HUNTINGTON BEACH CIVIC CENTER (Orange County Tribune photo).
A proposed 90-day plan to deal with the homelessness problem goes before the Huntington Beach City Council when it meets on Tuesday.
Among the key points of the plan – as proposed by the police department – are increasing awareness about community resources on private property rights, increasing staffing of the HBPD Homeless Task Force, adding dedicated patrols to key areas (downtown, city beach and Sunset Beach areas), amending regulations for parks and the Main Promenade parking structure and purchasing three police trucks.
Also on the agenda is a request by Mayor Pro Tem Gracey Van DerMark to end expanded outdoor dining and retail on Main Street – and other downtown areas.
The proposal is to give such operators 30 days to remove their operations from the right-of-way until the city council makes a decision on a downtown revitalization program. Also proposed is to return the parking meter program to how it was before the coronavirus pandemic led to the dramatic growth of outdoor dining.
The council will meet in closed session in its chambers at 3:30 p.m., study session at 5 p.m., with the open session commencing at 6 p.m. at 2000 Main St. (at Yorktown Avenue).
Categories: Huntington Beach
It would be a pity to end the outdoor dining in downtown Huntington Beach. It’s a natural fit for the Surf City vibe. Patron like it. It does increase business for the restaurants and reduces indoor crowding. Also, there are still those citizens and visitors who remain uncomfortable with the continuing covid pandemic.