CLIENT:

Beautiful PB/Pacific Beach Planning Group

Project description:

The site area encompasses a large piece of Pacific Beach oceanfront area including all public rights-of-way from the boardwalk to Mission Blvd. between Grand Avenue and Pacific Beach Drive. The community of Pacific Beach engaged McCullough Landscape Architecture and a group of volunteers to study a creative approach to revitalizing this much needed beachfront area. In the early 2000’s McCullough was hired by the property owner of the blocks bounded by the boardwalk, Reed Ave., Mission Beach Blvd., and Pacific Beach Drive to design and process entitlements for a resort hotel bounded by these blocks. The project stalled during the economic down turn. The community, inspired by the potential for this area came to McCullough in early 2012 with the idea that by creating a new vision for the public right-of-way in the same area might help fuel public and private cooperation in a new revitalization effort. The community organizers and McCullough have since gained nearly unanimous support of policy makers, city staff, local property owners and the community as a whole for a project that works with all parties’ ambitions. McCullough is currently in talks with new and existing property owners re-invigorated to reignite the effort on the private side. The community as well is actively looking for grant opportunities and agency funding opportunities to start preliminary phases of this long-term vision.

The following community groups have issued letters of support for the conceptual plan and further necessary feasibility studies: The Pacific Beach Town Council, Discover PB, The Pacific Beach Planning Group, and the Mission Beach Precise Planning Board.

In addition, to date the project has received a $15,000 American Institute of Architects (AIA) Sustainable Design Assessment Team grant.

PROJECT CHALLENGES: Originally, there were serious concerns that local property owners and community leaders could agree on a middle ground where property owner’s rights could be honored and the public could have open access to the coast. McCullough, acting as the party representing both sides, was able to bring the two groups together and demonstrate how creative steps could be taken that would accommodate all party’s needs, increase land values substantially, and create a more livable, socially equitable environment. As mentioned, today, the current proposal has received nearly unanimous support by, city officials, policy makers, community leaders and property owners.