PCH gets another bridge to the beach

Developer Makar Properties plans to add a pedestrian bridge to its 31-acre Pacific City project, allowing residents and tourists to get to the beach without crossing highway traffic.

“The bridge will be built from the main entrance of our project area across the Pacific Coast Highway, between the Pacific City hotel and retail areas,” said Ethen Thacher, Makar property manager.

Makar plans to have an open design for the bridge, which will be finished in spring 2008 and cost between $1 million and $1.4 million. The walkway from Pacific City’s car-valet area would end in the parking lot on the beach.

The proposed pedestrian overpass between Huntington and First streets would allow people to cross safely to the beach over the four-lane Pacific Coast Highway, according to Scott Hess, city planning manager. Having a second walkway was part of the Downtown Specific Plan that the city created in 1983, he said.

Makar ? based in Newport Beach and part of Capital Pacific Holdings ? is building the massive beachfront property in downtown Huntington Beach between Pacific Coast Highway, Atlanta Avenue, Huntington and First streets.

Its plans include building a 400-room upscale hotel near the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa and the Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort. Developer Robert Mayer undertook construction of the Hyatt and work on the first walkway to the beach in 2002.

When Makar applied for the Pacific City project in 2003, the Hyatt bridge was still under construction.

“When we were processing the project, we weren’t sure about how the community would feel about a second bridge as the Hyatt bridge wasn’t completed yet,” Thacher said.

Any project that costs more than $100,000 requires a vote from the people, but the bridge would be received favorably, Mayor Dave Sullivan said.

“I think it’ll be really welcomed by the community and personally I’m pretty excited about it,” he said.

Getting a permit from the city and the California Coastal Commission wasn’t always easy, Sullivan said.

“When the proposal to build the first overpass came up before the City Council some time back, several residents were upset about it and called it ‘ugly,’” he said. “But once it took form, residents did a 180 and fell in love with it.”

Councilwoman Debbie Cook was cautious about the project but said she’ll leave it to the public to decide.

“The devil’s in the project details,” she said.

But pedestrians would love it as they wouldn’t have to deal with traffic, intersections and busy streets to get on the beach, she added.

Makar has yet to file paperwork and submit drawings of the bridge to the city and later obtain permission from the Coastal Commission.

“It’s a long process and may take a while. I don’t think it’s on the front burner as there’s a bridge already over at the Hyatt, and Makar is busy with its Pacific City construction,” said Stanley Smalewitz, economic development director.