Commissioners look at beach parking structures

The Huntington Beach Planning Commission further discussed the possibility of putting two tiered parking structures by the beach and increasing development in residential areas at a Downtown Specific Plan study session Tuesday.

The Downtown Specific Plan is a long-range planning document that dictates building and parking specifications and design guidelines. The plan is being updated to increase development over the next 20 years.

The update would consolidate the downtown from 11 separate districts to seven. The study session focused on the proposed changes to districts two to seven, leaving out the first district, which would undergo the most changes. District one will be discussed at the next study session.

Design consultant Erik Justesen, with RRM Design, discussed the proposed changes to residential districts four, which would increase the density of development, and seven, the area west of Pacific Coast Highway, which would create more parking with two tiered parking structures.

Commissioners voiced concerns over increasing development allowances in residential areas, properly notifying residents of the proposed changes and requested specifics on the parking structures.

Justesen said the structure wouldn’t be seen when looking out to the beach.

“The parking would be essentially screened from view on PCH and tucked under,” Justesen said.

The next study session on the proposed changes to district one is scheduled for 5 p.m. Sept. 1 in City Hall Council Chambers.

There will a public comment meeting on the Downtown Specific Plan’s Environmental Impact Report at 6 tonight in Room B8 of City Hall. The report can be viewed at the Main Street Library, City Hall, the Michael E. Rodgers Senior Center and on surfcity-hb.org.