The proposed redesign of the South Pacific Beach oceanfront area between Grand Avenue and Pacific Beach Drive and west of Mission Boulevard was the subject of a followup session by community visionaries, including some members of the Pacific Beach Planning Board, on Jan. 23 at the Discover PB office. The proposed changes include the area between Grand Avenue south of the lifeguard tower near the PB Shore Club (4315 Ocean Blvd.), the north side of Pacific Beach Drive stretching to the south end of the Promenade shopping center (4110 Mission Blvd.) and the area between Mission Boulevard and the boardwalk (Ocean Boulevard). The changes to the oceanfront are in still in the discussion and proposal stages, according to organizers. “We haven’t gotten that deep into the project yet,” said Pacific Beach resident Kristen Vivtor, founder of Sustainability Matters. “The focus for the oceanfront is on health and wellness within our community. “There are so many issues with the current oceanfront, which include safety issues for the pedestrians, the run-down building issues, the businesses in the Promenade from a fiscal and aesthetic perspective.” Some of the ideas discussed at the meeting were to create a drop-off area on the north and south ends of the oceanfront at the foot of Grand Avenue and Pacific Beach Drive that would be closed to parking and only designated for service vehicles. Other ideas that surfaced were an amphitheater at the foot of Thomas Street and a proposal to turn the foot of Oliver Street into an open-air retail area. Ideas for Mission Boulevard have included closing off traffic to the west — with the exception of service vehicles and vehicle drop-offs — to help make the oceanfront more pedestrian-friendly. A possible skatepark in the parking lot just east of the Beach Cottage Motel at 4255 Ocean Blvd. was also discussed. Parking issues are also being studied if traffic were to be closed between Grand Avenue and Pacific Beach Drive. A preliminary study showed there would not be a huge loss in parking if all the proposed changes to the oceanfront were implemented. Organizers said they will be presenting their ideas later this month to various Pacific Beach advisory groups, including the Pacific Beach Town Council on Feb. 15, the Pacific Beach Planning Group on Feb. 22 and Discover PB. The date of the latter presentation is yet to be determined. Organizers said community input is welcome at each meeting.








