memberof the ULICentral City Council and is a trustee of the Institute. CARL .R. DORTCH of Indianapolis is executive vice president of the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce. fie formerly directed the Chamber's governmental re- search activities and served as budget consultant to the U. S. Senate in hearings on national defense appropriation requests. Air. Dortch is a member of the ULI ' Central City Council and is a trustee of the Institute. ROY P.' DRACHAfAN of Tucson is the owner of the Roy Draehman Realty Company which, in partnurship with the Del E. Webb Corporation, has developed a number of shopping centers h. Arizona and Southern California. Ire is chairman of the ULI Community Builders ^ouncil and a trustee of the Institute. EARL D. HOLLINSHEAD of Pittsburgh is mansgerof John W. Galbreath&Company, Pittsburgh. He formerly headed the Real Estate Division of the U. S. Steel Cor- poration and was largely responsible for selecting the site of the Fairless Works In Morristown, Pennsylvania. Air. Hollinshead is chairman of the ULI Industrial Council and a vice president and trustee of the Institute. RICHARD Al. HURD of New York City is president of ffurd & Company, Inc., a real estate consulting firm which specializes in financing shopping centers, commercial and industrial properties and lease purcha3c transactions. Mr. Hurd is a trustee of the Institute and a member of the Community Builders Council. f IVILLIAM F. MORTON of San Francisco is vice president and general manager of the Crocker Estate Company and the Crocker Land Company, developers of in- d,istrial parks, commercial and residential properties in the Bay Area. Air. Morton if, a member of ULI's Industrial Council. 7 • 1 I i IIUNTER AIOSS of Allaud Is a real estate counselor and mortgage banker, heading his own firm, Bunter Moss & Company, and was formerly vice chairman of the Baltimore Urban Renewal and liousing Agency. fie is chairman of the Central City Council, and a vice president and trustee of the Institute. ROBERT T, MAIMS of Oakland is president of R. T. Nahas Company and other cor- porations engaged inland development, construction, and general contracting. As president of Coliseum, Inc., he paved the way for Oakland's new $30 million sta- dium and arena complex currently under construction. Ali', Nahas is president of Urban Land Institute. WILX,ARD G. ROUSE of Baltimore is executive vice president anddirectorof James W. Rouse 8z Company, Inc., and Community lleseareh anti Development, Inc., (a research and development firm specializing in shopping centers). The latest residential project undertaken by the Rouse interests is the totally-planned com- munity of Columbia in Howard County, Maryland. Mr. Rouse is co-vice chairman of the Community Builders Council and a trusteo of the Institute. STUART P. IVALSH of Sail Fsnncisco is president of Development Planning Asso- ciates, Inc., an economic consulting firm specializing In community development, land use, market research, and location analysis. Air. Walsh is a member of the Industrial Council and a trustee of the Institute. RICHARD S. WILMS of Boston is senior vice president of the New England Alutual I fe Insurance Company, director of the Norfolk County Trust Company, a member of the Boston Real Estate Board and the American Institute of Real Estate Ap- praisers. Mr. Willis Is a member of ULI's Central City Council. Staff of Urban Land Institute for the Huntington Beach Study J. Ross McKeever,Associate Director, Urban Land Institute Rnbert E, Boley, Director, Central City and Industrial Programs Jerry S. Church, Central City and Industrial Programs SPONSOR OF THE STUDY THE CITY OF HUNTINGTON BCA.CH, CALIFORNIA. B HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PANEL'S REPORT The following is a summary of the major findings and conclusions of the Panel. Complete statements of the Panel's reeommendGtions appear in the "Findings, Con- elusions and Recommendations" section of this report, pages 21--61. LAND USE AND POPULATION DENSITIES Upgrading Use and Value of Residential Laud To upgrade the use and value of the eity's residential land, the present subdivi- sion standards should be revised to provide for: • A city-wide street tree planting program; • Larger lot sixes In some areas; 0 Underground utilities; 0 Variation In front yard setback requirements to break tip the present grid pat- tern of streets; ° Variation in right-of-way widths acid paving standards to permit "planned com- munity" and "cluster" developments. Pacific Coast Highway To improve Huntington beach's "front yard,'' the Panel recommends that through persuasion or by any other legal means the folloµ fag initial Improvements be required: • More attra--tive landscaping on the part of all property owners along the Pacific Coast Highway; • Screening by plantings and walls all unsightly oil tanks, equipment and appurte- nant structures; • Refurbishing and painting of the fronts of most commercial buildings; • More attractive architectural design for buildings on the beach; * More thoughtful choice of colors in all buildings, even the lifeguard stands; • Planting of trees, shrubbery, vines and flowers along the wall on the ocean side of the highway. Sign Control The Panel recommends that the City adopt and rigidly enforce the proposed sign control ordinance recently prepared by the City Planning Commission. Beach Boulevard Beach Boulevard is the present principalnorth-south artery and will continue to be a very important access route to the heart of the city, its beach area and the Civic Center. Wherever legally possible, the City should: 9 1 i In, MAfI�>.1 .'6'j- 1 • J ....�J IV I 1 4 F r lullf$41 D+�I*LANo U(NA EA.rjr CVPAEIS - . J •� - 11aA GAeO[N GNOVE �• Y � 4 �(� �r!91`• /`F SEAL. wE{TWNiTEII •riJN Ih5 __ ./ � .• •1 � �r�r • �Ira,. r � I ;it � �r.''s ,�. kEr1•dlT �ACN ^ 1 �1 •' 1 �,t' tea,,•./•'.� �t�.. •ram- '/ / � 1{ , � _ f,Aauui�eEAa� � �. .,�•I• r , TIN ANIA if I SAN GUNENiE �... LaE Angeles _ 0 O , Son Diego Figure 1 —Geographic Relationship Between Huntinglon Beach and Other Urban Areas In Orange County 10 i I ' • Control the proliferation of signs; • Discourage the impMactical and uneconomical strip zoning of properiy for com- mercial )purposes; • Upgrade and stiffen the building codes and fire codes to encourage the con- struction of better urid more permanent commercial structures; • Channel traffic at important street intersections and lirdii exc essivc curb cuts; • Encourage the construction of shopping areas integrated with other uses; • Require ndequa+e off-street parking for all new bus±ness establishments; • Adopt a service station architectural control ordinance withprovision for design and location approval by a City construction permit for any future service sta- tions Wilt In Huntington Beach. CAPITAL IMPROVEMEN15 PROGRAM Bonding Limit The general obligation bonding portion of the capital improvements program should be held to not more then $14 million,or approximately 50 percent of the allowable bond- ing margin at this time. Capital tmplZuetnettl Prios•ilies In general, the Panel would grant a high priority to nearly all the items included on the City's five-year program, especially basic municipal services such as: •E;,Iension of water facilities; •Good drainage; •Improved streets and highways; •Adequate, attractive and efficient municipal offices; •A sufficient numller of fire stations, library facilities, and recreational areas. A possible addition to the priority list for immediate attention might be certain beach improvement projects. Future planning should include some aspects of urban renewal in the downtown area. On the other hond, projects within the five-year program to be funded by general obligation bonds should be confined to land and improvements. Equipment which will not have a usable life for the duration of the indebtedness should be excluded. The Panel has serious reservations about including the proposed district park, especially the 120-acre golf course and 15-acre driving range, in the improvement program and recommends that it receive further critical review. (As now shown, it would absorb 40 percent of the proposed bonded indebtedness.) Federal Fiords Neither a'blanket dental nor total acceptance of all federal programs'is warranted or desired.1 Each program and each projieat should be carefully examined and the degree t of involvement or noninvolvement of other agencies(county,state, and federal) should be ^IEditor'a Note. For a complete one volume guide to all ledera! services, grants, contracts, programs, financing, leases, research, loans, etc., see; Encyclopedia of U.S. Government Venclits, published by William 11. Wise & Co., 336 Mountain Rd., Union City, New Jersey, 1,034 pages, $11.95. 11 I I 1 ' t 3 tt t j t' ., I I OR IGINAL IGIN Al. T 0 W N5 IT!: Pfi E S 1:NT CIT Y Y October is 1965 Prepared 'by Huntington Beach Planning Department Figure 2 —Original Townsits and Present City Limits of Huntington Beach 12 i 1 determir. :1 In establishing the ralati,a merits of speeifle,programs. Decisions to apply r' for or reject specific federal programs should be based on such individual examinations. TRANSPORTATION The Panel recommends that the City: • Plan for the installation of a median strip separation to provide left-turn storage lane capacity for all major and secondary highways; • Design the traffic signal system so it will ultimately provide for synchronized signals; • Develop and install a tuliform street lighting system; S Commence city-wide tree and shrub planting alur..K the major thoroughfares starting with tilt commercial areas; • Resirict to the greatest extent possible the location and length of 3urb cuts; • Prohibit curb parking during the peal: traffic hours when traffic volulres justify such -.-urtallnient. "Beach Freeway" The Panel recommends that the alihaiment for the "Beach Freeway" be estab- lished in the most westerly Incation (i.e., to the west of Goldemvest Street), Mr•.Zdoidark Airport The City should take reasonable steps to encourage the improvement and possible e-Vansion of Meadowlark Airport. However, the City of Huntington Beach would not be ;ustifled in building and maintaining a publicly-owned airport of this character because there are oth--r more urger ly needed improvementa which must be financed with the funds availabl,.1. CIVIC CENTER All municipal activities (except district fire stations and branch libraries) should be concentrated in , one loostion. A dowritoivli'-cite should he file community's fireL cholae for a Civic Center to house these functions. This area could become the city s ront ewor and, as such, wood create the new h Huntington Beach image. An immediate start should be made to determine the project's financial feasibility, both with and without the assistance of the federal urban renewal program. DOWNTOWN REDEVELOPMENT The downtown area of Huntington litaeh2 can and should be.rejuvenated. As noted above, the downtown area.,la the best .site for the Civic Center if a suitable amount of land can be made available to aocommodate a combination Civic Center with con- comitant parkins area and adowntown shopping c en ter. Such development would augment and complement the City's beach development program. Thecommunity should seriously consider the use of a federal urban renewal program to redevelop the downtown area. j `it shoulei be recognized that lluntington Beach never has had, and probably never will have, a dominant, fully- j developed central business district. 13 ` 1$ 1 T t n.� t'r Y ' . i+•�- It .� -. . ,'. ,t� ',�.• , `- '` .u'I,.� /•t•44i1•`y'1"% i r•1 v .f• i♦ • li f •�� w'. - ��^ � ' f,. "!`�'�'• .,,+A [��,t*�'fj�s�ii`'dJ.'+c��-�7„otlr,y�,���y�'.cax)ry� ►'.E�r��/.'VC�',j•L.i M... �. �+w. .m . .:sws t .'r•n ✓ ;a .� "{r5!�y s1^ rT�.-fir ,. 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J fa'�`� 1+�Iz�► ���,Yt �' ► ` ^'�.�^ �}, pis • �#�y � ti'r•L1� try-' \ � tip`"� li�:�t`t :���j '1�1;�1� .�,.,�� t'�"'"lXt�`z.�-. ----..._ (! ; I }+ ��24.E t�}�".�,• ►•}•.� w'iv -ay �.'T" '' •k,. �}f{� 7 . 1�'> ) 1` � ay�`.L� I� �.\,�i+ '.\1j�jr,C�,,+rN�•fr�t+;��mi>.,.�� 11�{�T,,.l�������� lw��;���-�........L �t ..z, , • ti'� — Looking tlor�hwest(Southern Caliiarnia t:dfson Stoom Generating Plant in Foraglound) 1' '. ~ W' ��«"�`y3yJ•.�;....,S:�w-��•�ti��ttX1:�1.'`Lv-�,"`��.�'..'r te•-n •L:>' � ,'t i'� 1�:' J.+!'�'�+"'r'�e"r `'`Jt.'".�`�'".�'�'Yi�r..�•-�'t''.1,,�,+�\.�y:,,�`7�'-�;.'^y �'!-� �•►ar � ,..�i.t��.♦..Ay�yl * "Y!..• '•� air-a '�:�rK�_'GT •!S `:art ,., �a•1,: w•j,, I r tL�J• � ;\ r. S�:Sit wG� .!.•u` .a' L rtl .'�r Looking Sautlicast (Hoy.:giber 1961) i ►'j 3'` �s�, +'" i1" •�taW r`, t Courlrrly Pacific Alt 14d071042 (� AN .41 `90 ,*�4k'L *I;*'+ : !: vJ„L'f • ^, �tT t�tr•+-,���;�`�ry�'�•�,44r37i'.�� i .,x.►l�iq,"�_ �cv�,•i�r ,r � t '�,�}•{] ,� �'�",..s . .. L `a. f'!'►� 'y`f!"c�f: ',�yrty.�,.•� •` r.�yy.'1' ���� f•\- 1 Y,.t i 1'`(►%' rt�. ~�h� � +.IY:'r�'`Ga'�'i",""''�`4�• ? .�' .A w / �a«� ,;.� l Cle {>�' +'!�'"�� i ,'.i^., i��,�►��y+'' �.'i 'I n�.�F r ram''�,��`�t�� �,`F.��t�j�tf�k't' bb��',�••n. W '�'� � � \• ..:a:+" fd.3r� :�•'�• . .C'':w� ..:t` tY•riiri� �� ��=tv�'�-' I Ctit�.'by�� .��;y. r• r FIGURE 3 - HUNTINGTON BrEACH, CALIFORNIA �.1 BEACH AREA DEVELOPMENT Public Use As an overall philosophy, the Panel believes that the public should not be denied the right to use the sand beach area throughout its entire eight and one-halt mile length, subject to just compensation being paid to private property owners. Furthoumre, the right of private owners to develop their properties should not be denied, but with cer- tain liinitations.a No private development should be permitted southeast of the Nlunicipal Pier on the ocean side of the Pacific Coast Ilighway. Upgrading the Use curd Development of the Beach To assure that tile Imago of the eight and one-half miles of beach will be upgraded and developed to its hIghost and best potential, the Panel recommends that the City; o Commission a study and master plan for the entire beach area; • Acquire for public purpus s the Paeifiu Electric hallway right-of-way adjacent to publicly-owned beach areas when it is no longer In use by the railroad. OIL Oft' iv4110E The City should adopt and diligently enfort:. :he proposed oil ordinance to control oil production practices. Provisions should be nl ot; in the code for the beautification of off-shore drilling platforms to bring their appearan,:-r to that of true islands with no visible chara0p.ristics of an off-shore rig. INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPME14T Any action timetable for the development of industrial land in ii:citington Beach should recognize that: a Industrial development of land in the oil producing areas can boat proceed:,ter the cleanup, consolidation, and general improvement program (recommeiW, for this area) has been substantially cumpleted. • The timing of an agressive industrial development program for land in Hunting- ton Beach (far enough away from the oil fields so ns not;to bo affected by oil field problems) depends on how soon it is possible to make such land competitive (both in price and availability) with comparable property in nearby industrial parks and tracts. The Fanel recommends that a portfolio of sites in Huntington Deach be prepared which includes full property descriptions and firm prices, together with commitments to Nell or lease on short notice. Huntington Beach must be sure it can deliver land at competitive priccis before spending money on an industrial development promotion program. O The beach should not only become self-supporting, but beach aetivitioe should be managed in such a way that they produce a "profit" and become a significant contributor to the city's economic base. Some method should be devised to make i 3This Is nut to be interpreted as an uttempt to deny a privute owner's right to develop his beach property, so long its such devrlopment does not preclude access to the beach and to the occhn by the ;eneral public. 15 1 1 i nonresident beach users bear the maintennnee and service costs of the beach, Such income could make possible the sale of revenue bonds for acquisition of the Pacific Electric Railway right-of-way strip southeast of the. lliunicipal Pier. With regard to changes in existing Industrial zones, the Pancl offers tho follow- obscrvationu: • If the Huntington Beach Freeway is located west,of Goldenwcst Street, this would make possible the establishment of n "Central Industrial Belt" (zoned for restricted manufacturing) hounded by Edinger Avenue on tic north, Gnrfield Avenue on the south, the railroad on 0e cast, and the Freeway on the west. Deeause of I:s close proximity to the beach, the present Southeast Industrial Area, south of Atlanta Aitenuc between Beach Boulevard and Cannery Street, Is more suited tn „esidential use, PARKS AND RECREATION The City should continue its current policy of buying small neighborhood tracts for park land us the acreage becomes available. At least three more recreation centers of alxjut 10,000 square feet each are needed in close proximity to proposed school sites. IMPLEMENTATION AND COMMUNITY ACTION To implement the Panel's :ac:ommcndatlons, an ofVc±nl steering commitee of five or Peven representative citizens should be formed. Among those who assume the pri- mary responsibility should be the top executives of major industrial and commercial enterpriaes. Also, neighborhood groups and home owners associations should be in- volved in a community development program for Huntington Beach. 1G • BACKGROUND OF THE ULI PAMEL STUDY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIFORNIA Growth Huntington Beach, California, situated approximately 35 miles southeast of Los Angeles and 90 miles northwest of San Diego is one of the fastest growing urban areas in the United States. Incorporated on February 17, 1909 no a town of 815 people and 3.57 square miles, Huntington Beech grew to a population of 3,690 in 1930, largely as a result of the "oil boom" of the early twenties. however, it was rot until the late 1950s that the city began to exparienee Pn most rapid growth, Several large ntuiexations (totaling 20.15 square miles) took place from 1057 through 190, bringing the city's land area to 24.8G square miles. The 1900 census of population credited the city with 11,492 people—a substantial increase over 1950, but only a faint indication of the inundation which was to follow. Between April 1960 and September 1005 the population of the City of Huntington Beach, now comprising 20.13 square miles exploded to nn estimated 74,572—an increase of 549 percent. By 1070 the population of the city is projected to total 132,000, or an increase of well over 1,000 percent for the decade. TABLE I POPULATION OF THE CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIFORNIA-. 1910-1965 ' Year City Population Increase Percent Increase 1910 815 »- 1920 1,687 872 107% 1930 3,000 2,003 119 1940 3,738 48 1 1950 5,237 1,499 40 1960 11,492 0,255 119 1965* 74,572* 03,080* 549** *Estimate by the City of luntington Beach Planning Department. **Five-year increase (based on 1065 estimate). Oil and the .Beach More than anything else, two natural endowments have created the "Huntington Beach Image". One, a surface resource, gave rise to the city's name and, in the long rout, is the community's most priceless asset;the other, an underground (and under sea) resource, gave the city an wonomlc base and trigGered its first population "boom". 17 I � tt Yi.Y t::T�`'-'• J� ' � k�a'i,�• •• ! ,� 1 1 I t � ter aft • , 1 N-Th � , `, •. 11 tw.� •raw „_.' f ��L(,,'�ygY�jj�w Y� .';j(yJ, ,�� t Nt'� �_1�' • tr .u.r l+,ir�'"'`=Mr 7 �l _ l• ��.* l y3t k�:tf.+ "��t i w M. i�, . V .,gTr .,.;•:�k ? a ..(� .y.�� ..��•+ s• � ice.-'�S'",- Ay�y;.��� 11,��] � • ; �: t [�l�� c y� _ �f�•��i�yr�/t j."�4{�IIK�:�"'l� +S�i�:S n I"fy �"i�l, •���j�'� �� V',�,,iif' 'I•ir�. �w `.��) ! 11 {!••, !�{"ti y AC �t„�*9 >''�4.R7 , ' �.J.. �.���L:;/;;'�,,.•?�la�.`�e,V*si�'7!..�r" 1+ Vi.•Mwr•. Z• Lam.J;+tY• r'r� )�w,����l�����. 4 ''1��',►� ; .� �'f�t=r''"''�� �tw-L:i-j��jj�i�X�.y��f�`..jN.��,1 �+ .� y 't�M ••'` . Y ;tom . '.}'v /�Yl�p �A� ;i. .'�'SM ;� �� t �• '.\� F ^'�4�,fir.,• � z�?��.f�„•-,,atllti l.F:« :ij3 i� iysl! _ ,ti -�^ e•+� fir" ,+ Ir; r �Al�r�� �12 ��� Lv -I: 4 Ala d •R+ j I i y 1 Figure 4 Oil and the Beach 1 1$ ; i Beth have shaped the city's past and present, mid continue: to influence Its future; both dominate the landscape, either unchallenged (where they are far enough removed from one another) or in competition with each ether (where they shnre common ground). Most cities would be content to have either a beautiful beach or producing oil i wells—luntington Beach har both. Consequently, both must be protected (sometimes one from the other), on the one hand, and developed to their highest potential, on the other. Therein lies the paradox. Problems i The type of unbridled growth the City of Huntington Beach is now experiencing, and will continue to experience in the years ahead, brings acuto "growing pains". Add to these the problems of accommodating large numbers of beach users and drawing up and enforcing an ordinance to control and clean up unsightly oil producing and storage facilities, and It becomes el.:ar that growth,oil and the beach are not unmixed blessings. i i It was a thorough consideration of these and many other problems that prompted the City of Huntington Beach to request the Urban Land Institute to conduct a panel study of the city. Specifically, the City asked that a ULI panel rcvic%v proposals and make recommendations on the following broad topics (for a complete listing of the sponsor's questions, see Appendix B): • Land Uae and Population Densities (master plan, zoning, etc.) • Capital Improvements (budget, priorities, federal assistance, etc.) • Traneportation (freeways, highways, streets, airport development, etc.) 0 Civic Center (location, acreage, functions, financing, etc.) a Downtown Development (Should one be created? Where? Size? Ifow?) a Peach Area Development (upgrading, control, parking, financing, etc.) • Oil Ordinance (desf rability of proposed code, enforcement, etc.) Industrial Development (program, types of industry, industrial zoning, etc.) IN Parka and Recreation (policy, need, location, financing, etc.) Implicit in any consideration of the above topics (though not specifically requested by the sponsor), is the task of developing a means of Implementing whatever recom- mendations the Panel might propose. Hence, "Implementation`` became the concluding section of the Panel's report. ULI Panel Study Urban Land Institute assembled a 13-man Panel, selected from all three of its Councils (Central City, Community Builders and Industrial), to study and make recom- mendations on tl:e problems submitted by the sponsor. Three weeks prior to their on-the-ground investigations of Huntington Beach, the Panel members received a two- I volume advance kit prepared by the City's ULI Liaison Committee and the Planning Depa-tment. The advance, kits contained general background information and pertinent data on the subjects to be studied. Thus, the Panel members arrived with a compre- hensive understanding of the basic tests relating to the City of Huntington Beach and its development problems. a On Monday morning, November 29, 1905, the Panel met with representatives of the City Council, the Planning Department, the ULI Liaison Committee, and other local people familiar with the planning, land use and development problems of Ituntgngton Bench. They provided the Panel additional detailed information on local conditions and technical cor,4derattons pertinent to the study questions, Following; the briefing session, the Panel took a field Inspection tour of the oily to understand better the magnitude of the problems submitted for review, Ilellcopter trips were also arranged for Panel niettibers to provide a clearer visual impression of the I city's geographic relationship ;,) the greater Los Angeles-Long Butch-Orange County { i area, i I Throughout the remainder of the week the Pancl members, individually and in ? teams, held impromptu interviews with knowledg;enblo local authorities,visited numerous residential, commercial and industrial developments In and around the city, analyzed further the problems submitted by the sponsor, and formulnted their conclusions. I On Friday, December 3, 1905, the Panel members presented their findings, and recomniendatIons to the sponsor and the citizens of Iiuntington Beach at a public tneet- Lng; In the Sheraton Beach Inn. Following the formal presentation, the meeting was devoted to an open discussion of the rel,ort and the Panel members answered questions submitted from the floor (Appendix A), The report which follows presents the findings, conclusions and recommendations t of the Panel on ways to solve, or at least mitigate, many of the growth problems being; faced by the City of Iluntington Beach. 1 f '. . i� Y � gfr�� 4,, 1 �I-cam • •� "�;• I�i�n�i� �r�! '..'1 . +wti7 i•� ,�fY'�� � `fit 7 �,,. L 1 • r af• L f moo, -»1 `s� Id + = • 7 '• fi,� ( ,� ! `^ ' t .1 a f Yam•! � � ��. -1 A'���.i� �• t•�r-�~"-'►'. y: /� � �" r.-� �7/J'",�C'.)''lna.v'�h ,!X''e..^�i Ili r.�/C•i1�.wZ'.tyN�Tyr�,y... ^j t,�j � r �+'i }a'`L"kk1-•r 4lr �j!ii zzjj•if •Y ,i �<.11 /,•1'l•��f.�:("44 r awI r C.j,,: �r v r' �7rp•t k rl 07`4;fij.: w 7 w, .(!'•ri yll,h� ly �rI � �.'�1J � ��.--�.«,..r.....f:t �1'�wy.--1 lY1 ♦ 7 1� t � r:1 �(I :�t,+i,lfal�; 1 l l:�l- t*' 1 a5`tiL 4 'J�H� '�S '�."«•—�.1 LYx .«��1+t t i3 + ` � t r I Pt t.{ ��-t S�".�1�1 t.�t �it �r.�1 w,Ft r� _b L�---•' ��.�-w :11(1( it- :r }•,t. Z1 7t �t �^a . (:L a t,w'.'MJft ,t.:..N lI � W� . i+•`. _ tSC. .7t.f �;ff 1 + th.t i� � 7. .t..yit �. wY rx•h., .r. . 1�...j Figure 5 — Huntington Harbour 1 20 I i FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS INTRODUCTORY REMARKS i by Joseph IV. Lund, Chairman of the Pastel Urban Land Institute, through its Panel members, wishes to commend the City of Huntington Beach for Its enterprise In making this report possible. ltarely has a panel been accorded such close cooperation from all levels of municipal and business leader- ship. What scvmed an Impossible task has been accomplished in a ninnner that the Panel hopes will Justify the CIty's confidence I:i hnvingexpended the effort, plus the hard cash, to bring a ULI Panel to Huntington Beach. Although probably there will not be complete agreement with all of the Panel's conclusions, the findings are based on information provided either by the sponsor or gained through the personal observations and investi- gations of the Panel members. The City Is Iinage The: City of Huntington Beach has nccomplished miracles In ubsorbing and guiding the community's recent fantastic growth. In apite of severe handicaps such as oil blight, costly expansion of necessary service systems, and a mixture of resort activities with permanent, year-round residence, the results to date are remarkable. The image of Huntington Bench is changing and is going to be further changed from that of a "honky tonk" bench strip, bordered by unsightly oil installations, to a desirable, well-rounded community offering attractive residential amenities to 65,000 nowpeople in the last five years, with more to come. The city's development image is gradually being upgraded from the temporary trailer camp to the well-planned neighborhood for upper middle-income permanent residents. The continuous and rapid improvement of concept and design In the single- family house area has been unusual. Some of the earlier experiments have suffered from lack of proper market analysis and poor basic layout, but the detrimental effects from these shortcomings seem rather minimal in the broader view of the community as a whole. Details of the Panel's opinions on planning and municipal managomentwill be brought out in the body of this report. The following comments call attention to the fact that economic factors and long-term improvementof the City's tax base require special study In depth. Surphis Tav Resources When a community Is growing primarily for residential purposes, it requires a disproportionate share of high-priced homes to pay for expensive services such as schools, police and fire protection, and street maintenance. Over the long-term, most i 21 j i� I communities must seek special, economically productive commercial and industrial facilities that produce substantial tax revenue in excess of the coot of services provided. In the cities from which most of the Panel members come, the contral business district fins traditionally supplied 25 to 30 percent of property tax revenue while con- suming only about five percent of the total cost of government. Major industries, either singly or collectively, pay tuxes from which a municipal profit has been reaped. These plus factors offset the rising costs of supporting schools and providing the municipal housekeeping costs needed for proper servicing of the widespread raiddential sections. In larger cities, the cost of welfare for under-privileged citizens has become a serious burden that Huntington Beach has not yet had to face, and, it is hoped, will not have to face to any large extent In the future. Huntington Beach now has three major sources of plus revenue. The most obvious is the mammoth plant of the Southern California Edison Company which pays the City and County large revenues while needing minimal services from the municipal and county governments. A future expansion will add anotherImportant sum on the plus side of the ledger. i The plant of the Douglas Space Systems Division Is another similar source of tax revenue. It should be pointed out, too, that the high payroll of the Douglas facility is another important factor in the economy of Huntington Beach, though the Panel has no knowledge of the percentage of Its employees who live in the city. One possible dis- advantage of such a plant is its vulnerability to sudden changes In technology and opera- tions that could radically reduce its employment and taxpaying capability. Until recently, the oil industry was the principal source of plus revenue. It will continue to be an important revenue producer for many years. It is hoped that much of Its blighting effect on surrounding land values will be reduced in the future by enforce- ment of the City's proposed new all code and through wholehearted community coopera- tion in creating a better image for its residents and the, millions who pasa through Huntington Beach or come to enjoy Its beaches. Netu Qttality Developments Eme iging Assets Y It appears to the Panel that the Huntington Harbour development will create a new important plus factor, especially if (as indicated) much of its population will be in residence only for the summer season. Seasonal facilities may cause some problems, but they do not burden the community with school costs. The concept of a high value Improvement, which is apparent in the success of Huntington Harbour, contributes a new concept of values to the whole city. From what the Panel has learned about the Huntington Beach Company's plans, we believe the development of this eompany's large acreage will give another boost to the profit side of the municipal ledger. Huntington Center,the regional shopping center now under construction, will bring substantial plus revenue to the City and County through ad valorem and sales taxes. The CBD A MissingAsset 1, The traditional importance of a central business district was mentioned earlier. { It Is the Panel's firm opinion that no such revenue producing complex is likely to develop on the scale that one would expect In a city the elze of Huntington Beach. But the city will have supplementary profitable bhopping areas, which are all to the good. It will i 22 f i I have substantial growth in office uses, which are also helpful. But lire special benefits I from a large central concentration of high-rise structures for all types of commerce and cultural activities, do not seem, to be an achievable goal for Huntington Reach. i The city may have industrial growth sooner or later, If certain deficiencies are corrected. Specific prospects and suggestions brimprovementinthis field are covered in the industrial development section of the report. 1 The Beach A?i Untapped Asset j Before oil, there was Huntington Ber.ch, Perhaps becauscof the oil discovery, the j beach tins lagged ns n municipal naset forthe last..10 years. In various areas where the (I Panel members have had experience, many desL: able resort and permanent residential communities have been created from the slim base of a strip of shore front. In Huntington Beach the strip Is long anti has magnificent potentials, Without some development assistance boon the Panel feels that because of mnny unusual factors it could become more of a linbiltty than an asset. The Panel was told that scarcely 18 percent of the total use of the beach is by residents of the city. As the population of Southern California grows, tills ratio will probably diminish in spite of the city's continuing growth, People from all parts of Southern California will demand the right to use the beach, The Huntington Beach of the future •gill depend on the community malting wise decisions now which will make this natural resource an economic and nestlietic asset for the City and Orange County. Looking to the Trthwe The next ten years will tell whether or not Huntington Bunch will become a per- manently thriving community. The Panel's comments and recommendations are keyed to the future, not to the past. This Urban Lnnd Institute report represents the concensus of a 13+-member panel. Each Individual has contributed his time, knowledge and convictions. Even though dif- ferences of individual opinion are a prime stock In trade of Urban Land Institute panels, . resolving varying convictions and bringing any differences into a unified, consistent report has been part of the chairman's function. The members of the Panel trust that their consolidated findings will help guide future growth and foster continued pro3pority In the City of Huntington Beach. i I l II 23 I i STUDY AREA INDEX LAND USE \ j AND MASTER PLAN OF LAND USE Ll% 77t I _ l I i I I NI CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH oC -- 049.01C coustr CIMIO SIA Z NN ' 1 r r r r i Figure 6 — Study Area lodex { i 4 2 i Y r 1 r P i i LAND USE AND POPULATION DENSITIES Evalimlloft of the Master Plau of Laid Use Before attempting to evaluate the master plan as presented to the Panel, it should be noted that a total plan has not yet been completed and land uses for certain large areas (ouch as Zone 6) have not been finally determined.) For some time to come the predominant land use in Huntington Beach will be single-family dwellings. However, the City must soon allocate zoned areas for a well- balanced community and take a firm hand In requiring adherence to a sound and flexible muster plan of land rises. There will be a futureneed for plan-ned unit residential development plus "cluster" and "townhouse" tyres and density zoning.2 Also there will be a need for reasonably sized areas for high-rise development confined to the area along the western fringe of the city where good views of Huntington Beach's greatest asset, hu Pacific Ocean, may be capitalized upon. The commercial zoning shown on the now incomplete Master Plan provides more than enough commercial areas to adequately serve the needs of tiho ultimate population of Huntington Beach, Upgrading of Use and Value of Residential Laird Becau[.c the areas peculiarly adapted to industrial uses are restricted in the City of Huntington Beach and because this municipality, like all others, has a problem in providing an adequate tnx base to support its growing school and other municipal needs, the Panel recommends upgrading the use and the value of the city's residential land. , In view of the demonstrated demand for land for residential projects in the South Coast Plain Area, the present subdivision standards of the City of Huntington Beach should be revised to provide for: 6 A city-widestrect tree planting program (to avoid a monotonous Appearance use different species of trees in different areas of the city); • Larger lot sizes in some areas; !Because zone 5 in tine City's master plan comprimes an extensive area that Is being "master planned" by the area's single private ownership, file City's restudy and preparation of its master plan for the other four zones can proceed without delay. In fact, early action on the land development plans by the Zone 5 single ownership should be encouraged because of the benefits which will accrue to the city-at-large as ■ result of the catalytic action that timely, high-quality development of Zone 5 could stimulate. 2It is recommended that the f tanninr Pepanment review the procedures for planned unit residential development as offered by the Illustrative ordinance presented by Urban Land Institute and the National Association of flame Builders in the land use study published in May. 1965. by Urban Land Institute as Technical Bulletin 52, Legal Aa- pect,-i of Planned Unit Residential Derefopmrnt. 2s • Underground utilities; • Variation in front yard t=etback requirements to break up the present grid pattern of street lines; • Variation in right-of-way widths and paving standards to permit "planned Coin- t munity" and "cluster developinent.1,3 These recommendations are intended to encourage the location in Huntington Beach of substantially higher-priced homes which the Pancl believes can be attracted to the city. In considering a larger lot size requirement in parts of the city, also include an "average lot size" for an area which permits smaller building sites. if a pro2ortionate share of the area is placed in a common green or other private open space as n part o the planned development eK2gram. Mulct drial Development If the City is to encourage sound Industrial development, there must be areas where well-designed housing in a modest price bracket is available for the Industrial empi-,yee. The following is recommended: •An industrially zoned area where no residential uses are permited; • A residentially zoned area where the lot sizes, street patterns and other re- quirements are modest enough to permit good housing at it reasonable price; •A multiple housing area for town houses, duplc.ccs, cluster developments, and garden apartments on a similar modest price scale. The City's industrial zoning regulations provide standards that would protect in- dustry of the same general high character as that of the Douglas Space Systems Center; howevar, the following modifications are recommended providing for: •The landscaping, in accordance with an approved landscaping plan, of areas ad- jacent to street frontage. across the front of the buildings and side yards between street and building lines; i •The complete screening of ventilators, air-conditioning units, and other mechan- ical features normally located on the roof either by upward extension of parapets or by an enclosure having permanent screening; a The control of the size, location and type of signs permitted, and the prohibition of any signs located on the roof, extended above the roof or overhanging the yard areas; 35ce Urban Land Institute's Technical Ilulletln $0, The [tomes Association Handbook, October, 1964, for many I esampien of modern subdlvlslor p;anning. sec oleo ' ootnote 2. 26 • Because of its proximity to the ocean,the area indiented for industrial use In the southeast section of the city, near the Southern California Edison Power Plant, would best be used for residential development. { } • If tfie iuntington Bench Freeway is located west of Goldenwest Street, the City could, through changes in the mister plan, establish a "Central Industrial Belt' between Goldenwest Street and the railroad. This would be a suitable ML-A j (restricted manufacturing) district. The boundarlar, should lie Edinger Avenue on the north, Garfield Avenue on the south, the railroad on the east, and the + 1 Freeway on the went. I Land Use Ratios �. Determination of the proper economic balance of land use rrttios in Huntington { Beach would require an economic analysis of the City's tax structure, future demands, and future assesPment base. Alethods and procedures previously recommended will Improve the City's tax base. ' In n study for the development of an :6:nl town the area allocation in most cote- gorios are very close :.o those indicatedforStuuy As'ena 1 through 4 of tho City's Afaster j Plan. For example, Huntington Beach's G0.9 percent residential compares with 54 per- cent in u sample case; cieht percent commercial versus five percent commercial; 13 percent Industrial to 12 pc:r,_ent industrial, but it pe :cent public use versus 23 percent, However, the city Is bench area more than compenpates for this last difference, Location of Land Uses The firat consideration intended by the following comments is the Panel's desire to help the people of Huntington Be'rch create a better image for the city. Visitors ' viewing Huntington Beach from the Pacific Const Highway get a poor impression of the + city for ttte following reasons: •Entering from the south, a visitor first sees the large steam generating plant, followed by a mishmash of uncontrolled commercial trailer courts, dilapidated buildings with some presentable looking motels, then an unappealing, poorly kept business dis:riot. Interspersed on the land side of the bench are oil well der- ricks, pumps, bulk storage tanks, and other unsightly utilitarinn structures. "The main downtown section of the city, consis'.ing of approximately 10 blocks fins a total beach froutage of 1,400 feet-490 feet, or 35 percent, is vacant. 'file � land uses include; nine residenttal units; five gas stations; one delicatessen; two sandwich shops; one bar; three surfing equipment stores; one auction studio; one parking lot and one antique shop In a residence. i sin a total of 24 developed units, of which 36 percent are residential uses, there are; No quality occupancies; no major tenancies; and no reasons to expect "Alain Strect" as it is to attract a higher quality tenant. It Is obvious that an inch-by-inch, foot-by-Moot, WEding-by-building, owner-by- owner improvement program for Huntington I3eaehIs "front yard' must be started if the city Is to Improve Its overall image, 27 I The Panel recommends that, through persumilon or byany other legill manner, the following initial Improvements be required: •More attractive landscaping on the part of all properly owners along the Vacifie Coast llighwny; screening by plantings and walls of all unsightly oil tanks, equip- ment and appurtenant structures; °Refurbishing and painting of the fronts of most commercial buildings; ONIore attractive architectural design for buildings on the bench; Ohlore thoughtful choice of colora in all buildings, even the lifegurrd stands: f •Planting of trecs, shrubbery, vines and flowers along the wall on the ocean side of the highway. It should be the objective of a citizen committee to work everlastingly at creating a beach that is notonly the finest for swimming; and surfing but is also the most beautiful along the Calirortila Coast. such a p an maysound overwhelming when first considered, but the City can appr 'a lon6termplan step-by-step otarting with the planting of only ten trees. I The City should employ on a continuing basis a competent Southern California I landscape architect (with knowledge of plant materials that will thrive in the Huntington I Beach area) to prepare a city-wide street tree planting program. I Sig7t Control One of Huntington Beach's greatest opportunities to better its public image lies in a vigorous, community-wide cleanup campaign. The most fertile field lies w!tli sign and billboard controls. A healthy business community and a rapidly developing area need adequate and proper signing. However, In the case of Huntington Beach, the com- petition among developers and various business uses to catch the motorists' attention has resulted in it disproportionate volume of signs, posters, flags and other devices—to the great detriment of the city's appearance. The Panel recommends that the City adopt and rigidly enforce the proposed alga I control ordinance recently4prepared by the. City Planning Commission. I The second consideration that guides the Panel in its recommendations is eco- nomic. For example, an attractively designed, well-located, high-rise apartment area fronting on the ocean highway would improve the image of Huntington Beach and would also increase the taxable base of the City. The upgrading of the commercial area will increase the Clty's tax base substantially. Good planning Is good business. _ f i The various land use classifications are properly locatedwhen they adhere both to the objectives of physical and aesthetic upgrading and econotic practicality. Certainly the preservation of the ocean front and the beach fits both objectives. i Beach Bouteuard's Pote;ilial as a "Strip" Commercial Area One of the poorest visual and economic characteristics of Southern California areas to the so-called "strip" commercial develoument with Its multiplicity of signs, poorly designed eating places and sarvice stations. Beach Boulevard Is the present principal I I c8 I f north-south artery and will continue to be a very important access; route into this heart of the city and to its beach area and Civlc Center. It Is particularly impom'ant that wherever legally possible, the City; • Control the proliferation of signs; a Discourage the impractical and uneconomical strip 7.o+ling; of property for com- ntercial purposes; •i►pgrade and stiffen the building; codes and firecodes to encourage the eotistruc- tlon of better, more permanent commercial structures. Along; thlcs boulevard, the City has wisely provided for limited access with att:rac- tive ntnrionry walls shielding residential areas. This same limited access j)hlloFh should be applied_ to the comr,iercial develo mment !!X limitingexcessive curb cuter and requiring deve a ers io elant,'attract vc wall coverings, to soften the look of lonF_dn_f_ orm masonry walls. Also, a tree planting pro-ram along the entire boulevard is recommended to give vertical relief to the monotonous horizontal. projection. Another shortcoming in the blaster Plan is the zoning; of all four corners of an arterial Intersection for commercial purposes, it would be far'Letter for the City and the developers It these commercial areas were on one of the corners allowing residential development on the others. Soine secondary commercial uses, :such as offices, might also be desirable and practical on the other corners. This does not apply specifically to Beach Boulevard, but to all residential areas In the city. It 13 recognized that zoning; once established is difficult to rescind. however, the following recommendations will help solve tbe problem of too many of improperly located commercial areas; • Channel traffic at important street intersections and limit excessive curb cuts; `° Encourage the construction of integrated shopping areas; e Require adequate off-street parking fo•:all now business establishments. (These off-street parking areas should be pinnned and screened viith a landscaped strip between the back of (lie sidewalk and tite beginning of the parking pavement.) • Adopt a service station architectural control ordinance with provision for design and location approval by a City constructionpermitfor any future service station built in the City of Huntington Beach. Service stations as unusual forms of business activity are rightfully subject to special controls. With adequate controls the City can greatly upgrade the quality of automotive service facilities available to its citizens. Service statlons will then become a business and community asset rather than the eye-sore they frequently are. lltastes• Planning for a Central Bi si»ess District A Central Business District, i.e., one that provides a full line of retail outlets In addition to offices and otl)vr service type businesses, does not appear to b, either a necessity or a strong probability for the City of Huntington Beach. 20 + i I Civic Ceule). {' Throughout this report, considerable attention Is given to the possibility of a down- town location for a new Civic Canter. It is desi rable that the Civic Center be located close to a major commercial-retail development but this is not an absolute requirement, j It Is recognized that a new Civic providing adequate governmental housing is an absolute I necessity. The location and construction of such a Center can play a dual role. Not only can It serve its basic purpose of providing badly needed public facilities, but It can also be (and should bey used to develop a strong favorable intnge for the City of Huntington Beach, A dowk-down Iocation would remove a considorable amount of the present blight which in the predominant feature of the "lower Alain Street" area. The Civic Center must Ira an architecturally appealing and nrtistivally desloned complex of buildings. What better way is there to Improve municipally the Image of lluntington Beach than to have this complex of buildings seen by the motorluts driving through Huntington Dench on ilia Pacific Coast Highway? An additional benefit would be the multiple use of the necessarily large parking areas which would be used during the weelc by government employees and citizens, and during the weekends could be used to augment the need for ocean-front parking by beach visitors at a profit to the City. Nigh-Rise Developmed High-rise development should be located In areas providing the maximum advantage of an open view in the natural locaticns available. One purpose of high-rise is to provide for good housina and still retain open space. high-rise development should be surrounded by open areas and provide for the most appealing outlook possible for the tenants from at least three sides of the building. At the present time, however, the economic feasi- bility of high-rise development in Huntington Beach is open to question. Criteria for a Good Nigh Rise Dislricl It Ju obvious that the first criterion fora good high-rise district is a market. There Is some doubt that there Is n mar cet in this area at the present time for a high-rise development. Aniong other criteria are: s A locatJoh with proper orientation to a good view; • Favorable relationship to adjacent land use; 0, Access to transportation via bus and taxi; ,11 Service faeNties such :..s restaurants, drug stores, food centers, dry cleaning, barber and beauty shops; • Freedom from unusually troublesome odors, noise and congestion. 30 f Beach itreu Standards Beach area standards for density, parking, setbacks, height of strictures, lot coverage, eta., should reflect the basic necessity of maintaining this qrr o, ut physical asset of ilia city and provide maximum opportunity for the citizenry to . r,luv the sandy beach and the ocean with sufficient; controls so that one person's enjolzr:,ent (foes not encroach on another person's right of enjoyment. For example, there might be parcels in private ownership (riot-Ili of 11w municipal pier) where iho height limit of structures would not be permitted to exceed two stories interspersed with open spaces for public access to the wrater, There might be other parcclu whore residential buildings as high as 10 or 15 stories would be permitted, i again with adequate open space between structures. The basic criterion Is to make maximum use of the view without restricting accessibility to the beaclim-, Specifically, tiro Panel suggests that tile present 35-foot height lin-,ltatlon for build- ings In titan city should be maintained on structures built on the ocean side of the Pacific t Coast Highway between Blain :and 7th Streets so that benefits could accrete to high-rise structures of over 35 feet In height that might be built on the inland side of the highway i adjacent to the downtown shopping area, j i i iligh-rise apartment structures might be built on the inland side of the highway i If Lite view to the ocean is not obstructed by structures built on the ocean side. Any rig -rise structures built on tire ocean-side of the Pacific Coast Iligilway should be spaced so as to prevent n solid wall between tire highway and the ocean. 1 The entire bench and frontage area should be subject to rigid sign control and should be designated as an architectural review area. Development of the Beach and Adjacent Area4 The following comments pertain to the Inland (or northeast) side. of the 11ncific Coast Highway, In general, properties opposite the stretches of beach (with the excep- tion of the Alain Street area) should be reserved for desirable, well-planned, attractive residential development—apartments, motels, hotels, and restaurants, The Maln Street area should be reserved for commercial purposes and as a possible site for the new Chic Center. The areas of the eity's "front porch"—Main Strcot and the ocean--should become an Impressive focal point and image-rnaicer for the city. Extreme care must be taken to Insure that the most architecturally pleasing and attractive as well as functional uEes be placed adjacent to It. On the ocean side of the Coast Highway, the City or other government agencies should obtain title to Ilia bench Areas south of the Municipal Pier 'jot now publicly- owned. City or utate-owned beach property is being maintained in an exemplary manner from the standpoint of cleaniineas. However, a grant deal more attention should be given to color ar•i styling of concession buildings and to the planting of trees and shrubbery which will thrive in the sandysoll. As few buildings as are absolutely neces- sary should be constructed in the City and State-owned and controlled beach areas. 45ev also pages 47-51. 31 There appears it) bL: it lack of understanding among n any people in tills area of the uniqueness, the potential beauty and tremendous asset value of What is one of the finest stretches of ocean frontage to be found anywhere In the United States. liven a century from now, tine beach Itself will still be tine most Important physical asset of tine city. It, therefore, demands the utmost thoughtfulness and attention to protect and improve the :attractiveness and beauty of this frontage. In order to achieve an arohitecturally pleasing character,there should be a varia- tion In height limits for the area ndjolning the ocean front boulevard. If tale high-rise nreas are wifficiently spaced, they ccancreate an attractive front sicyllne and at the same ti.re not block the view from Inland residential a ens. Early high-quality development is apparently possible and should be encouraged to act as a catalyst to desirable future development. The Panel strongly recommends that the City avail itself of the services of com- petent -architectural, landscape, color and design consultants to aid the officials of the Citv of fluntl—ngtdn Beach in tile implementation o these recommen at one. N r�'t`���.«a'r.�«Y'•••`;,}y..�49.-- ��_w""���,���'�""r' �'Sl..,�'Ir"w 74 AV �.r. vim' ZPf' S'-f l� i�� ►j' Q J� f�,�t,. •� r� • , .cam" '�`' .,. A I _ M�ts. C r , � �*�� t •y�M �� f �' t✓' lt, '. .. . ►fit .�����i s'� i31 !�,s� S� si.'�..`'•'r/. `PRM1LRi` �.�/JAI/ j Figure 7 — Single Fomtly Residential Development — Grid Pattern, 6,000-Square Foot lots, Few Traes 32 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGIRAM Thu future of lluntington Beach may very well be determined by thu acceptance or rejection by Its citizens of a practical but challenging capital improvements program. Growth and progress do not come without problems, A mushrooming growth rate mab- niffes municipal problems of providing services desires' and clemnnded by Its cltizens generally in an Worse ratio to the income avallable to a c;ty government. Bonded Debt Undtation In view of all the problems of municipal housekeeping, of planning and zoning, of the proteWon of life and property, of transportation, of safety, and of health and rec- reation which accompany the magnitude of population growth recently experienced and anticipated within the City of Huntington Beach, a commitment approaching lire 15 per- cent bonding margin of the City (or $28 million) might be Justified on an emergency hasis. To say this and no more, however, would Ignore completely the realities of the city's community life—the expected behavior and reaction of its citizens, +he estab- lished pattern of Huntington Beach's sound and basically conservf.tive public fiscal policies, and the stringent requirements for a substantial consensus among voters (and taxpayers) before debt creation and property tax increases can be effected. This would be a disservice to the City'e governmental officials. They bear their public responsibilities well and have evidenced a keon desire to develop and present R balanced and acceptable package in a capital improvements program. For this, they are to be commended, It is a sensible move, It is timely and necessary. The program must have wide public acceptance and community involvement if the City and the services it renders are to achieve the goals, the aspirations and the rewarde of a soundly con- ceived financial plan. l Huntington Beach has established a commendable and remarkably consistent prac- tice and policy of "pay-as-you-go" without increasing the Gity's porl.lon of the property 1 tax rate. Property taxes paid either by the individual or corporate +:axpayer, however, have been on a sharp upswing. This is due largely to spiraling school costs and upward revisions in property assessments. flow much of a tax increase for the redemption of City Indebtedness the community will accept and absorbin the future is the major ques- tion. Voters will provide the answer. At somepoint before that Judi;ment is made, they i (or persons representative of them) must be Involved in the doe Isiori-making process. Since a beginning is now being proposed to look ahead for five years, the Panel recommends that the general obligation bonding portions of the capital Improvement program be held to not morn than-514 min-ion or approximate y Fi0 percent of•.he at- lo-wable bonding, marlin. This may be considered minimal to the needs of this fast-growing community. Even so, it represents apotential City tax rate increase of from 22 to 36 cents within the next five years to meet principal and interest requirementa, even with an anticipated increase in the taxable base. 33 Tile limitation of 50 percent of margin Is not necessarily based upon apparent community needs and requirements but upon a practical expecUtlon of what might be accepted. The creation of debt and the concommitant tax increases must be sold boll) to those who aro new residents of the city (and, thus, may not have deep community ties, spirit and conviction) and to those who must be convinced that an affirmative vote is j truly in their own economic interest and (lie community's future progress. Cal)itnl Oullay Priorities l Within every well-managed family, financial decisions affecting the household are made after full discussion of resources, needs and alternatives. It Is within this frame- work of planning that provision is made for new drapes, replacement of the family car, and for Junior's new bicycle. The family budget may be tight,but it looks right at this planning stage. Then it ha;,cas, The roof springs a leak. Plans must be reviewed and revised. New prioritics must be established. A dry carpet may now be more desirable and practical than new dra►,ej. Or the family car may now fet new tires, rather than be replaced completely. i I So, it is with a capital improvements program. f First, will come discussion, i.e., citizen participation. Both public officials and citizens rnust be involved. Tile subsequent dialogue and decision-matting will set the future course of action and make possible value judgments for the priorities of commu- nity improvements. Second, the recommendations of the ULI Panel may stimulate revision or reevalua- tion of the program as it has developed to date. Specifically, to capitalize upon the full recreational potential of this area,substantial beach Improvement projccts may be added to the program for immediate attention. Or, it may be that some aspects of urban renewal in the downtown area should be included in the City's future planning. f In view of the heavy demands for adequate governmental services placed upon the City by the rapid population growth of the area, virtually all of the items within the pro- gram rate high priority for attention within the first five-year Improvement program. , Certainly, basic municipal services such ns the extension of water facilities; good drain- age; improved streets and highways; adequate, attractive and efficient municipal offices In which to conduct t.be City's business; and a sufficient number of fire stations, library focilities and recreational areas are of equal importance in satisfying the requirements { of a balanced community life. In general, the Panel would grant a high priority rating to all items within the city's five-year program with these reservations and suggestions: 1. Projects within the program to be funded by general obligation bonds i should be confined to land and improvements. Equipment which will not have a usable life for the duration of the indebtedness should be excluded. i 2. Unless land acquisition costs for the proposed district park, and par- ticularly the 120 acres fora golf course and the 15 acres for a golf driving range, can be substantially reduced, this portion of the improvement program (which would absorb 40 percent of theproposed bonded indebted- ness) is out of balance with other pressing community requirements. The proposal needs further careful review. In this reevaluation, these factors should be considered: 34 0 What role does or should the city's magnificent beach play in tine rec- rentional environment of the community? • What provision is to be made by Orange County for large park areas, Including golf facilities? 0 Are there opportunities for joint participation with county, state and federal agencies in the development of park and recreational areas which would be beneficial to Huntington Bench? i At currently quoted land prices, to what extent would the citizens of the j community be cared upon and willing to subsidize the municipal golf player 7 • Are there othe,, alternatives to the genoral obligation bond for financing a golfcourse forpublic use—by private investmentor by a self-supporting revenue bond issue? 3. In the specific instance of the library, an alternative to the general obli- gation bond method of financing might be considered. This Is the lease- purchase arrangemcnt. While it Is acknowledged that this device may entail higher Interest charges, the additional cost would be compensated for by the expected Increase in lnnd values. It has the further advantage of less delay, permitting nn earlier building date and avoiding increased construction costs. 4. Those portions of ilia capital Improvements program which must be funded by bond issues and approved by the voters should be presented in separate packages, thereby giving the citizens of Huntington Beach an opportunity to make alternative choices for approval or disapproval. S. To offset the tax impact of a debtprogram, the transfer of trash and refuse collection costs ($357,000 annually, or approximately 20 cents !n the property tax rate) from the general property tax to a use or service charge basis is worth considering. . Bujifag LaW for Future POW Use Within its financial capabilities, it is proper and In the City's beat economic inter- ests to acquire and to make provision now for the land and Improvements which will be needed and required by H intington Beach residents five, ten and fifteen years hence. The use of debt and interest charges is a valid economic instrument to provide facilities which will be needed and enjoyed by those who become future taxpaying citizens of the community. Federal Funds Designing a capital improvements program based on use of the various assistance programs of the federal government Is adecisionthat the community itself must make— not the ULI Panel or a cadre of federal officials. The Panel does not wish to foster further debate surrounding the ideological or political differences (which even divides members of the Panel) on the issue of federal aid to urban areas, j However, the fact is that a vast amount of federal funds is available for a myriad of community programs. federal controls exist in some. In others, federal direction 35 Is minimal or virtually nonexistent. The national government has committed federal taxes to a multiplicity of programs designed to assist community development in the fast-growing urban areas as well as the older more established cities. Afore and more cities are participating In these federal programs. Ever, those which were reluctant to do so a few years ago, are beginning to involve. themselves In some federal programs. Within Its own resources, requirements, time schedule, and desiren, the City of Huntington Beach should make Its own decision. In other sections of the report, the; availability (and perhaps the desirability) of federal participation Is noted. l Nolther a blanket denial not, total acceptance of all federal programs Is either i warranted or desired. Each program and cash project, el-ld the degree of Involvement 1 or noninvolvement with other agencies (municipal, county, utate and federal), should be j examined individually to determine its own particular merit as far au the City of Hunt- I ington Beach Is concerned. � I-- � i Loa� camn Figure 8 — Transportation Arteries and Facilities 36 • TRANSPORTATION In all probability, Huntington Beach will have to continue to depend on its street and highway system as the primary means of moving people and goods. Therefore, it Is of paramount imp)rtanee that the highway planningnow underway correctly anticipate the ultimate requirements of the City. Because the ful:ure maximum area of Huntington Denote is now known, it is possible to determine with reasonable accuracy the traffic de:nnndo that will he placed on the eity's street and highway pattern. 'rhe incidence of use by local residents is easily determinable and the City can make provisions that are reasonably justifiable for the temporary peak traffic loads created by the weekend influx of motorists destined for the waterfront areas. Adequacy of the plaster Platt of Streets and Highways a)td Proposed Freeways The north-south arterlair as now planned will provide 44 traffic lanes and the principal east-west arterialc provide a total of 30 traffic lanes. In addltlon, the Pacific Coast Freeway •and Highway 101 will provide 14 lanes for traffic paralleling tite Coast. As the city continues to dcvulop, there will be traffic congestion in the vicinity of the Douglas Plarit, the Huntington Shopping Center, the college, and particularly along Beach Boulevard and the waWrfront. However, there is a practical limit to the amount of land area that can be devoted to the provision of highway faeilitles, and the Panel believes that the City of Huntington Beach is malting adequate advance provision for these needs. The following recommendations are submitted for the City's consideration; • Plan for the installation of a median strip separation to provide left turn storage lane capacity for all major and secondary highways. These median strips should cross the ends of secondary and local streets and permit turning or crossing only at the major highway intersections. 0 Design the traffic signal system so that it will ultimately provide for synchronized signals. 0 Develop and install a uniform street lighting system. • Commence aeity-wide tree and shrubplanttngprogram along the major thorough- fares, starting with the commercial areas. o Restrict to the greatest extent possible the location and length of curb cuts. t Prohibit curb parking during the peak traffic hours where traffic volumes justify such curtailment. i i 37 0 "Beach Freeirtry" The Panel recommends that the nlignmentforthe "Bench Freeway" be established In the most westerly location (i.e., to the west of Goldenwast Street) as Indicated on the plan included in the City of Huntington Leach Department of Public Works report doted June, 1965. The summary on Page a adequately justifies this selection. An early do- ' vision will be beneficial to development plans of the city, county, state and private Interests, I With the exception of the San Diego Freeway, the presently adopted traffic plan provides for traffic In only a north-south and oast-west direction. In future planning, It will be desirable to Insure adequate thoroughfares connecting U.S. 101 with the Bolsa Chtea-Warner Avenue intersection and the Garfield-Edwards corner so that traffic may more directly reach the ocean front. If coordinated with private community development j plane, adequate "by-pass" routes may be substituted, 1i?ass Transit Huntington Bench will in all likelihood have to depend upon highways to handle future transportation demands. There Is no way that the City, by itself, could realis- tically contemplate the development of mass transit at the present time. However, l because of the inevitable overloading of the highway system, no matter how adequately planned, the City should keep itself informed of and be alert to take advantage of any } future proposals that might be conceived to develop a regional rapid transit system for ilia Los Angeles metropolitan area. i The Role of lice Ali port in Community Development A commercial airport, or a private airport, is an Important asset to the develop- I ment of any community, particularly one that is industrially oriented. Such an airport, serviced by national and international airlines, provides a strong focal point for the development of Industry whose executives are required to travel a groat deal for the conduct of their business affairs. It also provides a convenient locale for Industries either related to the aircraft Industry or which use air transport for the distribution of their products. Office build- f ings, motels, hotels, restaurants and many other facilities normally gravitate to the larger commercial airports, such as Los Angeles International. Smaller airports, serving the executive-type flylug, also provide an important asset to industry where those industries maintain and provide planes for the transpor- tation of their executives and personnel. As more people own airplanes and use them fur business and pleasure, an airport becomes an asset of considerable Importance to the community. Huntt iugion Beach's Need for Air port Facilities j There does not appear to be any need for a commercial airport within the city I limits of Huntington Beach for some time to come. The city is reasonably convenient to the Los Angeles International Airport and to the Long Beach Municipal Airport. j Travel time does not appear to place Huntington Beach at a competitive disadvantage with its neighboring cities. Meadowlark Airport is privately-owned, and although the runways are not long enough to permit feeder line service, it is an asset to the community because of the use made of It by the Douglas plant personnel, the Huntington Harbour residents, and other 38 I individuals who for reasons of business or pleasure fly privately-owned airplanes. At present, there are airports adequate to handle so-called executive flying in Orange County, Fullerton and I.ong Bench. Tito airport study issued by Orange County In August 1000, recommends that: l ... the County of Orange schedule the development of two additional Gounral Aviation airports during the period 10G5-1080; one to servo the Westminator/ Garden Grove/Huntington Beach area end one to serve the Laguna Beach/ Capistrano/Dana Point/San Clemente area." 1 The City should be Mort to the possibility of this new facility being; constructed In the future .o serve the needs for executive flying in Huntington Beach. The City should talce reasonable oteps to ecneo�ura_go the improvement and possible expansion of Meadowlark Airport. However, t otl'C1i would not be Justified in building and maintaining a ubliol -owned airport-of this character because there are other more urgently needed improvements which roust be financed with the funds available. I In study plans for the new Civic Cchtter, it would be most desirable to Include a heliport landing pad which wouldprovide fanilfties fora shuttle service between Hunting- ton Beach and other airports in the vicinity. 1 , I " !I i i i 30 LEGEND: ea VA9LWAY s s ♦ [fa MOTTO Pamir 110uTs .I m PRO►03L0 I1112WAY ROM ♦ s YAJON INONMAY.....120 It OWN PPIMMY flIPMAY-100 It AM -- fLCONOARY WOHxA'tL.IO/=R/M rOSIRLL SITR LOCATION/ ' y (") pufTwo [IYIC wilEft ♦ /UTWIL aE00RA►1 is CENTLR • I ruyvAg IO►ULATION Cann i 1 C I ALTERNATIVE CIVIC CENTER SITES �'•� CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH ORANGE COUNTY CALWORM4 i N�MY LMN I .._ ..�..� /�ILp� n M MwfrlTq HKa n�MMq NrYTM�f J� i 1 Figure 9 — Altemotive Civic Center Sites 40 CIVIC CENTER Land Uses Within and Addjaccut to the Cdlldc Center A Civic Center can contain as much or as little as thu community wishes. For example, it could have as a minimum only the City's administrative otflces. Tile fire and police department headquarters, as well as the City jail, need no; necessarily be In such a center. however, it is recognized thstt many cities prefer to gl:oup the facili- ties together for convenience and efficiency. The Panel recommends conceistvating all municipal activities in one location except, of course, district fire stations and branch libraries. All federal, state, school district, county and Ether governments office usce should be combined In the same complex if at all possible. Ample parking furemployces, but especially for the cltizetts who come to the Center, is a prime requisite. Cultural uses need not be in the Center, but it would be well for such facilities to be adjacent or nearby. People working In the Center all shop at times, and shopping facilities should be relatively close to the Civic Center. Pleasant surroundings are naturally a distinct asset;therefore,adjacentuses should be controlled by proper zoning. Civic Center Location In considering the attributes of any Civic Center site, location is a most important 1 factor. The location should provide the best possible access to all parts of the city. Normally this would indicate that It be in Me center of the city, however, with iluntinQ- ton Beach's system of freeways—existing and proposed--its Center could be located almost anywhere. Whether It is near the geographical center of Huntington Beach or { not is relatively unimportant. i The area of the present Civic Center site is far too small. The structures are Inadequate in size, zra outmoded and antiquated, however, a downtown location near the beach has tremendo►z possibilities, if a suitable site can be assembled. This area could becoine the City's front door. Itwould create the Huntington Beach Image. There- fore, a downtown site should be the community's first choice. An immediate start should be made W determine financial easibility, it would probably require the assistance of the federal urban renewal program. The alternative sites at Goldenwest and Warner and the one close to Goldenwest and Talbert simply do not appeal to the panel. The alignment of the Huntington Beach Freeway is uncertain. There are no nearby slioppingfacilities. A Civic Center this far from the beach, poosibly even off freeways, would not add nearly as much to the image of Huntington Beach as would the dnwntown location, The future Pacific Coast Freeway and the Huntington Beach Freeway, especially If the alignment of the latter is just to the west of Goldenwest Street, make Site B (on the Holly Sugar tract) an excellent location as far as access to all pacts of the City is concerned. Main Street is a beautiful afproach to downtown and the beach area. Even if the Huntington Beach Freeway alignment is farther to the east, it would not hurt the location or its value appreciably. But Site B lacks greatly In appeal because of its sur- roundings, and many amenities are missing. � I 41 e Tito area bounded by Main, Mansion, Lake and Utica Is much more pleasant and convenient, A beautiful high school is across Main Street to the west, future shopping lies immediately to the northwest, excellent existing housing to the south, the eventual continuation of quality housing to the southwest and direct access to all points. Tills site is the Panel's second choice, Acreage Regitirements A Civic Center could be on a alto as small as 10 aorea, if high-rise; or as large as 3o acres if low--rise and additional uses not now contemplated are included,',;;Tho Panel's second cholco, across from the high school; is a 23-acre site, which should be adequate for the present and future govorninental requiromente of the city, assuming a ono-story structure and based on an ultimate population of 300,000, On a two-story b4818, It could house additional facilities—federal, state, school district or county, If thore is a real possibility of governmental uses in addition to the City and school district, considera- tion should be given to the area north of Mansion and east of Main where it appearn moro acreage may be available. Cultural and Recreatimial Activities rat appiropritre location nd.iart mu eumdevelopment wouldebe adjacent to or in theigenteral(vicinity as a music halt, theatre, and a j 1, g of the ClAo Center. A off course is not a coin atlbls use in con unotion with the: Civic Center, The Center should bring together city, county, state and federal governmental one in a planned environment. With the growth of this community a new federal building will be required in due course, The Civic Center should be one of the strongest assets to the community—one in which its citizens may properly take pride. Civic Center Financii g The new City governmental facilities are long overdo©, The Civic Center should therefore have a high priority if budgeted in the general obligation bond issue. However, it may be desirable to finance the Canter through private sources on a lease-purchase basis. It is understood that financing id available from the State of California Retire- ment Funds for any approved governmental body for one such structure. These alter- antive methods of financing should be thoroughly explored. I t i i i 42 DOWNTOWN AREA DEVELOPMENT a Doivntotvti Rejuvenation 'the downtown rhea, of liuntingion,Pbach is unique in several respects, !t'' does not s have a singlo operation, or oven a combination of operationa, which can ba described as S a strong attraction to draw a large rumberof people to the downtown area as io the case i In most American cities. The downtown area of Huntington Beach earl: and should be reluvo-oated because in its present state It is an eyesore and is not representative of tier kind of c#y Huntington Beach is now wKI will be In the future. The downtown area cannot be .tonsidered apart from its surrounding terrltollr. Whnt happens in the, area lying between Beach Boulevard, 23rd Street, Pacific Boulevard and Quincy Avenue, and n1so in :he beach areas, will matoriatiy affect the City's f downtown, The Role of the City's Dortnrtotvu Tho rolc'of Huntington Beach's downtown should be to provide the necessary goods ! grid service's"fir people living in, Vic Immediately adjacent neighborhood and for those who will visit the beach, In effect it will be a community-type shopping center, 484eli as a location for a.few bustness anti professional offices and service banking facilities. It will also be,the site for some rzalaurants ana, perhaps, hotels or motels. liuntin n Beach _ma_Y never hnve_a nidor-dor mtown area, but the effy need be none the worse because of this fact. To properly Malay its role its a community shopping center, the city'es downtown should have a large supermarket, a good sizes drug store, a variety store and other service shops, many of which are currently located along Main Street, 'These facilities should be grouped in one area to form the be Inning of the downtown shopping canter, Parking .r;Ample cff�strect parking must be provided adjae;ent'to, theme stores and any other downtown buildings developed in the future. To 'accomplish this threes or four bloolts of downtown property..would be required. The downtown area Jig the best site`for thi'Civic3 Center, if a suitable and aiiffioient amount of land can be made availablts on wliich a Civic Ce~ater complex and a da vitown ohupping center could b}e deavelope'd to augment and complement the City's beach development pivgram. Adegttato parkingmerst be provided In such a way as to servo the business, the governmental, and the recreational facilities hi this area. Once this is dons, It will trigger the development of other new buildings with ample off-street parking; on nearby properties. If the paricing problem is not t resolved through the use of rite urban renewal process, the Pauel recontmends the following., 0 Preferably, off-street parking ahould be provided through the use of an assess- ment district with the funds ne=e;ersesary for acquisition and operation allocated on a "zones of henefiN basis. 43 1 • JI Will- WTI I.'' 1 I Y�• �� I I ...�'•�• �j,l�..l • • t i{ r' 1 ._- _ .b.:. . � iiliiff1111: ►...r...,�..:::� ...,,i j_ .it�n a '► �=�� j-, •""���'�' ' ' ' �� till" •. sc.l i1 •• �.r, �7i:�Irr�•�,nr,�.wlrarrra...�w,.,l►..• . .it%.fly w. •: 1. yw�I���p� .• KV• . , ����•a •.tee - t Cap? Ir I' ll FIGURE 10 — DOWNTOWN • •� � r "m ay, ,•, ,,. Y. ., IP � Sill"� �tr,.,•„�� S L�f 1r��6'�• jr+ �1 �iil/ //.A�,I•iS:�t:;f�����r���.`.;��4•i:..•�y r.y. ,� _r Main Street Looking East 44 i t i • Pat tng can be provided and preserved for local shoppers by privately-owned faeil. tea where fees are absorbed by local morchanta through a parking ticket i validation procedure. • Free parking for the business establishments is moat deslrablo if a method can j be instituted to control the parking problem that arises as a result of the large number of visitors to the beach, Any increase in the value of land adjoining a parking facility would be in direct rolation to the increase In the volume of sales resulting from the availability of such parking facility, Urbapt Ret:erval There is an overeuAA Y 1 of old, inadequate store buildings without proper parking, Some of the3c structures should come down and the land put to a better use. Perhaps others can be rejuvenated and continue to be useful. However, it would be a very diffi- cult job to rejuvenate downtown and the Blain Street area on a piecorneal basis. Land in the duwntown area is greatly overpriced in rotation to ltu income. Sales prices are based purely on speculative uses and future values. It will be expensive to assemble and clear such property for reuse. in fact, unless action is taken through the condemnation process, it will likely be impossible. Absentee and multiple owner- ships add to the city's downtown problems. Huntington Beach should recognize,Itienotgoingto' be able to.do th©job'adequatcly without flnanuial help from outside. For this reason the community should'serfousl consider`the use of a federal urban renewal program to hR p it accom is its goals. Without urban renewal, Huntington Beach will be hard pres�jed to mace any substantial progress in improving its downtown area. Much of the loud between Beach Boulevard, 23W Street, Pacific Boulevard, and i Quincy Avenue shouid be included in the study area of any urban renewal program. The downtown area's geographic location is su ' h that it will always be important in any. future plans for Huntington Beaah. It Is po3slble that this land would be more valuable if it were now vacant and available for development. An urban renewal program would virtually accomplish this, and the Panel strongly recommends that the community seriously consider the use of this tool which many hundred American cities have found helpful. j i i 95 • - a'�1yX'S.,.� 1,tiL:_ - .r-- 4Y�'�-r...'q.I`�-. � _ ^^ ^t'- °: �'�r •• ' � ., ••Kra f. L.- '�.�`t 1'' ~�+ Flo", _. .Ai err - , . [. � '�• '�1�' r _. rr -77 ' , ti f • f 3 � •1.t 1 Iv „}Y �' 1 w•= ,.•-�.l•...y� rai. •IY�I�••...q•..ice,.r 4..+..) ..ti r•+n AW r. is.� .'...� .r •.f ' rj. ,_. t .:. -.0 Tl.-. y yi�iiil. 17, 771 k�i� � .�. a.a <,�M 1 Ir :.� �• ••f •��•!�j1-1��.t A rf '1,. ' rLL.� •.�.. 1. t ., �,�c'f t.is r".�7ti't•��/.:.•"'i fa�� ��'�1' r �.w�, •�/. • i � .�1, f'�::rlJ''Y •.�7ryyc��.[?' -'f!• +��]A-•--� ,;,� 1F�1/ r ��•{�., ✓Z,r' ,, .'yC• .:�•�'� ++.y�,� M+.� /�ja�t�ti�"��::.•.^�. ��.l�y�• .Y'�111fif"'•.,,.. S i•P' ....W li J. M� Y � .•�� 1 Y- - yw•r-.v..•�.�w•,,+ s. `-_�y,{µ -'aG J•.'•%'7 a �~i .7►'>�'.1h:«W.:��fii+L.�t..•...L�i il.i. �a`:C^h.:....._...1. .. . .<. I Figure 11 —Surfing at Huntington Beach ' i 46 i 1 1 1 BEACH AREA DEVELOPMENT As pointed out repeatedly in this report, Huntington Bonoh's greatest singli sur- face asset Is its broad beach. This beach, approximately eight.and one-half-miles in length, varies in depth from 500 feet (generally southeast of the pier) to li'minimal footage (in the bluff area northwest of the pier). The sandy beach slopes gently to the ocean where bathing is safe for swimmers and the unusually favorable surf conditions make the area a haven for surfing enthusiasts. Via City pier bisects the area most used by the surfers. Use of the Beach It has been estimated that over 4.5 million people annually use the City portion of the beach. Based on records of the City's lifeguard department, users of the beach are distributed approximately as follows: From Huntington Beach 15.5% From elsewhere in Orange County 31.0% From Los Angeles County 48.6% From Other Areas 4.0% Surfing: There are approximatoly 300,000 surfing enthusiasts in California, attesting to the present and growing popularity of the sport. surfing now rivals snow skiing as a challenging and worthwhile form of recreation. Long noted for its fine surfing conditions, Huntington 'Beach has little serious i competition from other California cities where beaches' are smaller and facilities limited. Hence, with the obvious prospect of ever-increasing numbers of beach users , in the years ahead, Huntington Beach must anticipate the greater demands which will be made on the beach area and plan how best to accommodate them. Ownersht t The eight and one-half milel length of beach area is comprised of the fol- lowing ownership categories: • Huntington,Beach State<Park'(2.08`miles in length)` is*owned and operated by.the State., Full''facilities, including parking, lifeguard.service, 'fire rings (walled j pits for fires and barbecues) for picnics, concessions and lavatory facilities are provided. The area is fenced; thus, providing for control • The beach area southeast of the pier (1.04 miles in length) is in multiple owner- ship. As operated by the City, this area Is provided full facilities (similar to those at Huntington Beach State Park) but is not fenced. It Is one of the two ; areas most used by surfers. l l':hroughout this report the generalized figure of eight and one-half miles is used In describing the length of the } beaLIS within the city limits. Actually, the exact figure, according to data furnished the panel, totals slightly ovor 8.6 milb.q. 47 1 3 - a ( f ;� ti�� � •`. 1 tif.�+ y,:'�. �•, � •.. '��M T� - •� .+• l.`•{ � �.'r• _sir {• 1. ,,t..f�. •.. ^ lf��7ria.. .j i`Y.tN.e� ,L�, . t�'i.yf� I.���a� ti4�'•i ji. %� .'{ 1 if'j'r.li�� - tL �7 L �• � � 'mil • t,V. -nip •f: `,1j e 60 41h of July 1965 •tr irnr {. `f�•r�-f:�,`r, y �1 r4��.+f. Yt ' lwt.�l+i+trr..r� '•. ;' ;l i ��'t.�1 j �:- rJTlrf b ~ate �i) '�' +� �•"TY-..7'C r r. . Z!f'+�' { !� t'.•* 4�,1t7��ff�•t�w•�•.,� :���.'�..,r � � �L. K � ^M�' i , • • � � �� �r�. is ..�� ;. FIGURE 12 BEACH ACTIVITY 1`::;f,' � i:;.�=:�'' • J.I. It,.+.: 1.� (• w 3�y!*; kT�� 1 4�11��1+-� I a�. �� ir' H � �'i 3?�����rtK'cr �i. Ht •�. From the Pier 48 i i • The beach north of the pier (2.27 miles In length) is owned by the Huntington Beach Company. Thu company has short-term service contracts with the City and has lifeguard service only. This area is not fenced and is the second-most popular aurfing area. e Balsa Chica State Park (3.25 miles In length) is operated by the State and has limited lifeguard service only. It is not fenced. Ownership of the, landbetween the Pacific Coast Ifighway and the mean high-tide line (i.e„ the beach area including the bluff and the sand beaclt proper) is now divided among the State of California, the City of Huntington Bench, the Huntington Beach Lom- , parry, and the Pacific Eleotric Railway, either outright or by joint ownership arrali;e- ments. The antire publicly-owned portions of the beach are operated in part either :v the State or the City for public use. Public Use An an overall philosophy, the Panel believes that the right of the public to usethe sand beach area throughout the entire eight and one-half mile length should not be denied, f subject ,to just compensation being paid to private property owners. Furthermore, the Panel believes that the rights of the Huntington Beach Company and any other private owners.to develop their properties should not be denied, but with pertain limitatlons.2 The'buo'ch area southeast of;the hlunic'1pui Pier Is under multiple ownership by the Huntii gto"n Beach Company, the.City of Huntington Beach, and the Pacific Electric Rail- way, either .Individually or jointly. Except for the railroad right-of-way,'the beach`is operated by the City,through ownership or by a perpetual Casement. The.Panel recom- mends that the right-of-way be acquired and that the entire area be devoted to use by the public for recreational or recreation-oriented purposes. No private development should be permitted southeast of the pier on the ocean side of the highway. Beach Area Problems The most serious problems of the beach area are; , i How to control beach erosl*n to prevent this valuable asset from becoming a diminish:ng resource; • flow to provide adequate parking; s How to effect control of the beach users, recognizing the somewhat diverse requirements of swimmers, surfers and picnickers; s How to make the beach area a true asset to the entire City of Huntington Beach and particularly to the downtown area; • How to Blake the beach area not only self-supporting, but even more important, how to matte it a significant contributor to the economic base of the city; • How to recognize both the rights of the public to use the stretches of sandy beach and the rights of private ownership of beach property; 0 How to acquire (for public use) title to or the right to use the Pacific Electric Railway right-of-way strip adjacent to publicly-owned beach areas, when the right-of-way is no longer used as a railroad. +! Ztt is not the intent of the Panel to deny the riot of a private owner to develop his property, including the beach area, no tong as such development does not preclude access to the beach and the ocean by the general pubite, 49 a I Upgrading the Use and Development of the Beach ! 1 To as3ure that the image of the eight and one-half miles of beach will be upgraded and developed to its highest and best potential, the Panel recommends the following; • Commission a study and master plan for the entire beach area giving particular attention to the critical problems of parking and safe access,with the purpose of spreading the use of the beach and the parking throughout its entire length, thereby alleviating the heavy use and concentration at the pier. • Acquire the Pacific Electric Railway's right-of-way adjacent to publicly-owned beach areas when it is no longer in use by the railroad. j • Provide similar facilities and lifeguard services for all public beaches. Place all public beaches under single operational and maintenance control, • Provide facilities for automobile campers. • Provide more well-designed concessions and a small amusement area for children. • Provide a sightseeing train similar to those used at the Now York World's Fair at beach level for transportation between beach areas and to give users addi- tional recreational activities. ' Self-Sustaining- Facilities As adjuncts,'the most needed facilities and accommodations are for parking, eat- ing, rest rooms, shopping, and,.to a lesser degree, sleeping. At present. these facili- ties are provided to a limited extent, and will have to be augmented and upgraded to serve the inereashig numbers of the beach users. Some method should be devised to make nonresident users of the beach bear a major part of the cost of maintenance and services of the beach, and also to provide income to make possible the sale of revenue bonds for acquiring the portion of the Pacific Electric Railway right-of-way southeast of the Municipal Pier. To this end, it is recommended that: • Parking fees be increased from 50 cents to one dollar or higher; • Present concession rentals be restudied, looking toward a higher return to the City; • New, income sources be generated through the creation of a children's amuse- ment area and the installation of more concessions and a sightseeing train. Further'"xhe•count 's sh'aro bf the eostof life ard'service should be restudied looking toward a sharing in the coat of peach cleanup and maintenance in addition to the proseut sharing 5771feguarcl cost. Promotion of the Beach Although Huntington Beach needs to foster an improved image, the Panel does not believe that a public relations campaign to promote the beach area. is necessary. The beach frontage in Huntington Beach is unique, being unrivaled in the area south of Los Angeles. The future problem will not be one of how to draw people to the beach; rather, 50 i it will be how to contain those who come, and how to control their actions, channel their movements and capitalize on their attendance. The problem is to make certain that the beaches are used most profitably for the City of Huntington Beach. This can be accent- plashed by encouraging more use of the beaches by those %vho spend the most money and Less by those who spend the least. Master PJai nhig for Beach Area Development The key to upgrading the beach is tha'master plan approach whereby land use and facilities planning is based on accurate cat mates of future demands, Unless study and necessary action are undertaken soon, the limited existing facilities will be sorely over- taxed by the overflow of visitors who will engulf the beach area in the near futurc.3 In addition, the Panel recommends the followingt'i * Parking on the Pacific Coast Highway'should be prohibited. - „ ,�„s,:a�, . p .; :. . . -_fir.-i.F' ,. a To correct the swnmertime roblerri of'pedestrtan traffic crossing the Pacific Coast Highway, wide, well-lighted tunnels underthehighwayor overpass bridges should be constructed at strategic"places. This will alleviate both pedestrian and automobile traffic congestion, facilitate beach control, and could induoo in- creased sales in the retail stores in the downtown shopping area. • Public access to the beach from the highway should be provided at intervals across the beach property of the Huntington Beach Company. a All beaches should be fenced with specially designated entrances for automo- biles and pedestrians to allow for better beach control. j a Control all parking within one-half mile of the beach. a Control the use of the beaches,excluding surfboards at all times in special areas I Bet aaide for use by families. , Beach Parking Increased parkingoanba provided forpth }beach area souttioast of the pior,by acquisition of the Pacific 1 Electric Railway`right=of-way, when no,'longer, in ass.,.As;a further suggestion, eareftil study will probably indicate that the'number of parking`stalls on the State-awned portion of the beach can 136lnereased by redesign'. It Is the general opinion of the Panel that the'ke toln'orc'effioii t-o erution''of the'beach`from the stand- oint of economics and orderliness )Ica in thecontrol of paricing. During the off-season, e use of the beaofi parking areas 15r automobile camper and trallor parking should be allowed. f 3It Is recognised that it would probably be physically and economically unfeasible rot the City to attempt to provide all the facilities needed to comfortably accammodato future peak (i.e., helght-or-aeason)beach populations. See also "Beach Area Standardr,"pate 33. bl ii rih :•�i(��"� .y!i��t/'rr�dhl�y ,•„ MAO E. 34 ' •� =Tyr 1 wi,.ft�i'� � ' •i1;;,' _t "i.r.. •(+� • —roll.: : rf• i Ao I f RRi' i• .':�•~ •.'�� ' • '. ` � ryL •r may✓ •��� I'/ ` •^ � �,'� v.nsar..y„ �����gg��d��g� 1rc��."•'r,�,''�"'t.ti w Figure 13 —Cleanup and Beautification Needed 52 f i OIL OF16INANCI Without doubt, Huntington Beach should'movo and move as rapidly as possible with � a cleanup program of all wells for the beautifieatlon'"of the city, the Improvement of Its i public image, and most importantly, tho greater utility of its land surface. Thn Ctt fe taking the proper rouoh in the preparation of a fair and et y g p p pp p p rong ail code. The Panel can give no legal advice, but it does suggest adopting the strongest controls legally possible., After adoption the controls should be enforced impartially and strictly. The code appears to be quite comprehensive and when put into final form should arable the City to accomplish the desired purpose of cleaning up the fields with- out curtailing all production. The code contains provision for the City to step in and remove oil well equipment, seal off abandoned wells and correct nuisances in cases where an operator or owner will not do so himself. The City will have the power under the code to assess the cost of cleanup against the property involved. This Is'the "teeth" in the code, the power to enforce tho regulations. The City 1 . hbuid not lend funds to oporiitors cr owners who might be willingjo cooperate' but;:who fool they cannot financially do so. Enhanced land values of such parcels resulting from the cleanup should enable cooperative owners to arrange their own finan'dMg. The City has too many other more pressing demands for the use of public funds than to make money available for such loans. When an owner will not cooperate, the City should go in under the new code, correct the nuisance, and assess the cost against the property. Offshore Drillhig �. .. The Panel is not satisfied with the proposed provisions for offshore drilling in the The location"of the drilling`islands is ai the disorotion of the State as long ao rigs are located beyond points whorewellsban be drilled from shore. It to the Panel's under- standing that it might be possible for the City to acquire, without coot, title (excluding mineral righter) to the tidelands from mean high water to three miles out up to a deptli of 500 feet. Doing:so, would give the City the necessary control over placement and physical characteristics of the drilling islands. In any event, "provision should be made in the code for the beautification of the platforms to bring.their appearance to that of true islands with no visible charaeteris- ties of an offehoro rig. Adherence to such a provision (as has been done in Long Beach) would help to preserve the beauty of the beach, the city's greatest long--term asset. Conin nifty Development Programs ,;The.City can carry out a community developmentprogram for better control of oil induatxy practices by adopting and enforcing the code. The Panel expects cooperation from;.the large operators and it expects the City to enforce cooperation from these few small operators who may not cooperate initially. Once a start is made, public opinion will be strongly behind this action. The code needs smoothing out, legal review, and additional controls on offshore drilling; in general it is a sound document and will fulfill its purpose, but 2U1 if it is strictly enforced. 53 1 %J746 l r J `f.J� �Vr�f. ice` } '''�i�� � �• �+• r � J r •�lj4S .•"T I'S'' ..s I '4;F�1j iI,4�ty�' � l7�� � �r � F i � r't��� as . i,T•-.3. (•O;.! R � �� �� ` .j' r T.,, — ,�-�' t ji I i INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT 1 f The industrial development of Huntington Beach may be divided into three general categories: 1. Land zoned industrially which lies in or adjacent to the oil producing areas; 2. Industrial land outside of the oil producing zone (these parcels being goneraIly along the rail line to the north, with one large tract of abort 800 acres lying i Just south of the Douglas plant); M 3. The profitable "visitor industry'+ which is mainly oriented to food and drink, parking and other servieo facilities, including the pier, located adjacent to the ! beach. I The following is an action timetable for the development of industrial land in the above categories: 1. Indusiri:il development of those parcels in the oil producing areas can best proceed after the cleanup, consolidation and general improvement program (recommended for this area) has been substantially completed. Use of' Industrial'. land, for oil fields is perhaps not usually'thought of as an interim u's `;''for industrial property, but such a profitable use has certainly enabled` Huntington, Beach' to keep sizable industrial acreage in reserve since 1620 The ultimata development of the surface land in the city's oil field area Is quite a unique opportunity, +lq,.�D* e'.a�.f .: 2. TheAmIng,11of an aggressiver industrial development program 4for,the second �• d oat6gory�of industrial}land';(ire; landinJliun ing`�`on;Beach which is far,enough away�, fxoi th�ooil7 fields sa,as not {o boafteotodaby`oil field rroblemej depend an ahcw soon'sit is possible to' "timake euoh�land available and full competitive w t ,props y n near y n p us r a ax s and tracts. ,.. p; :.: i:'t •r Cr ..- ` Outside &P Uie variation In:sotne 'foundation problems, the Ind" rial traotP in Ora}ige"' County all havQ similar`physic`al characteristics ,`including,uttlit3es (availabl in;mostxplaces),'approxiinately the same.tax-assessm6ftreatmeit, and: generally�'good; relations,..with$;the commutlity. .However, land pricesin Hwitinjton Beach arc-aor.�ewhnt higher than land prices in other"parts of tl.:e eouiaty;Generally, land owners in Huntington Beach do not have all the finese� in 'deslgiiing.sale.or., lease contracts„to, the needs of the manufacturer that is characteristic elsewhere. In some oases the .owners of industrial land in Huntington B.pach.understandably must gear land sales and leases to the advice of their tax attorneys. As a result, Huntington Beach is fortunate, in the long run, that a substantial amount of good industrial land is being held off the market for possible futyu re use. Z'he Panel recommends that a portfolio of sites in Huntiigton_Beach be pre- pared which Includes (among other pertinent data) full property description and firm prices tether %vfth commitments to sell or lease on short notion. Bee also, "lndudrlel Development,"pages 25-.27. 55 j (Where there are several owners of a given industrial tract, there is little usu in promoting the sale of the parcel unless there is such prior commitment.) Huntington Beach must be sure it can deliver the merchandise (land) at a com- petitive price before the City starts spending money on an industrial develop- ment program. 2. The treatment of the third category, the ocean frontage, is a matter for local decision. Before 1960 (and before the major annexations to the city and the recent population "explosion") balancing the annual budget was no problem and the:maintenance of the beach was accepted as the City's obligation. Since 1960, however, the need for schools, highways, police protection, and other public services has made balancing the budget a more difficult task. .Therefore, the Panel believes that the beach should not only become self-supporting but that beach activities should be managed in such a way that they produce a "profit. This oes not mean that the City need gouge any of the visitors; but if it can realize a small "profit" on each, the total results would add needed revenue to help carry out the beach development program recommended by the Panel. Compelitive Industrial Acreage The industrial outlook for Huntington Beach mum tbe viewed In the light of its i;. in- petition. Three industrial parks on the Irvine Ranch offer fully developed ready-to-use plant sites close to the Orange County Airport and the new University of California campus at stated prices ranging from $35,000 an acre for the larger sites to 60 cents a square foot for the smaller sites, with a few premium locations priced up to $1.00 a square foot. Reportedly, over 400 acres of the total 2,600-acre industrial property have bean sold. The Segerstrom tract of 1,000 acres in Fountain Valley offers sites competitive with Irvine. Raw land in Fountain Valley adjacent to rail and freeway is available at $22,000 to $25,000 per acre. Other industrial sites of various sizes with good highway , access and all utilities at hand are being aggressively marketed in Orange County at similar or lower prices. M What does an Industrial prospect find when he considers locating in Huntington Beach? Undeveloped land in the so-called industrial parks in Huntington Beach has no stated price, but is reported to cost $25,000 per acre and up, plus development costa of $5,000 or more per acre. While these properties are not,presently competitive with comparable sites''in other areas,'-the public beach and pier are ripe for substantial development of the "visitor industry." From personal experience with many beaches on both Coasts and Inland lakes the Panel was surprised to find how meager the visitor service facilities are at Huntington Beach. The opportunity is here and should be pursued. Additional Obseruatioris and.Recommendations • Huntington Beach should seek all types of industry already located in Orange County, except those industries requiring sites of 20 acres or more where: price would be a decisive factor. • Based on land price and the demand for industrial acreage in Huntingtou Beach, Industrial zoning totals appear adequate for the city's future needs. 56 7� 1 I 1 i • Local policy affecting tha construction of new plants in Huntington Beach should be flexible, taking into account potential employment and tax revenue from each project. i • The City's present industrial zoning ordinance provides adequate performance standards. • A program for attracting industry to the city is directly related to the other findings and recommendations of the Panel. Its success will depend on accom- plishing the other steps suggested. The Southern California Edison Company's Industrial development department can provide detailed guidance. t 0 Most of the: city's industrial prospects are in the metropolitan Los Angeles area and are best Identified by personal contacts. • Employing a full-time industrial coordinator, and starting a promotional pro- gram would be premature at this time because ready-to-use industrial sites are not readily available. • As noted previously, if the Huntington Beach Freeway is located west of Golderiwest, the area bounded by Edinger on the north, Garfield on the south, the railroad on the east, and the freeway on the west would be a suitable M-lA (light industrial) district. • Different standards for industrial streets and improvements de not appearneees- sary, unless extremely heavy traffic is anticipated. • The only effectivo way tc preserve land that is zoned and master planned for industrial use is by the acquisition of title or development righte, possibly by a community industrial development corporation. • The best interim uses for industrial property in Huntington Beach are agricul- ture and oil production. Trailer parks and other portable structures are also possibilities. In short, industrial development is usually a long-range, step-by-step process. Some of these eteps are outlined above; many are included in other sections of We report. The point is that most of these steps must precede an industrial promotion_ effort, if it is to be effective. } I� 1 87 PARKS AND RE.:REATION Park Acquisition Policy The City should continue its currentpolteyofbuying park land as acreage becomes available, then improving the sites at some later date. Land prices are rising rapidly in Huntington Beach and acceptable sites may later become unobtainable, In the densely congested, older northeastern cities, it is practically impossible to acquire green areas. Many Small Parks Versus a Few Larger Odes The Panel endorses the City's presentpolicy of purchasing several small neighbor- hood parks. A number of small parl:s located throughout the city provides better cover- age. They should adjoin school sites for moreeconomical administration, maintenance, and policing. Other Park and Recreational Facilities The eight and one-half miles of beach give the city'an unusually large opon space and park-like facility. Also, when the proposed Orange County-Harbor District park becomes a reality, it will provide 160 acres at the northwest corner of the city. And, there is a 140-180 acre regional park now in the planning stage that will be located in Fountain Valley. This facility will be readily available to the residents of Huntington Beach. It is assumed that the City is working closely with the County toward the pur- chase of these attractive park sites. City Community Centers The City should provide community centers similar to the present popular (but overcrowded) Recreation Center at 17th and Orange Strcets. At least three more such centers of about 10,000 square feet each should be located in the north, east and west, either sdjoining or near proposed school sites for maximum use and economy in supervision. Other Conimunity Recreatimal Projects Y The city should continuo to pursue its aiepiration's for.a mw edin a; wildlifa area and an art center. While theae''may not be imrr►cdiati►ly attainable;`the untioipated lurid use , plan could provide:,for. such projects. Th6.city obviouril,►;is liickirig In'cultural development but fortunately,'r©co nizee, this 'p°iroblem andzsoelce a}solution. ;'In many . .,.w; communities.:some public spirited benefpctor has firianood th�a'aaquisition and`develop- ment of similar facilities, often as a lasting iii6morial`to the faintly,name.:;Also; with very great increasq'in federal:dand develo vmant rhos various cultural projects, this the vefunds,available f source of funds for ac uisiti p ou'ld'not be neglected. -The Panel understands, for example, that the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation matches City funds on a 50-50 basis for acceptable projects. Incidentally, if the City needs an area to dispose of trash and garbage, the sanitary land fill method of dl3posal lends itself to the acqui- sition of parklands as the federal government will pay one-half of the ground cost if the City agrees to use the resulting land for park purposer:. Ne:ulalld House Unless there is a proven, important hist6rlral significance to the Newland House on the east side of Beach Boulevard, its acquisition does not warrant expenditures from the general fund. If given to the City with a maintenance endowment, acceptance should be considered. 59 IMPLEMENTATION AND COMMUNITY ACTION by } Joseph 1V. Land, Chairman of the Panel � An additional responsibility of the Panel is to comment on the implementation of its findings and recommendations, or more simply, to consider the question, "Where does the City of Huntington Beach go from here?" To this question there is no easy answer. No blueprint for individual or collee- j tive ,human behavior has ever been put in contract form and constructed, as one builds a bridge or a dwelling. In the long run, people call be guided, persuaded, or led by the hand; but they cannot be poured into a mold. The job to be done, then, is an exercise in human behavior, First, the community must decide where to start. The city needs a better Image. I It also needs a new municipal plant. Itneeds to plan for expanding its sourncs of revenue to keep pace with expected growth. By living and working in Huntington Beach, the Panel came to the conclusion that some comparatively simple steps could be taken now which are within the present limits of the Cityle financial and manpower resources. Xouselreeping In some areas.;, housekeeping is badly neglcoted. Litter and leftover building materials or oil equipment create horrid eyesores. These are seen'by all'the 'eity's g p p s if the'sur-visitor :.s who might otherwise be persuaded to stop and,patronize bustnesse roundirigs were more attractive. Commercial signs along the main street and all the traffic .'arteries vie with each other for attention, as if to win prizes for the worst offender. Control of business signing is a.proper function of municipal authorities. Trees and 'shrubs can hide the installations that pull oil from the ground. Screen planting is not prohibitively, costly. If the oil producers cannot be persuaded to install Improvements, the City itself could well afford a landscaping program of this kind on a two- to five-year basis, starting with the most unsightly sections along the Pacific Coast Highway. Planting along the beach, for both beauty and shade, would greatly improve the appearance of Huntington Beach's finest recreational asset. The concession stands could be beautified with only a little imagination and the cooperation of the conces- sionaires. BIighted structures should be torn down in marry parts of the city. Capital bnprove»tents and Beach Development The neist two 'priority jobs a're more difficult"and will'cost money, but they are just'as fundamental as good housekeeping. Capital improvements, and a good solution to the problem of making the beach an aesthetic and economic asset should have the j highest priority. They go hand-in-hand. These efforts will require a new approach on the part of all the business and residential population of the city. 59 Commudly Leadership At the briefing session, a question was asked about community leadership In Huntington Beach. No direct answer was forthcoming, nor was the Panel able to find that a specific leadership entity can be defined in the city. Huntington Beach's political leaders took a bold step In bringing the Panel to the city. The next ateps must be taken by both the business and political leaders, in cooperation with those who represent leadership in all phases of community life. The following comments are based on the experience of other communities with which individual members of the Panel are Intimately familiar and may help Huntington Beach organize its own vehicle for action. In Tucson, the home of Mr. Roy Drachman, the Mayor appointed a Citizen's'Com- mittee to analyze and,promote a necessary capital improvements program, some of which had been previously`turned down by the voters. By involving 300 or more citizens on several cpeeial study committees, the civic needs were screened, refined, and finally approved by the overall committee. Then the propositions came before the voters as a proposal from the voters themselves. The personal involvement that educated the citizen group, assured the program Is success. In Indianapolis, Mr. Carl Dortch's city, a similar effort toward solutions of prob- lems relating to business and government cooperation was sparked by the Chamber of Commerce. In my own city of Boston, a group of 15 top businessmen joined with other civic and labor groups to stimulate and guidu the city government in revitalizing blighted areas of its obsolete, unsightly waterfront and decaying central business district. From these efforts have come a revival of community spirit and a positive image of a new Boston. ThePanec}omrnends that'ari`offioialF`ste"grin committee`offive or seven re,. resi n at ve e t zees constituted.:--This committee must be.the small leadership group who will meet and work on,a frequent,continuous and regular schedule. These men`inust agree that the transformation of Huntington Beach is their primacy civic responsibility. They must work at it, 'even at the cost of giving up some of their leisure and business time. .'Improving the community in which their profit Is made is a fundamental respon- sibility of every businessman. Nei h` hood groups and home owners associations will need to be involved. - As the work.spreads, i t wlll''' ie surprising how much talent and enthusiasm is available Just waiting`to be asked...; By creating a sense of personal involvement in constructive achievement, the whole attitude of the community could change from that of "Let George do it" to-"Come on George, let's'do it." •=rtY•j.., u K.f'?i.i, ."J^'�Sxsll,a.r�+- �?i�$1 x 'ur .T Amon ,those who.assume the' �rima responsibility rcsponsfbiljty should be the Log executives of the ma or Industrial and commercial enterprises. After all, these enterprises have Me largest stake in the benefits to be obtained. The City's governmental department heads have greatly-impressed`the,Panel with their, abilities and enthusiasm. They can wellprovide the facts and plans that will be considered. by the citizen organization. Department heads must cooperate, but they should not try to fordo policy decisions. If this should happen, the individual members of the committee would soon lose interest. 60 • 1 Finally, it must always be kept In mind that cities are made for people and, in the long run, cities are what the people Crake them. Huntington Beach call go forNard only to the extent that its citizens truly want it to. The people of luntington Beach—for their own reasons of civic pride, economics, or sense of accomplishment—must care enough to do the job. The leadership of the city must recruit fellow citizens with enthusiasm. Every talent will be required. i :he community has the assets on which to build. It has the talents necessary to do the building. With the background of self-study conducted in preparation for this panel study, City officials and others have learned a great deal about the community which they did not know before. This report is designed to help the Cityarrive at sound decisions leading to'better planning,'land utilization, and urban and economic development. Recognizing that the future is made by people who care enough to make it happen, the Panel is confident that constructive action will follow this study, and appreciates the opportunity of being a part of Huntington Beach - 1970. i .w i i I f. 61 APPENDIX A DISCUSSION OF THE PANEL'S REPORT Following the formal presentation of the Panel's findings, conclusions, and rec- ommendations, the meeting was opened to an informal discussion period during which i questions were submitted from the floor and answered spontaneously by individual members of the Panel. Consequently, these comments are net necessarily the consenus of the Panel and, therefore, are not incorporated as a part of the preceding "official" report. LAND USE AND POPULATION DENSITIES QUESTION: WHAT WOULD BE TiIE ALTERNATE USES FOR PROPERTY ALONG - BEACH BOULEVARD NOW ZONED FOR STRIP COMMERCIAL USE? COMMENT BY All?. NAHA.S: It depends entirely on how much property an individual owns. If the commercial frontage is part of a large tract, then I think it can be included In a residential development. If It Is a small, isolated piece of property, multiple resi- dential use might be considered. It Is difficult to rescind zoning once'it is established. Often there Is an economic hardship involved, if a man's right to use his property�'is unduly restricted. There is a great deal of misinformation about:the value of so-called commercial property, As a developer, I have used .commercially-zoned property :or other.purposes'beaause it simply was not valuable for commercial use,and I feel this applies to much of the prop- erty along Beach Boulevard. I do not think that commercial development in strip zoned areas can successfully compete with integrated shopping centers. A higher per square foot value can be produced many times with offices or with multiple residential usea. �. QUESTION: WHAT RANGE OF SIZES FOR RESIDENTIAL LOTS DOES THE PANEL SEE POSSIBLE FOR HUNTINGTON BEACH 7 � MR CAMPBELL ^ ulto a diocussi COM1lIENT B"Y .. ; We had'q on on the lotsizeproblem. Perhaps a little`background 1s in order. TheCity s zoning ordinance generally provides for 6 OOO,,s uare-foot residential lots and there has been a recent proposal to amend the ordinanqce to permit.a smaller size lot or, inversely, as I understand it,'by allowing a little`higher ooverage. Based on talks with developers in the city,it is the Panel's feeling Altat Huntingtmt Beach may be selling itself short on what could bo a financial asset because of the population pressure. Although people may not use the beacih,.Ahey certainly want to live near it; they feel it has a value. = The local developers told us that.homps within a shortdistance of sizes would eubstantial00 upgrade the city. Personally, 1 r away. could think larger'lot the beach sell for; to 2,000 more than those firths y think you could go as high as 10,000 or even 12,600 square feet and you would be amazed at the quality of homes this change would attract. Conversely, we think you would be justified in reducing the lot size to yield six, six and one-half,or seven single-family units to an acre in some parts of the city. 62 Within the 6,000 square-foot areas, which should be the generally accepted mini- mum lot standard, 4,000 square-foot lots might be allowed, providing that 2,000 square feet per lot is put Into a common green. The present street pattern imposed upon the city when the grid system was laid out should be broken up. We would like to see the city abandon some interior streets to achieve "super blocks." Within such "super blocks", lot sizes could drop to 40000 square feet or po.sibly 3,500 square feet per single-family unit, providing the balance of 2,000 or 2,500 square feet is put in a common green. ' 1 SIGN CONTROL I QUESTION: PLEASE EXPAND ON THE COMMENT ABOUT SIGN AND BILLBOARD CONTROL. SPECIFY AND DISCUSS SIZE AND LOCATION. � COMMENT BY MR. NAHAS: Obviously,we cannot get into the details of this question. However;'.`there should be some criteria in the zoning ordinance with respect to the j relationship, .of the size of the sign, the type of activity, the size of property involved and the traffic conditions on'the street. All these factors are interrelated. We are talking about a great many restrictions and Iwant you to know by underscoring this, that these restrictions should be flexible to allow exceptions when those exceptions seem to be valid and a necesa iy for one reason or another. Every master plan and every ordi- nance should remain flexible enough to allow for change and new ideas. k CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS i'ROGRAM QUESTION: WHY IS THE PLACEMENT OF A BOND ISSUE BEFORE THE PEOPLE ' IN SEPARATE PACKAGES BETTER THAN A LUMP PACKAGE? COMMENT BY MR. DORTCH:In studies of voters' approval of bond issues,the history h2o been that package deals have not been accepted as readily as thc3e which offer the voter an alternative of choices. I simply suggest that as-a start is made,`in this new direction, the voter be given an 2alternative. As the oapital4improvernents program is developed it might be possible to •have five different _alternatives; fire department, library, parks,and recreation, ` streets and drainage,Fand Civic. Center mightiiiake an appropriate breakdown. In this kind �of a decision, ;voters. deverve the Iopportunity` to'expreas their approval or dis- approval of each project. Also, the chances are if all items are together in one large single,;package, different factions of voters might o4lect to one part or another of the coniplete package. Other parts,' however, might receive a substantial con1sensus and the voters would be forced to express blanivA disaaproval causing the whole issue to go down the drain. I think the voters should be given a choice. COMMENT. BY MR. DRACHAIM: In Tucson we were recently advised by bond law specialist that we would have to break a bond issue down to several different items as required by the statutes in Arizona. Although it is possible that this would not be neces- sary in California, I think the advice of a bond attorney should be sought on this aspect. LIBRARY FACILITIES Q UESTION: SHOULD THE LIBRARY BE MORE THAN A DISTRIBUTION CENTER FOR BOOKS? SHOULD IT BE A CE14TER OF INTELLECTUAL AND CUL- TURAL ACTIVITIES? WOULD NOT A CENTRALLY-LOCATED MAIN 63 :Y 1+� LIBRARY REDUCE THE NEED FOR A MULTI-BRANCH OPERATION AND ALL THE DUPLICATION ENTAILED IN LAND, BUILDINGS, BOOKS, SALARIES, AND AT THE SAME TIME BE ABLE TO PROVIDE BETTER SERVICE IN DEPTH? COMMENT BY AIR. DRACHNIAX. Although I am not an expert on this subject, Ihave had some experience with a library program, and I think that the community is better served with branch li-raries and they should be good size branches. We have found in Tucson, that branches of 15,000 square feet are fensible. I arts amazed at the number of students of all ages who do homework and research in the library for subjects they are studying. The library today is more than books; it has phonograph records, micro- filmed material and facilities for all forms of research. I think you will find that by providing branch Iibraries out where the people live makes sense and will be very widely used. The library certainly could be used for other cultural purposes, but it would be primarily a place where people would come to do research and study and to obtain books on loan. You can have a central library,but It does not make sense to have one library and not havA branches. There should be branches where the people are located for the same yeas, -s you have shopping centers In suburbs and outlying areas. TRANSPORTAT!ON Q UESTION: PLEASE AMPLIFY YOUR COMMENTS CONCERNING THE SUPER BLOCK CONCEPT PROPOSED FOR HUNTINGTON BEACH COMPANY'S PLANNED COMMUNITY AREA AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO THE PRESENT AND PROPOSED MAJOR TRAFFIC ARTERIES. ,.. •.�; ,.:; '-: -� •- I thinklex res COMMENT JBY MA: CAMPBELL:- p s the opinion of the Panel in'sayfng f we are in favor of the "super block'' and the "planned eomnunity'.'.concept. The'most refreshing thing„that could happen in this city from the planning point of view would be i the development,,of a few supra block oommuniiies to demonstrate the amenity that can come from this kind of living environment. By a super block we`.mean an area the size of several normal city blocks combined where,in effect, the consolidated area is isolated from the surrounding city pattern so that the people who live within the confines of such an area are not subjected to through traffic. i i • The'problem.is how to get from such areas by arterial streets to the.beach, which i again we .feel is a major asset and that people should have ready access to it. A more acceptable solution would be to-surround the area with streets which might be coin- , pletely limited access. They might even be walled and adequately landscaped. Traffic could readily get to the beach via a limited access street since it would eliminate cross-ing a multitude of intersections. i In•the'ease of the Huntington Beach Company,s proper � � ' • ty there is a peculiar develop- ment problem. The company Is trying to concentrate well heads into blocks for surface development. Around these blocks will be a golf course under which will be a multitude j of pipelines connecting the well heads. There might be 50 wells in a two- to-five-acre block. It would be disastrous to run a major arterial street through the area because It would defeat the purpose of this well-conceived and carefully planned community park. 64 i i QUESTION: WOULD THESE LIMITED ACCESS STREETS DE IN ADDITION TO ARTERIES ALREADY PROPOSED? COMMENT B Y AIR. CA J11PBELL:It maybe sufficient to add one or two lanes to Golden- west Street and add a lane or two to one of the other streets. If access is restricted and the intersection of streets is limited the surrounding streets might be adequate to serve a super block area. Q UESTIOM.• WITH RESPECT TO THE ECONOMIC POTENTIAL OF THE COASTAL MARGIN, SHOULD THE CITY CONTINUE ITS EFFORTS TO RELOCATE THE COAST FREEWAY INLAND FROM HIGHWAY 39 TO THE SANTA ANA RIVER? COMMENT BY MR. NAHAS: Iunderstand the State of California has almostdectded on the Coast Freeway alignment. I do not believe this is where the highway should be located. It should be built inland and the beach frontagq should be preserved for the kind of desirable uses which we have been talking about. If there is any way the State could be persuaded to change this alignment, I certainly would attempt to do bo. As far as providing the public the right to enjoy the ocean, Highway 101 is already there and could be provided with additional vista points which would relieve some of the fast traffic. It takes 10 to 15 minutes for pedestrians to cross that highway even In the off-season. An inland freeway would relieve some of this traffic making 101 a moat desirable highway from the standpoint of the public. If there is any possibility of changing the State's mind, I certainly would advise doing so. COMMENT B Y MR. DRACHMAN: The more the Freeway develops close to the beach, the more it is going to divide the beach from the city, which I think would be a shame. CIVIC CENTER QUESTION: WHAT USES DOES THE- PANEL RECOMMEND FOR THE PROPOSED DOWNTOWN CIVIC CENTER? COMMENTBYMR;'DRACHMAN. The`downtown-Civic Center would not only beapiace for the governmental offices,but also could be a location for some of the city'a cultural buildings; It could be almost anything the community wants It to be, as was pointed out in the report. It should be developed near the'beach so it could offer parking facilities that would serve both the beach recreational needs (on weekends) and the Civic Center needs during the week. If a community shopping center is built in the downtown area, it ohould be fairly close to the Civic Center so that all the parking could generally nerve all three facilities. QUESTION: WOULD YOU DISCUSS FURTHER THE CIVIC CENTER SITES AND THE PENCILED SKETCH EXHIBITED? ' COMMENT BY M& LUND: If the downtown area can be redeveloped as a site for the Civic:-Center' and shopping area, thee, that location is the Panel's primary choico. Because of the highway alignment oii sites A and B, the Panel does not think they are the most feasible among the proposals outline. Site B was considered good from a loca- tional standpoint but the Panel did not feel It offered the proper amenities. Therefore, the high school aite was our second choice if the downtown area is not feasible. f COMMENT BYMR. CAMPBELL: It was the consensus of the Panel members that per- hap:7 the best way to rehabilitate the downtown area would be to partially convert it to other uses. We feet there is some merit to encouraging daytime use of the downtown 1 05 • area by closing Main Street, although there was some question as to whether this would be advisable. These are specifies and the Panel does not intend to plan the city; this should be done by the community, assisted by a planning consultant. However, closing Main Street and two or throe of the abutting streets would create a large central mall which should be landscaped around the edge. The landscaped cen- tral mall could be used for central parking in the daytime for employees and visitors of the Civic Center and customers of what might be a modest, rehabilitated downtown shopping area. On the weekends, it would be a large parking lot for people using the beach. We feel there is real merit in a concept of this kind. The Panel believes that if the City spends money on a dignified group of public buildings in this location, everyone traveling on Pacific Coast Highway will see these buildings and get a most favorable impression of the city. The possibilities in Hunting- ton Beach are tremendous, and we think such a project will improve the public image. t DOWNTOWN REDEVELOPMENT QUESTION: WHAT SHOULD THE OFF--STREET PARKING RATIO BE FOR THE DOWNTOWN AREA? ARE THE WIDE VARIETY OPUSES PERMITTED AND MINIBIUM DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS FOR THE DOWNTOWN AREA SATISFACTORY? PLEASE DEFINE THE DOWNTOWN AREA. WHAT ARE ITS BOUNDARIES 1 COMMENT BY MR. DRA CHAJAN:The parking ratio for the downtown' commercial p g area i should be about`2.2 to one if the ratio formula is used in the zoningordinance. Five ; parking spaces for ovory 1,000 square feet of retail area, and 2,5 spaces'for every 1,000 1 square feet in office use are generally recommended standards for the parking index j relationship between the number of parking spaces and the retail and office use. This ' ratio and parking index would apply to the Civic Center, general office space, and stores and shops. It would not apply to beach area parking. On Saturdays and Sundays down- town parking could partially serve the crowded beach area. ; The C-3 zoning ordinance adequately covers the variety of uses and minimum standards for the downtown area. t' As far as the boundaries of'the to area are concerned,most of the 66kige would be within First and Seventh Streets along Pacific,Boule'vard. '•Ttie;alley bet4eea Fifth and Sixth Streets should perhaps.be the boundary L of the'Civic`Center and then over to Sixth Street along the northern or northwestern side•of the present'Civic Center extending to . Palm Avenue, back along: Lake Street to Third Street, Third to Orange ;- Avenue, and then'down the alley between Third and Second Streets to the alley +hat runs; in back of the frontage along Pacific Coast Highway and over to First Street. This would' be the primary downtown retail or commercial area. There is some property zoned for commercial use along Second Street; if there is a demonstrated need for it there we would not quarrel with its being included. QUESTION.' IN THE EXPERIENCE OF THE PANEL WOULD SHOPPING .'MALLS IN PLACE OF STREETS IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA BE PRACTICAL AND SUCCESSFUL? COMMENT BYMR. DRACXMAN: biostshopping malls have notproven entirely suc- eessful. They are nice to look at, but unfortunately do not solve the problem of pro- viding parking and changing the type of tenancy. It is a good idea to add some attractive 66 I I }r amenities to the downtown area, but as far as solving the problem of downtown is con- cerned, a mall Alone will not do it. CO IAIENT BY MR. NAHAS: Iwould like tocmphaslze Mr. Drachman Is point. Actunlly, I think Fresno, California and Grand Junction, Colorado, both relatively small towns, i have done a good job with their malls. But malls do not make good merchants out of poor merchants. In Oakland, we have built a mall on Washington Street which was an unattractive declining retail area. We now have an attractive declining retail area. QUESTION. HOW SHOULD DOWNTOWN PARKING BE FINANCED? SHOULD THE PARKING METER TAKE CARE OF THIS? COADIENT BY MR. MORTON: Generally,I think you will find that parking meters are not a solution to parking problems. Meter parking in the downtown area will only drive the customer to outlying shopping centers where there are no parking charges. Park- ing meters in the downtown area should be avoided if at all possible. i COAIAIENT BY AIR. DRA CHAMN One suggestion was that a parking permit be sold by the City each year to the residents of Huntington Beach. This would entitle local resi- dents to park on the beach or in any of the parking district areas for a period of six months to a year. The price could be as little as a dollar or maybe as much as $5. Residents with stickers on their cars would not have to pay any additional fees, but the out-of-town people would be required to pay the parking charges enforced at the beaches or at the various parking lots. It would be a way of raising some money locally, but at the same time give local residents a break on the use of parking arca3. C0A1MENT. BYIV1R. CAMPBELL: I have a comment that will personalize this foryou. First, one of the Panel members and I went to the best men's store in town to make a Purchase. We visited with the proprietor and he told us that at a recent cocktail party two women told him they no longer traded with him because of the meter charge in the downtown area. Secondly, my wife was visiting witt `the motel maid this morning, who told her that ` y p p . ...ln yestQrdu� she. went downtown to purchase what she felt was an expensive, urehaee' davenport,• While she was buying it her car was tagged. She +.ame out and looked up and down the` street and there were only three automobiles parked in the entire block. That merchant has lost her as a customer. I would';ike to emphasize that you would put the kiss of death on what is left of the downtown, if you try to boost customer traffic in the area with a parking district depending on parking meters to support the bond. •It absolutely will not work and would simply drive the few customers you have left to the shopping centers. COMMENT BY MR, DRACHAIAM- . : : I think the!question of weekend crowds might be anawered by doing what is being done in one of Tucson's large regional shopping centers Where'there is a problem with commuters. The entrances to the parking lot are chaicied off until the commuters have gotten on the train and gone on to the city. Then the lots are opened. The same can be donee in Huntin on .Beach. You can have free parking duringthe week. During the weekend ut the chains up, or have an attendant, or use the coin-operated type gate which has worked very successfully in many places. The driver can get In but cannot get out until he has deposited 25 cents or 50 cents in the slot. There are many ways this can be done; there are experts in the field who should be consulted. ! I' 67 i I am impressed with the capability of the City's public works director and I am sure he can advise the City on how to go about leasing the parking areas. URBAN RENEWAL QUESTION.' PLEASE EXPAND ON HOW OR THROUGH WHICH PATTERN OF UR13AN RENEWAL A PRESENT PROPERTY OWNER CAN PARTICIPATE IN URBAN RENEWAL PROJECTS. COMMENT BY MR. WILLIS: Here again this gets into detail which we are trying to avoid, but I suspect after the proper appraisal of the properties, If a redevelopment corporation is organized, a property owner may take a relative number of shares in the new corporation pro rata to the evaluation of his property. He becomes a stock- holder in the new company-Tor better or for worse to the extent of his property's value. COMMENT BY MR. DORTCH: Ile also could become a tenant in the development. COMMENT BY MR. WILLIS: He gets first choice. COMMENT BY MR. LUND: There Is a limited,priority given to former tenants or J owners in urban renewal areas who want to participate. This is difficult to define and ff it has never really been tested. The law states specifically that owners or tenants who are being displaced have priority in the redevelopment project. QUESTION: COULD A CORPORATION BE FORMED IN AN URBAN RENEWAL AREA FOR DIVIDING FUTURE PROFITS OF THE RENEWAL PROGRAM? COMMENT BY MR. LUND:. blast redevelopment areas are sold to new private rede- velopment corporations in which some of the previous owners frequently Participate or some of the business activities which were located in the area participate. The private redevelopers purchase the property under certain control and certain conditions which may be set either by option cr by negotiation. COMMENT BYMR, WILLIS: The present property owner can become a stockholder in the corporation and can share to the extent of the future profits. COMMENT BYMR. MOB TON.- I believe there are possibilities for business-type activities; a parking garage, for example, where the municipal agency can construct the facility and lease it out—the lessee splitting 50-50 with the city. QUESTION. UNDEi-RktTHE' BEST OF .CONDITIONS, HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE TO DEVELOP THE CIVIC CENTER IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA WITH URBAN RENEWAL FUNDS? COMMENT BY MR. LUND: I have served as chairman of the Redevelopment Authority in Boston, and there it takes an awfully long time; my guess would be three years to ! acquire land, replan, and deliver. i COMMENT BYMR. HURD: The program is speeding up, In the early years there was much opposition and it took a great deal of time. Optimistically, in Huntington Beach the planning and approval stage might take six to 9 months, and then perhaps a year to 18 montho beyond that before the program would get fully underway. 68 • BEACH AREA DEVELOPMENT (QUESTION. PLEASE COIZ TENT FURTHER ON THE FUTURE USE OFTI?E PACIFIC ELECTRIC RIGIiT-OF-WAY NORTHWEST OFTHE PIER. STATEASEN'rS WERE MADE THAT THE PUBLIC SHOULD HAVE ACCESSTO ALL POR- TIONS OF THE BEACH WITHIN THE REASONABLE LIMITATIONS OF THE RIGHTI'S OF PRIVATE PROPERTY; AND THAT THE PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS SHOULD HAVE THE USE OF THEIR PROPERTY WITHIN REASONABLE CONTROL OF THE PU13LIC DOAIAIN AS IT EXTENDS TO THE USE OF THE BEACH, i COMMENT BY AIR. LUND: This issue of depth in shoreline ownership Is under study and therefore, the Panel felt that to form any hard and fast proposal on the matter would be unfair to the public and unfair tothe private owners and certainly unfair to the Urban Land Institute Panel. COMMENT,BY AIR. NAKAS: The consensus of the Panel was that the Pacific Ocean belongs to all' the people and they should not be denied access to it. At the same time, we all strongly believe in the private enterprise system and the sanctity of private property. Property should not be taken at any time without just compensation. Tills is a difficult question and it is going to have to be solved with a compromise, but basically within the framework of unlimited public access along the beach and to the ocean and with the right to develop private property. If it is decided that the public should have that property, then It should be nego- tiated 'or condemned and paid for in the manner prescribed by law. Generally, I think It might be possible'in some areas north of the pier to have very attractive high-rise buildings with open space between them providing public access to the beach. There Nwas a; serious question, however, as to whether any of us would want to live in those apartments in the .summertime. We saw some pictures of the "lemmings" covering the beach at certain times of the year. This is a question that will have to be answered locally on an individual basis. COMMENT BY MR. MORT ON:,To quote the Panel's original statement, "Aa an overall philosophy, the Panel believes that'the':'right of,.the`public to use the sand beach areas throughout the entire eight and brie-bAlf mile length of the beach should not ba denied, subject to--the just compensation boing'patd to private owners. 'Furthermore, the Panel believes that the rights of the Huntington BeAch Company and any other private owners to develop their property should not be denied, but with certain limitations." There is no desire among the Panel;inemhers to confiscate private property or to interfere with a very desirable, outstan di ng development. a^S 'r►i�'p QUESTION: WHAT"AS,, THE F.EASIBILIT.Y '1:Ok ATTRACTING A'HIGH CLASS DISNEYLAND-TYPE'DEVELOPMENT, YET DIFFERENT COMMERCJAL RECREATION ENTERPRISES ON OR 24EA4t THE'BEACH TO ATTRACT AND CAPTURE SOME OF THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TOURIST DOLLARS? DO YOU THINK .A DISNEYLAND OR MELODYLAND TYPE OF ATTRACTION MIGHT BE CONSIDERED FOR THE DOWNTOWN .AREA? COMMENT BY AIR. IVILLIS: 1 du not think so. Does anyone want to compete with Disney? Unless you can contemplate a park-like facility much different than those already in operation in the area It would seem to be extremely difficult. 6�J O l Is there anything in the history and development of oil and its people which could provida a theme for a park that would be an attraction of a museum-like character with profitable sidelines? A little theatre might be considered as an adjunct to it downtown Civic Center. C0411111ENT B I' AIR. NANAS: You build a Disneyland around a man,a character,s man of great ability and Imagination; it iR a unique thing. I do not know whether the area could support another ther,tre in the round so close to the one in Anaheim. It takes a considerable volume of bust^:!RA to make a profit from such a venture. To digress for just a moment, llwitington Beach sooner or later must have a gathering place for people so they can identify with the City of Huntington reach. In our area of Oakland, we are building an arena and a stadium because we have a possibility In the sports field; but the purpose is the same. Whether it is a little theater, an auditorium, or a stadium, it has to be a place wheru people can gather for community activities of a cultural nature and I think you should start planning for one now. QUESTION: WHAT CAN THE CITY DO TO GET NECESSARY LEGISLATION TO I:1IPLEMENT THI: DEVELOPMENT OF THE BEACH? COMMENT BY AM. CAMPBELL: Assuming the question means, "Is there sonse way of creating a public authority?" there is under California law provision for the creation of a park district. The County Recreation Commission, the City Planning Commission and the City Council can establish a format for a recreation district. It must be a legal entity created by the local unit of government. Under California laws, there are many forms for creating a municipal authority to undertake a specific project. However, it was the feeling of the Panel members that the use of the beach is.6f value to the people of the State of California and the country as a whole. Iluntin&on Beach is contributing greatly to the State, from the all revenue, and other taxes. We feel that other units of government should give the City a very strong supporting hand. It is our suggestion that you either turn to the State of California or the federal govern- ment to help the City acquire these recreation areas. If this were done, in all prob- ability the City would pursue its presentprogram of leasing back from the State, assum- ing state ownership, retaining the local control which I think is necessary. The local civic problems in Huntington 13each are unique to the city, and I feel the local govern- ment should keep control. QUESTION.- THE PANEL SAID THAT THE BEACH IS AN ASSET. IS THIS TRUE OF ALL COASTAL CITIES WHICH EXPERIENCE SUMMER TOURISTS AND VISITORS, OR IS THIS UNIQUE TO HUNTIi`GTON BEACH? COMMENT BY MR. LUND: Huntington Beach has eight and one-half miles of open beach like that of no other city on the Coast. The other cities, not having the extent or cus- tomary use of their beaches, do not have the same problem. QUESTION: Wli T" IS THE AREA OF INFLUENCE FOR THE BEACH AS IT PER- TAINS TO IIIGN-RISE DEVELOPMENT ALONG PACIFIC CO/`.ST HIGIi- WAY. HOW FAR DOES IT EXTEND, ONE, TWO OR "X" NUMBER OF BLOCKS INLAND? COMMENT BY A1R. N.AHAS: If high-rise is built on the ocean side of the Pacific Coast Highway, then aesthetically. the inland side of the highway obviously shot.ld be included In the beach's area of influence. flow far inland it would extend is going to depend upon 70 I market oonsideration. This would be almost impossible to predict at this time. One Important criterion is that a new development requires a good environment if It is going to be successful. blany cities around the country, including my own, have made some i mistakes in this regard by trying to create a lovely project Sn a slum area with slums all around it. 'You can &-e the same thing in Chicago and some of our eastern seaboard oitiaa. Environment Is very important. Creation of the right kind of environment would l determine the area of influence. OIL 119VENUES QUESTION: BECAUSE THE BEACH IS OUR BIGGEST ASSET AND SINCE WE ARE NOT BENEFITING BY TIDELAND REVENUE AS IS LONG BEACH, WOULD IT NOT BE TO OUR ADVANTAGE TO PURSUE THIS GOAL FURTHER? COMAIENT BY AIR. HURD:Urfortunately,I know of noway the City can acquire tl:e tide- f land mineral rights. I doubt that the. State will give these up. Any increase in the one percent return the City is now getthig fo:ould be beneficial. LANDSCAPING OIL INSTALLATIONS '�•__ QUESTION: WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND TO LANDSCAPE THE OIL WELLS `- AND INSTALLATIONS? COMMENT BY MR, LUND: Specifically, Air. Nahas said that a local Southern Cr,Ii- � fornia landscape e.;pert should be employed as a eonsultLnt to develop this program. COMMENT B Y AIR. HURD: I would like to offer an encouraging word about this inattp_ i I think the Huntington Beach Company is veryforward thinking in this regard; their land planner was here this week and aftersome of the Panel members had gone over the plan of the Huntington Beach Company lie was asked M sit down and start sketching out some 1 screening walls and shrubbery so the company could got started right away on the Improvement. INDUSTRIAL, DEVELOPM614T 44� 1 QUEST10.1m SUGGESTION WAS .BADE IN THE REPORT THAT A BOOKLET OR � BROCHURE OF INDUSTRIAL SITES BE MADE AVAILABLE, WHO j WOULD DEVELOP THE PORTFOLIO OF INDUSTRIAL SITES? HOW CAN FIRM PR-".,ES AND COMMITMENTS TO SELL BE DEVELOP? COMMENT BY AM WOLLIN.SHEAD: The first job is to get, someone with an engineering background to examine these parcels and areas, making separate sketches of them that can be put in a booklet, including dimensions, all available utilities, their size and convections. It should be an attractive layout and include a general description � of the area. As far as getting firm prices is concerned,someone should be appointed to contact the various owners and work out such prices. I would suggest the selection of suet, a person Is the duty of the steering comrrittee, which we hope will be appointed to carry out the recommendations of this Panel. 71 INDUSTRIAL ZONING i QUESTION: THE PANEL RECOMMENDED THAT ALL INDUSTRIAL ZONING BE EXCLUSIVE, SHOULD OR COULD YOU NOT ALLOW SOME SERVICE. j COMMERCIAL USES WITHIN AN INDUSTRIAL AREA? , COMMENT BY fbfR. IWALS11: Yes, it Is customary in it planned industrial district to provide for such commercial activities, i.f they are reli.ted to the industrial uses In the district. Exclusive zoning nearly always provides for living quartars of watch- men arill people of that type. The point is that whatever nonindustrial uses aro allowed should be related to tho industrial user for which the area is pirimarlly zoned. QUESgION: IF THE SOUTHEAST INDUSTRIAL AREA IS NOT TO BE RESERVED FOR IIDUSTRIAL USE, DO WE HAVE SUFFICIENT INDUSTRIAL. LAND IN THE CITY? SHOULD WE LOOK FOR ADDITIONAL INDUSTRIAL ACREAGE7 COMAIENT BY AIR, WALSH. Thfs depends partly on the devalopn.-nt of the central Industrial bolt discussed in the report. On the assumption that this area can be developed and the freeway location Is permitted, thnn the city would have enough addi- tional industrial area to compensate for tho loss of the southeastern tract. Q UESTION: AIUCH OF OUR INDUSTRIALLY 20NED LAND 1S IN SMALLER TRACTS, FIVE TO TEN ACRES. THESE ARE PROBLEM PICCES ,WHIC Ii ARE SUBJECT TO HIGH DRAINAGE, SEINER, WATETt AND OTHER ASSESS- MENTS. TO DEVELOP ONE OF THESE PARCE:.S YOU HAVE TO CON- TRIBUTE TO THE FUND FOR FUTURE CONSTRUCTION OF THESE FACILITIES, BUT YOU DO NuT HAVE THEIR IMMEDIATE USE. WOULD IT BE TO THE LEST INTEREST OF THE CITY IN ATTRACTING IN.- DUSTRY TO GO AHEAD WITH THESE FACILITIES AND BE REIM- BURSED AS THE UTILITIES ARE US:;I?, 7 HEREBY MAKING COMPET- ITIVE SITES AVAILABLE? C0.44AIENT BY AIR. HOLLINSHEAD: There 1s a tendency to zone unattractive tracts for industrial use. The mud dump is zoned industrial. The sump dump was zoned Industrial, I believe. So we are talking about problem areas which have to be examined in detail. Generally speaking, areas planned for industrial purposes should have all utilities brought to the property in advance and be served by good roads. Put yourself, in the position of a manufacturer and provide him with merchandise he can usl,. Every parcel of land has different problems. Small pieces owned by many different owners presents an almost impossible situation because there Jr. always one owns=r who Hants to got rich and retire for the rest of his life on the basis of a halt- acre parcel he happens to have In the middle of a very desirable piece of land; at leae:, that is generally the situation everywhere else. QUESVON. IN :VIEW OF THE EXISTING AND EMERGING USES IN THE SOUTH- EAST INDUSTRIAL AREA, COMMENT ON WHAT FUTURE USE OR USES WOULD BE SUITABLE. COAIAI.NT BY AIR. CAMPBELL: I assume that question is directed to the a:-ca where the sump dump and mud pond are located. I see no reasc:: why, with adequate fill, that area cannot be converted to residential use. There could be pro;lems uncles Cali- fornia, FIIA and VA building requiramonts. These are very rigid regulations as to quality of sub-surface soil and so on. But there are many areas where sites such as this have been treated. Land values in Huntington Beach are such that the area will ultimately be well-suited for residential development. 72 IMPLEMENTATION QUESTION.' ASSUMING THAT EVERYONE IS MOTIVATED TO THE HIGHEST DEGREE FOLLOWING THIS REPORT, IN YOUR OPINION WHAT WILL BE THE DRIVING FORCE AND MOTIVATION BEHIND TIIE STEEIIING COMMITTEE AND INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED SIX MONTIIS FROMTODAY AND %VIIEHE "'ILL IT COME FROM COMMENT BY AIR. LUND: From my own experience, I would any that if the group gets together, if things begin to fall intoplaee, if they work hard enough and become en- thusiastic, at the end of six months they may be able to really define the problems and see where they are going. Alany of the actual aecompllshments arc a long way off. It requires dedication, devotion, and the antno type of local pride, economic benefits or j Wltnt-have-you to keep an individual or group of individuals going in any kind of difficult endeavor. All I can Fay Is that Huntington Brach needs this and I ant hoping that Funtington Beach will find the citizens who will carry out a program. COAIAI. NT BY AI2, NAXAS: You have to have a stecringcommittee3of people who are capable of making decisions and who are independent. If they have a conflict of inter- ests, that conflict should be widely lmown. The trick is to got an able man involved In doing setaething for his co;ntriunity; then his pride will not allow him to do anything 0130. I made a mistake about 15 years ago of writing a scorching letter to the Chamber of Commerce about something that I violently disagreed with them on, and I have been intimately connected with that organization ever since. The important thing Is to get ' someone emotionally involved in doing something about this city, because It Is Isis i city and he wants to be proud of it. Once he becomes emotionally committed and If he has leadership ability, and If he commands the respect of the people, and if he is a part of this steering committee lie wM get others at a high level Involved and the participation will snowball. This ;ins happened In other communities; it certainly can. happen in Iuntington Bench. COAME-? tr BY AIR. DRACHAIAN. It is up to the Dtayorand the-Council to "take the bull by 4he harps" and appoint n fewpooplo to start this committee. Now if they do not do this, there are others in the audience w::o must be interested In the community or they would not be hero. It is uptoyuu to get together with your neighbors and "start the ball rolling.'* If you show up at Council rnectings with a large number of people the Council will have to consider your proposals. I do not think you will have to do thin, but if you do, just use your eommcn judgment. It is up to you to demand action. If you do not, nothing Is going to happen. QUESTION. HOW WOULD YOU SUGGEST THAT UNITY OF THE NEW AND OLD RESIDENTS OF THE CITY BE ACIIIEVED? COKIAIENT BY MR. LUND: I think the answer to that is In i irmin6 a city-wide com- mittee based on leadership in all parts of the city. This probleia has been going on in older cities and newer ,euburban towns throughout the country and is something that each community has to work cut for itself. COMMENT BY AIR. NAHAS: It is important that the members of the executive com- mittee or steering committee be selected very carefully so they represent the various groups of influence within the community. In other words, this committee should be so 73 • composed that every principal element of this community Is represented by a man who is mutually respected. QUESTION; HOW WOULD YOU SUGGEST GOING ABOUT ORGANIZING :1 300- MEMBER CITIZEN'S COMMITTEE TO GIVE ALL ELEMENTS OF THE CITY A VOICE? COMMENT BY MR. LUND. Three hundred is not a figure we are suggesting. This � was n figure used beunuse it was about the number of people who became involved in Tucbon. The committee mightbe 60people; it might be 150. In a city the size of llunEing- ton Beach, it would be difficult to maintain interest and got each individual Involved In a poraonal way If the group wtiro larger than 150. QUESTION; PLEASE EXPAND YOUR COMMENTS ON THE PHASING AND DEVELOP- 111ENT OF PUBLIC ACCrPTANCE OF A CIVIC CENTER PLAN. C0MAIRAW BI'MR. LUND; This comes right back to what we aretalking about; the Civic Center plan, the beach plan, the clean-up-plan-all of these must be implemented by a group, and we recommend that the executive committee or a small steering com- mittee be formed to guide these programs. The steering committee should decide the priorities. All these jobs cannot be done at once. Perhaps the first one should be the easiest, because If that project Is accomplished the next one will fall into line. r 4 74 i APPENDIX B QUESTIONS PRESENTED BY THE SPONSOR (With Index to the Panel's Answers) Question Page LAND USE AND POPULATION DENSITIES 1. irvalunte the hlastor Plan of Land Use and determine if it is providing for a balanced community. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 a. Ar: the ratios of residential, commercial, industrial, and public uses in proper balance? . . . . . . . . . . . 27 b. Are the various land use classifications properly located? . . . . . . . 27; 28 c. Evaluate Beach Boulevard and its potential as a "strip" commercial urea. . . . . . . . . 0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28, 29 d. Should the 1liaster Plan provide for a central business district? If so, where, how large, and what relationship should it have to the Civic Center? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29; 30; 41 2. Where should high-rise development locate in Huntington Beach? . . . . . 30 What criteria are necessary to establish a good high-rise distr.rt? . . . . 30 ` 3. What is the appropriate development of the beach and adjacent properties? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 a. Should standards for density, parking, se"'lacks, height, lot coverage, etc., be different than other sections of Huntington Beach? . , 31 b. Should there be minimum height limits for beach frontage and should there be variable height limits on the water and inland side of Ilighway#1 to preserve a maximum view for all properties 7 . . . . . . . 31 f i � CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM 1. What percentage of our $28 million banded debt .limitation should we spend within .five years? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 33 i 2. Generally, what capital outlay areas should have priority? . . . . . . . 34, 35; 59, u0 75 .., . :.....a _ .. .. .. .... ..l i.. k...lay, Question Page 3. in view of spiraling costs, shol:ld the City bond itself now to buy lands and provide improvami:nts that will be needed in 1970, 1075, 1980? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 { 4. Should the City Is capital progruin be based on use of any and all federal funds available? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35, 36 TRANSPORTATION 1. Will the Master Plan of Streets and Highways and the proposed freeways provide an adequate system! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 . 37 2. Considering the possibility of land :lore densely developed than presently plansied, should Huntington Beach take an active interest in mass rapid transit? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 i 3. What is the role of the airport with respect to community development? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 4. Considering the proximity of Orange County, Fullerton, and long Beach Municipal Airports, is an airport needed in Huntington Beach? If so, should the expansion of 5feadowlark Airport be encouraged? Should it be privately or publicly owned, and what type of facilities should it provide? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38, 39 i CIVIC CENTER 1. What Is the best location for the Huntington Beach Civic Center? Please comment on the present site versus other sites. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30, 41 i , + 2. How much acreage should be acquired and for what uses? . . . . . . . . . . 42 I Please comment on county, state, and federal participation iin a governmental center? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41. 42 f 3. Should a community recreational and cultural center be developed In conjunction with the governmental center? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 + Please comment on size for such a center and uses such as golf course, park, museum, theatre, arena, etc. . . . . . . • . . . . 42 4. How should the civic center be financed? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35, 36; 41, 42 Please comment on methods available, determination of amount, j phasing of development and recommendations as to acquiring public acceptance of a civic center plan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60, 61 i 5. What should he the land uses within and adjacent to the civic center? Please comment on the type of commercial district, cultural uses, and esthetic controls for surrounding areas. , . . . . 30; 41, 42 76 • Question La Le DOWNYOWN DEVELOPMENT Downtown BeJuyenation WHAT SHOULD THE FUTURE ROLE OF TfIE DOWNTOWN COAI- AtERCIAL AREA BE? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . so . . . . . . . . . . . . 30; 41-44 1. Can or should tho present downtown area be rejuvenated? . , . . . . . . . . 30; 41-44 2. If so, how can this best be accomplished? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35, 30; 41-44 3. What suggestions does the Panel have for the future of downtown structures that have outlasted their economic usefulness? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . too . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . sees . . 27, 2B; 45 4, What steps are recommended to obtain the leadership for a program and develop the necessary participation and cooperation of property owners, tenant businessmen, :nd the City government?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60, 01 5, flow should the improvements and program be financed? . . . . . . . . . . . 35, 30; 45 6. Assuming downtown is to remain a commercial center, defines its limits or boundaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Downtown Parking 1. How should off-street parking be acquired and financed?. . . . . . . . . . . 30; 43, 45 2. flaw can parking be provided and preserved for local shoppers? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30; 43, 45 3, Should free parking br. ,provided for shoppers? If so, what is the nest method to provide it? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30; 43, 45 4. What effect would the addition of adequate parking facilities be likely to have on the value of adjoining commercial land? . . . . . . . . 45 5. Should the City government take the hiltiative in forming a parking district? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . . . cost . . . . . . . . go 43 BEACH AREA DEVELOPMENT Upgrading the Beach 1. How can the City assure; that the image of the eight and one- half miles of beach will be upgraded and,developed to its highest and best potential for tourism? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31, 32; 50, 51; 59, 60 77 uestion Lae 1 2. What facilities are important in bringing the populace to Huntington Bench to enjoy its vacation and recreational advantages? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 31, 60 3. Considering the present use and ownership of the beach southeast of the pier, how should this property be developed so as to be of grentout benefit to Huntington Beach ? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S1 d. What can be done to make the public areas of the beach and beach facilities more self-sustaining? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50, 51 5, To unify public thinking and effectively promote an im- proved image of Huntington Beach, Is it best to utilize the Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerco, service clubs, home owners associations, advisory citizens committees and other local organizations, or should a public relations agency be established as a City department for that purpose? . . . . . . . . 60, 61 Beach Area Parking 1. How can parking best be provided for the beach area? 30;-43 - 2. How could it be used during the off season? 51 OIL ORDINANCE 1. How should the City approach a elennup program with: a. Present operation of marginal %yells? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53; 59-61 b. Idle and nonproducing leases? 53; 59-61 c. Untidy operation of present facilities? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53; 59-61 2. Should City funds be available to: a. Land owners where operators have moved out leaving old equipment and debris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 b. Operators that are not financially able.to improve condi- ' %ions but are willing to cooperate in cleanup activities 53 3. Should the City control off-shore drilling operations ? . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 4. How can the City carry out a community development program for better control of oil industry practices— a. Where field operations have been practiced and are now depla-ted in perimeter areas of the field? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53; 60, 61 b. To discourage further operating plans in these areas? . . . . . . . . . 53; 60, 61 c. To confine production of oil to a more condensed area? . . . . . . . . . 53; 60, 61 78 Question Page 5. Does the proposed oil ordinance provide the necessary control of oil production? . . . . . . . . off of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • • 53 INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT CONSIDERING THE SIZE, GROWTII POTENTIAL, AND CHARACTER OF HUNTINGTON BEACH, WHAT SHOULD 13E DONE TO ATTRACT AND ACCOMMODATE INDUSTRY? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . b6, 56 1. What types of industry should be sought? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55, 56 What changes in local legislation and policies would make the area more attractive for present industry to expand and new industry to locate in the city? 26, 2"7; 57 2. Please comment on; a. Present industrial zoning totals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 b. Local policy affecting construction of new plants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26, 27 c. Regulations governing industrial zones in the City: (1) Are the regulations properly written? 2G, 27, 57 (2) If not, how can they be improved?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26, 27 (3) Should the City attempt to control induotrial uses through performance standards rather than using conventional zoning ordinances? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 (4) Should the industrial zones be exclusive in nature? 26 3. Please recommend a program for attracting industry to Huntington Beach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55-57 4. Comiaent cr►establishing a favorable climate for industry and community attitudes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55-57 5. Comment on communicating with possible industrial prospects. . . . . . . 57 t I 6. Should the City hire a full-time indust:ial coordinator? Is rcw the proper time to embark upon an industrial development promotion program? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 7. Is the Southeast Industrial Area (south of Atlanta between Beach and Cannery) properly located? Does It, or will it, represent a potentially good industrial district? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 S. If t1:e Huntington Beach Freeway is located west of Goldenwest, this City could, through changes in the Master Plan of Land Use and Zoning, establish a Central Industrial "Belt" between Goldenwest and the railroad. Evaluate this potential industrial district and suggest its limits and boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27; 57 78 r. r_. ._. .. - • ... _ err+• Question Pnl;e V. Should the City have different standards for industrial streets and Improvements? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • J7 10. What are the most effective ways to preserve land that is zones and master planned for industrial use? 57 11. What are good Interim uses for industrial property?. . . . . . . . . . . . . 55; 57 PARKS AND RECREATION 1. Should the City maintain its current policy of buying parks now, as acreage becomes available, and improving them at some later date? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • • . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 2. Comment on the City's present policy of purchasing several small neighborhood parks and compare the pros and cons of this policy to providing a few larger community parks. . I . . . . . . . . . 58 3. Should the City provide Community Centers? If so, how many and what should their size and location he? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . a 58 _ 4. Should the City pursue the attainment anti development of; a. A natural history museum? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 b. A wildlife area? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • • . . 58 c. An art center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 d. The Newland House as a historical landmark? 58 i . 5. Please comment on possible methods of financing recreation sites, buildings and projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 36; 58 ,. 6. 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