HB Neighbors

Nancy Williams wrote 2/23/2010 on HB Neighbors BLOG:

“Why aren’t you guys addressing this permit parking program that the city is putting in downtown? I live South of the numbered streets. I asked around and my neighbors do not want the drunks pushed into our neighborhoods. If the drunks don’t park in the city lot now, they will not after the numbered streets drive them out. These drunken 909 partiers are parking on the streets to avoid the 4 cops standing outside the city structure. They will not park in the lot. They will park in my neighborhood. I bought my home outside of the numbered streets to avoid these problems. Now this City program will push the problem into my neighborhood. THAT IS WRONG!”

Dear Nancy,  I recommend that residents’ attend the parking meeting at the Shorebreak Hotel at 6:30 pm March 4th,  so that they can understand the impact of what is being proposed.  Residents in the outlying areas but within walking distance of Downtown may not think this plan applies to them, but it may impact them.  

Any plan devised as a solution to the parking Downtown needs to be a comprehensive plan.  Pushing the problem around is not a solution.  Piecemeal solutions will benefit one neighborhood to the detriment of another, and that is not right.   The Old Town area (Alabama, Huntington, California for example) and Wesley Park (Main 600 to 1000, upper 11^th, 12^th and 13^th, Crest, Park, Pine) are within walking distance of Downtown and have had crimes in the past committed by people leaving the Downtown district intoxicated.  People intending to drink and drive are not likely to park in the structure.  Police Chef Small is scheduled to be one of the speakers at  the parking meeting and perhaps he can address the issues of the cost and feasibility of patrolling a larger area. 

Richard Plummer

Just a reminder to you to continue re-visiting the candidate page.  New information will be added on an ongoing basis, but because it won’t be in the form of a new post, you won’t receive a heads up.  Besides information for those candidates for whom we have very little. we are interested in presenting information about former or current alliances that may predict how a candidate may vote under pressure.

HB NEIGHBORS FILED AN AMENDED CEQA SUIT

 The HB Neighbors CEQA suit (petition) was amended to include new items documented when the downtown specific plan was re-opened.  These new items support our allegations that the EIR is insufficient and should not be used to allow the creation of the new downtown specific plan. HB Neighbors is in favor of balanced well planned growth downtown that takes into account concerns of the residents, property & business owners.

HB Neighbors expects a court-ordered mandatory settlement meeting to be rescheduled in the next month.  All indicators lead us to believe the city council will NOT be persuaded to settle.  We will be taking this take this suit all the way!

VOLENTEERS NEEDED! to help transcribe the planning commission and city council hearings from tape.  If you can help with this job please contact me.

 See our NEW CEQA Petition page for the summary of the new items added. 

YOU CAN SEE THE UPDATED SUIT HERE

Did everyone read the article, “OC Sexiest Cities,” in the February 12th OC Weekly?   

We should all pat ourselves on the back.  HB is officially on the map as the tenth sexiest city in Orange County. 

If the “bros” and the “bro-hos” didn’t know where to party before, they know now. Open up the flood gates. Maybe if we keep up all the good work and keep issuing liquor licenses we might make it to #1 in a few years! 

 ”[10] Huntington Beach
Massachusetts has the Massholes and Massholinas, New Jersey has the guidos and guidettes, but no other cultural phenomenon holds a candle to the bros and the bro-hos of Orange County. These beach-faring party animals span the length of our coastal communities but have an especially prolific presence in Surf City. Toned, tan and usually toasted, the bleached-blond bros divide their time between drinking, chest-bumping and cruising Main Street. Their female counterparts wear tramp stamps and chest implants like badges of honor and have a taste for anything mixed with Red Bull. So if you’re into slumming it and don’t mind the risk of catching crabs from a well-toned hottie in an Affliction T-shirt, Main Street is prime ground for hooking up. Even if you don’t find this a lick sexy, the bros and bro-hos sure do. They possess an animalistic attraction toward one another. It’s like OC’s version of the Jersey Shore—and hey, those kids get laid all the time. Quote in the act: “Hey, is this your Ed Hardy hoodie or mine?””

Frank

HBN needs your help to decide on whom to support for the city council election in June.

Do you know who the candidates are for the upcoming council election? Do you know any of them personally? What can you tell us about them, their backgrounds, ethics, platforms? Tell us what you know (without slander or obscenity, please). We invite the candidates to write in, as well, to tell us about themselves. Spread the word.

HBN neither agrees nor disagrees with any post. Inappropriate posts will be removed.

HB Neighbors is the ONLY democratic residence organization in Downtown HB representing the interests of its members.  We are proud to introduce our 2010 ELECTED Board Of Directors.

If you did not join HB Neighbors JOIN NOW! and have your voice heard.

The following candidates were elected to the HB Neighbors Board of Directors by democratic, cumulative vote of the general membership:    

Andre Faubert   
Angela Rainsberger   
David Rice   
Dave Sullivan   
Richard Plummer

The members ranked the ballot issues in order of importance:    

1st: Reduce density to 25 dwelling units per acre and reduce building heights to 3-story.    
2nd: Limit the expansion of bars.    
3rd: Institute parking improvements.    
4th: Create neighborhood services overlay north of Orange Ave.    
5th: Add additional police services serving District 1.    
6th: Limit the community theatre to 99 seats at the library site, with no new parking. 

Members also made use of the write-in option to add issues of their own. While these write-ins primarily referred to parking issues and the desire to have Popcorn Sundays, several others were brought up as well. The newly elected board will be sharing and addressing each issue at the next member meeting. Once again, thank you for your participation in active citizenship by being a member of HB Neighbors.

If you did not register to vote please do so you can vote on our next ballot.

Having lived a half a block from the old Golden Bear from 1984 until redevelopment began in 1988 I’m well aware of what happens when the bars let out. What needs to happen is bar patrons need to be redirected to a street level parking area. If the city offered free parking in their garage to anyone from 8:00 PM to 2:00 AM it would help some. The problem is most will not park there since they feel the police will be there to arrest them, which they should. I feel we could experiment using the beach side parking across from the Strand to allow them to park free until 2:00 AM, currently is closes at 12:00 PM. If this went well the city could do the same for the city parking lot south of Duke’s on PCH.

Keeping the bar patrons redirected away from the residential streets would solve a number of problems and hopeful save some money, since we would need less police. The parking lot would be rowdy and would need to have a police presence to keep order. They (the drunks) would still be loud and might still pee outside but it would be at the beach, and there are facilities at that location. The police role at these free parking areas should shift to being  more concerned about people getting home safe than making arrests. But anyone caught drunk in the residential area should be dealt with in a more traditional manner.

It would be nice if we could continue to receive the revenue from the bars and at the same time keep our neighborhoods safe and clean.

Clem Dominguez