Planners approve The Strand

Plans for The Strand, a project that proposes to revamp the first

couple blocks of downtown Huntington Beach, Tuesday night gained

unanimous approval from the Planning Commission.

The approval came at a special meeting called specifically to

discuss the project as the commission ran out of time at last week’s

meeting. Commissioner Jan Shomaker was absent for the vote Tuesday

night.

The controversial project that will encompasses

226,500-square-feet and consist of a 152-room hotel, several major

retail stores and an underground parking lot, will now go forward

unless an appeal is filed.

The project met some major road blocks last year when the group

Citizens Against Redevelopment challenged the deal between the city

and the developer, CIM, on three legal points forcing the city to

scale back the project. That suit has prompted the developer to file

its own appeal of the Planning Commission approval to force the

project to go before the City Council later this month, said Gustavo

A. Duran, housing and redevelopment manager for the city. By doing so

the developer hopes to avoid any future problems or litigation, he

said.

The new plan, however, has evoked only minor objections from some

Downtown residents.

Downtown shop owner and realtor Bob Bolen objected to the project

saying it won’t add adequate parking in the already crowded Downtown

area. Bolen contends the project will need to add twice the number of

spaces that the 405-space underground lot will offer.

But many Downtown residents and shop owners supported the project.

“The Strand will bring much needed business to the city,” resident

and City Council candidate Dianne Lenning said. “We need to be

business friendly and we need to remember that business is the

backbone of our economy.”

The Strand will revitalize a prominent portion of the Downtown

area bounded by Main Street, Pacific Coast Highway and Walnut and 5th

avenues. It will be made up of six buildings on two city blocks.

Several major clothing retailers such as Victoria’s Secret,

Abercrombie & Fitch and Express are slated to go in.

A two-level underground parking structure with 405 parking spaces,

valet service and an attendant ticket booth would also be built.

-- Jose Paul Corona

Economic conference to feature author Bradbury

Ray Bradbury, author of “The Martian Chronicles” and “Fahrenheit

451,” will be the featured speaker at the 16th annual Huntington

Beach Economic Conference.

The half-day conference put on by the Huntington Beach Chamber of

Commerce will be held at the Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort on Nov.

15 and will also feature Sen. Joe Dunn (D--Garden Grove).

Conference participants will discuss how to promote the city has a

tourist destination and how transportation issues affect tourism,

said Joyce Riddell, president of the Huntington Beach Chamber of

Commerce.

Bradbury spoke at the conference 15 years ago and has been invited

back this year to discuss the various changes that the city has

undergone over the years, Riddell said.

When he originally spoke the Hilton Waterfront had not yet been

built, Riddell said, he was shown a model of the project and had

asked to be invited back once the hotel and several other projects

had been completed.

Projects such as Pacific City and the Strand will also be

discussed at the conference.

For registration information log on on to www.hbchamber.com or

call the Chamber of Commerce at (714) 536-8888.

-- Jose Paul Corona

Art fest and business expo Saturday and Sunday

It’s all about who you know. That’s what makes the Huntington

Beach Chamber of Commerce business expo so important to Surf City

business owners. That and it is an opportunity to enjoy local artwork

as it is the fifth annual Surf City Festival Art Show and Business

Expo.

Merchants can network with one another and reach out to new

customers that are enjoying the art expo at the same time, said Windy

Yeager, Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerce programs director.

“Its just a perfect opportunity to showcase the art at the pier

and the business’ can get in on the [foot] traffic,” Yeager said.

The work of Orange County artist Martin Roberts will be on display

as will the work of artists from Santa Barbara, La Jolla and San

Diego.

Music and a juried art show will also be part of the festivities,

said Chamber President Joyce Riddell.

Children ages 5 to 15 will be able to paint tiles depicting their

view of Huntington Beach. The tiles will later be installed at the 5

Points Plaza as part of the shopping center’s 40th anniversary. The

cost of each tile is $5.

The art show and business expo will be at Pier Plaza on Saturday

and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.

For more information please logon to www.hbchamber.com or call

(714) 536-8888.

-- Jose Paul Corona