Build It and They Will Come – The Bridge Saga of Surf City
Pictured are children in Seeley Park not far from the proposed bridge.
HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIF.–If there’s one thing that will stir people into getting out of their chairs and going down to a town hall meeting, it’s the threat of building something near their homes that could forever change their property values and lives. Such is the case of the 19th Street bridge proposal being batted around currently. The bridge would be built approx. half a mile from an existing bridge on Hamilton Ave. (HB) and Victoria St. (CM) at Brookhurst.
Who benefits? Newport Beach’s Steve Rosansky said his city would find relief from traffic congestion. Promoting his cause is Orange County Supervisor John Moorlach, who has helped pushed for meetings to discuss the concept.
There’s no disagreeing that Huntington Beach is becoming increasingly popular as a tourist destination and other roads that access the city such such as Pacific Coast Highway have entered daily gridlock situations during rush hour or summer months. The road proposal would create a crossing trail over the Santa Ana River adjacent to Talbert Regional Park in Costa Mesa, linking up 19th Street which dead-ends there with Banning Avenue at Brookhurst Street in Huntington Beach. With traffic, noise and pollution threatening quiet neighborhoods with community parks such as Seeley surrounded by streets named Vacation, Summerwind and Harborbreeze, the resident in Huntington Beach have reason to be concerned and upset over the proposal. We spoke with a school teacher recently at Seeley Park who said that the residents cherish their beautiful neighborhood and parks, and see the bridge proposal as a threat to their serene surroundings.
At a Bridge Meeting held on Jan. 5, 2012, in a neighborhood potentially impacted if the bridge is approved, crowds spilled out of the meeting room and hundreds were unable to enter the building to participate in the discussion. That’s how important this issue is to local residents! There’s more in store in Surf City as we enter 2012 with the promise (or threat) of change & growth.