City Rethinks Plan for Namesake Boulevard

Since a 10-year-old general plan for La Habra Boulevard has failed to turn it into a booming commercial district, city officials now are considering revisions.

City Manager Jerry L. Bankston said the current plan, drafted in 1987, was intended to establish the boulevard as a commercial strip. “It hasn’t done that and now’s the time to revisit the general plan,” he said. “Maybe it needs to be less restrictive or more restrictive.”

A preliminary look, he said, prompted these recommendations: no longer requiring Spanish architecture styles on buildings; allowing banners advertising local businesses and community events to hang from light poles and recognizing the city’s major street as the “Boulevard of the Bells.”

The City Council next week will consider having the Planning Commission hold public hearings on the ideas and make a revision proposal.