Triangle Park gets reprieve

The Planning Commission made clear that it heard residents’ concerns and in a straw vote decided not to let Triangle Park and Main Street Library be developed into a cultural center at a public hearing Tuesday addressing changes to the Downtown Specific Plan.

The commission passed a series of preliminary votes to preserve the park, limit the square footage allowance of the library, open up parking options in the area to more than just underground and allow a small cafe on the park. The commission didn’t approve the Downtown Specific Plan and all changes will be up for a final vote Monday. The commission did approve the Environmental Impact Report for the Downtown Specific Plan, but didn’t vote on the updates to the plan itself.

“The residents have clearly made their case,” Planning Commissioner John Scandura said. “Basically, I will not support anything that entails a large cultural arts center.”

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.

One of the main concerns for residents were changes that would allow the development of a cultural center on Triangle Park and destroy the library on it. There is no proposal for a center, but the Huntington Beach Marketing and Visitors Bureau commissioned a study to find out the feasibility of one.

“The [Huntington Beach Downtown Residents Assn.] is very grateful to the planning commissioners for their insight, wisdom and courage to save the Main Street Library and Triangle Park,” association spokesman Kim Kramer said in an e-mail. “It was a significant victory for the [association] and the residents of Huntington Beach.”

The Downtown Specific Plan previously defined the area of Main Street north of Sixth Street as a “cultural arts overlay” district, which the commission renamed the “cultural arts subdistrict” in the latest version of the plan. The sub-district primarily includes the library, park and Huntington Beach Art Center on the northern end of Main Street.

The commissioners Tuesday also preliminarily approved new wording to the Downtown Specific Plan’s sub-district section that essentially changed its purpose. The plan originally aimed to enhance the cultural arts facilities by “building on existing cultural facilities,” but Scandura proposed changing the purpose of the cultural arts sub-district to a “community-oriented cultural activity area” built on the preservation and enhancement of the library.

“This is no longer a tourist destination. It’s a community center,” Scandura said.

More than 250 residents packed the Council Chambers during the five-hour meeting, spilling out into the next room and standing up in the back. Thirty-two residents spoke during the public comment section, almost entirely against the updates.