Recently, I stumbled across a booklet produced by the City's Public Information Office in the 1980s, entitled, It's Our Town! Questions and Answers on Modernizing Downtown Huntington Beach. It's interesting to compare the vision of the future they sold us to the reality of what actually happened.
"The Golden Bear is an institution in Huntington Beach, a historical landmark according to the redevelopment environmental impact report. No one is proposing to eliminate a business which has done so much for the area..."
And yet it happened.
"Some [property] owners who would like to sell out might prefer use of eminent domain since there are income tax and other financial advantages over just selling the property outright..."
I don't think most property owners were thrilled with eminent domain.
"...Those businesses which depend on a dying neighborhood are likely to be eliminated as the commercial section prospers."
So all the businesses that didn't (or couldn't) stay in Downtown after redevelopment were really just part of the blight anyway?
"The idea of a high rise hotel was put forth by a consultant as one of the many possibilities. It does not appear to be an economically feasible project. Such a project is not envisioned by the council..."
High rise hotels? Nah. It'll never happen.
"[One of] the objectives of the [redevelopment] agency [is the] improvement of traffic circulation within the area... [and] making sure the general public has continued access to the beach and water areas for recreation."
Improving traffic circulation has somehow included the closing of 3rd and 5th Streets at PCH. And and now there are plans to close Main Street entirely.
"Q.: Doesn't redevelopment mean bulldozing the area clear and then building all new hotels, houses, shops, etc.?
"A.: Certainly not. Redevelopment is a means for cleaning up a blighted area, remodeling old, but structurally sound buildings, assembling land where lots are too small for modern construction projects and for financing improvements such as streets sewers and lighting."
Remember this fine example of City "spin" next time they try to sell you something like,... say,... a desalination plant. As the Russians say, "Trust but verify."
[Note: The photo above shows the intersection of Main St. and Ocean Ave (PCH) as it looked in the 1940s.]
That's great! Is there also a section on "Why city slogans are unfeasible" or perhaps "The importance of City Mayors abiding by established laws"?
Posted by: chris | October 13, 2007 at 07:16 AM