Pedestrian Friendly:

The Planning Commission unanimously approved a plan Tuesday night that will turn a portion of Beach Boulevard and Edinger Avenue into a mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly area and put aside a plot of land for the future expansion of a transit center.

The Beach and Edinger Corridors Specific Plan includes a 459-acre area along Beach and Edinger, and along Edinger to Goldenwest Street, excluding Bella Terra. The plan dictates land use and building intensity, guides building design and aesthetics, and allows a mixed-land use zoning to create a more visually pleasing area.

The commission approved the plan 7 to 0 in an almost-five-hour public hearing and forwarded it to the City Council for approval. The commission certified the plan’s Environmental Impact Report at its Dec. 8 meeting. The plan must also be certified by the California Coastal Commission.

The commission approved reserving a 2.4-acre plot of land and an additional parcel for a future high-speed rail hook-up, trolley depot or something similar to expand an existing transportation center near by. The change was approved 4 to 3 with Chairman Blair Farley and Commissioners Tom Livengood and John Scandura voting no.

“You have to really think about this for tomorrow, not just for today,” Commissioner Janis Mantini said.

The specific plan was developed to improve the economic opportunities in the area by renovating the nondescript strip malls, creating uniform signage and establishing a consistent landscaping plan.

To make the area pedestrian-friendly, the plan places retail, offices, restaurants and residential uses close together, make the sidewalks appear larger and create promenades and open space. The plan will increase the landscaping, add illuminated trees, street furniture and a half-acre public open space in the area.

The plan allows the potential development of more than 700,000 square feet of commercial, more than 100,000 square feet of office development and 350 hotel rooms. The commission reduced the number of allowable residential units from 6,400 to 4,500.

Residents and business owners spoke during public comment supporting and disparaging the plan. Residents expressed concerns over the impact increasing density in the area would have on traffic, water and emergency response times.

“This is a very comprehensive plan, and I don’t think the citizens of Huntington Beach really comprehend how much change is in this plan,” said Robert Sternberg, director of Huntington Beach Tomorrow.

Others expressed support for the plan and how it will improve business in the area. Resident Steve Semingson said he watched the downtown change from a “seedy” area to what it is today and hopes the same will happen for Beach and Edinger.

“I think that the changes that can take place, and will take place, with this [plan] are really a wonderful thing,” Semingson said.

The city has held a series of workshops and study sessions on the project. At the Dec. 8 Planning Commission meeting, several residents spoke out against the project over concerns that its negative impacts on residents would be too significant.

The plan must now go before the City Council for approval.