City of Huntington Beach General Plan 2-1
Land Use
Introduction and Purpose
The fundamental pattern of Huntington Beach is set, as most of the land in the community is already developed or planned for a future use. However, communities are ever-evolving, and change, growth, and refinement can still be encouraged and cultivated. Land use is often considered the most overarching topic within a general plan, as it affects every other subject covered and direct ly influences the availability of housing and services, neighborhood and community character, economic stability, and quality of life for community members. By both focusing investment and embracing opportunity, Surf City can continue to thrive and expand into the future.
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2-2 City of Huntington Beach General Plan (Draft, October 2022)
Scope and Content
California Government Code Section 65302(a) requires the City to adopt a Land Use Element that designates the proposed general distribution, location, and extent of land uses for housing, business, industry, open space, forest/timber, agriculture, natural resources, recreation, scenic beauty, education, public buildings and land, solid and liquid waste disposal facilities, and other public and private uses of land. The Land Use Element also establishes standards for residential density and nonresidential building intensity for designated land uses, and c onsiders the impact of new growth on militar y readiness activities carried out on military facilities. Although the planning area does not contain any active military facilities, military facilities are located in the City of Seal Beach adjacent to the planning area’s northern boundary. Land uses described in this element do not conflict with any military readiness activity associated with these facilities.
The Land Use Map is the visual component of the element, illustrating how land use, urban design, and economic development goals and policies translate on the ground, where specific uses are allowed, and their intended density and intensity. Together, the Land Use Map and Element ensure that future development is balanced, effective, and consistent with City and community interests.
The Land Use Element also addresses two related topics inherently related to land use decisions undertaken by the City: urban design and economic development. These are optional general plan topics under California law. Section 65303 of the California Government Code enables a county or city to adopt “any other elements or address any other subjects, which, in the judgment of the legislative body, relate to the physical development of the county or city.” An y optional topics or elements must be consistent with the seven mandatory elements and, once adopted, they carry the same legal weight as any of the mandatory topics or elements.
The Land Use Element consists of this Introduction and Purpose, summarizing the general purpose of the Land Use Element; a Land Use Plan that defines land use standards and identifies the location and extent of land uses within the planning area; an Urban Design Plan outlining the fundamental components of community form in Huntington Beach; an Economic Development Plan recommending economic development strategies to sustain community character and economic vitality; Issues, Goals, and Policies outlining the most important land use, design, and economic issues affecting the planning area and policies to address these issues; and Implementation Programs describing how tools proposed to address land use issues are put into practice. Implementation programs are contained in a separate chapter at the conclusion of this General Plan.
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Relationship to Other Elements
The Land Use Element affects every other element in the General Plan. Land use provides the basis for what uses are allowed where and in what shape and form . The Land Use Element lays out how uses are connected to ensure the Circulation Element provides for adequate transportation that meets the demands of current and future development.
Likewise, the existing and planned transportation network can play a key factor in the economic success, safety, and character of specific land uses.
The Environmental Resources and Conservation Element includes goals and policies relating to the preservation and maintenance of open space areas identified in the Land Use Element for natural resource conservation and recreational access to parks and beaches.
Noise Element policies ensure that conflict s between uses proposed in the Land Use Element are minimized, and that uses producing higher noise levels are located away from residential areas and schools. The Natural and Environmental Hazards Element regulates proposed land uses i n areas with higher potential for natural or human-caused hazards such as flooding or pollution.
The Public Services and Infrastructure Element e nsures adequate services and upkeep of roadways, utilities, and other infrastructure. The City must account for the amount and location of growth and development laid out in the Land Use Element and identify the mechanisms necessary to ensure adequate infrastructure is in place to support the anticipated growth.
The Housing Element contains goals and policies relat ing to the availability, adequacy, and affordability of housing for all economic segments of the community. This is an important relationship, since the Land Use Element dictates where residential uses are allowed and prioritized within the planning area.
The Historic and Cultural Resources Element identifies important historical resources within the community and documents issues potentially affecting their status as significant resources. Land use compatibility can affect historic and cultural resources and the viability of future use, restoration, and preservation of these resources.
The Coastal Element is part of the City’s Local Coast al Program and outlines the City’s roles, responsibilities, and strategies to provide coastal access and protect coastal resources within the coastal zone consistent with the California Coastal Act.
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Land Use Plan
The Land Use Plan categorizes and maps where residential, commercial, industrial, and community facilities are located today and where they are planned for the future. This plan describes the envisioned character of change to the current development pattern and land uses, the planned distribution and development density and/or intensity of future uses, and how land use goals will be achieved throughou t the planning area and within each land use designation.
Characterizing Land Uses
Land uses are generally described by the maximum density and/or intensity, a measure of how much development exists or can be built on a site, and by the characteristics of use(s) located on a site. Density, intensity, and use characteristics form the basis for categorizing types of development into land use designations.
Density and Intensity
Density applies to residential and mixed -use
designations that allow for residential
development. Th is term describes the
number of dwelling units accommodated
within 1 net acre of land (dwelling units per
net acre [du/ac]). As a secondary calculation,
density can also refer to the population that
can be accommodated within 1 a cre of land
(population per acre [pop/ac]).
Intensity applies to nonresidential developments such as commercial and industrial buildings, as well as nonresidential portions of mixed-use development. Th is term describes the floor -to-area ratio (FAR), or the relationship between the total area of a development and the area of the parcel where the development is located. FAR is calculated by dividing the gross floor area (the amount of floor space) of all buildings (excluding garages) on a lot by the net ground area of the lot.
FAR and other development factors, such as building square footage, building height, and the percent of lot coverage, are interrelated. For example, a 20,000 -square-foot building on a 40,000 -square-foot lot yields a FAR of 0.5:1 (comparable to 20,000:40,000) . The
0.5:1 FAR could accommodate a single -story building that covers half the lot, or a two - story building on a quarter of the lot. FARs are typically expressed as a single number rather than a ratio (e.g., 0.5:1 is expressed as 0.5 FAR), and this notation will be used throughout this plan.
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In some areas of Huntington Beach, intensity and density are regulated by development and design standards rather than FAR limits. These standards, sometimes referenced as form-based codes, may include specifications for setbacks (how far a building may be situated from a street or sidewalk), limits on building height and massing (e.g., size and shape), and requirements to include open space, among others. These standards apply to properties within the planning areas of specific plans, which establish these standards when they are adopted.
The maximum allowable development on any individual parcel is governed by the maximum measure of density or intensity permitted for that land use designation applied to the parcel . The General Plan uses these measurements to establish development capacity for each individual parcel and for the planning area at large. The planned (and actual) density or intensity on a parcel is usually less than the maximum, and is influenced by the physical characteristics of a parcel, access and infrastructure limitations, compatibility with other nearby uses, market factors, and past development trends.
Use Characteristics
Use characteristics refer to the intended character and development pattern of, and uses associated with, a parcel of land . The General Plan uses these use characteristics to classify buildings with similar characteristics into land use designations. To maintain compatible development on and between sites and within neighborhoods, overlay areas, and other defined areas, use characteristics for each designation are intentionally limited.
Distribution of Existing Uses
Existing land uses in Huntington Beach include a mix of residential, commercial, industrial, mixed use, parks , open space (e.g., wetlands, beaches), oil-related and public uses.
According to a 2014 land use survey, residential development is the predominant use in the city; housing uses constitute about 43 percent of all land uses in the planning area.
Public uses, primarily comprising public rights-of-way, occupy an additional 28 percent of the planning area. Open space, commercial, and industrial development occupies most of the remainder of the planning area.
Character of Change
Change is a constant process observed over a specified time frame. Between now and 2040, Huntington Beach expects a certain continuing level of change resulting from a number of forces such as population growth, changing demographics, the need to replace aging buildings and improve existing homes, and an ever -changing economy. Physical changes are guided by new development that almost exclusively occurs through private forces based on market demand. The goals and policies provided in this element address areas and locations that would be best suited to accommodate transformational change that supports the Community Vision established in the General Plan.
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Figure LU-1 Character of Change
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Figure LU -1 indicates where change is encouraged to occur to accommodate future growth and development under this plan and to what degree it can be expected. As shown in the diagram, most areas in Huntington Beach are proposed to remain much as they are today, or wou ld transform through guidelines provided by documents other than the General Plan. The terms used to describe the planned levels of change range from very little (“Preserve” and “Conserve”) to substantial (“Transform”), as follows:
Preserve
“Preserve” areas are developed portions of Huntington Beach, where land use changes are not envisioned and are not necessary to implement the Community Vision. Preserve areas include all established residential neighborhoods; most commercial, retail, and employment centers; many visitor-serving commercial uses; and all of the Downtown area.
Conserve
”Conserve” areas include open space and recreational areas that provide valuable natural habitat or parkland and support the community recreational and aesthetic needs. This category includes the beach, the Bolsa Chica Wetlands, parks, golf courses, and other similar uses.
Transform
“Transform” areas consist of underdeveloped or underutilized portions of the planning area, where current developments might not adequately support future City goals. These areas are located within the Northwest Industrial Area and along the Gothard Corridor, where a majority of the city’s industrial uses are located. To assist in transforming these areas, the General Plan proposes a new land use designation, Research and Technology, enabling a broader mix of lower-intensity industrial and commercial uses that better meet current and future market demands, and capture employment growth in emerging fields .
Additional areas in the city could transform via means other than those established within the General Plan (e.g., specific plan areas).
Land Use Map
Land use designations are applied to every parcel within the planning area; however, the City can only regulate land uses located within the city limits. Figure LU-2 illustrates the planned distribution and intensity of land use in the planning area.
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Land Use Designations
The General Plan establishes 201 designations (18 primary land use designations and 23 overlay designations) that govern land uses within the planning area. These designations apply density and intensity requirements, use characteristics, development standards, and land use policies to individual parcels. As most of the planning area is already developed and maintained in good condition, the designations generally correspond to the pattern of existing uses . The following discussions identify the land use designations, land use characteristics associated with each designation, and the land use density/developm ent intensity allowed within each designation.
Residential Designations
Four land use designations accommodate solely residential development in Huntington Beach. Collectively, these designations occupy the largest portion of the planning area (45 percent). The designations encompass a wide variety of densities and housing types, ranging from lower-density, primarily detached single-family residences in neighborhoods, to higher-density, mostly attached housing in and adjacent to Downtown, along the coast, and along select arterial roadway corridors.
Low Density Residential
Density range: up to 7.0 units/acre
The Low Density Residential designation provides for
traditional detached single -family housing, zero -lot-line developments, mobile home parks, low -density senior
housing, and accessory dwelling units or “granny” flats.
Medium Density Residential
Density range: >7.0–15.0 units/acre
The Medium Density Residential designation provides
for uses allowed with the Low Density Residential
designation, as well as smaller lot detached single -
family housing, zero -lot-line developments, attached
single-family housing (e.g., duplexes, townhomes), and lower -density multiple -family housing, such as garden apartments.
Medium High Density Residential
Density range: >15.0–25.0 units/acre
The Medium High Density Residential designation
provides for uses allowed in the Low and Medium Density Residential designations as well as attached single-family housing (e.g., townhomes), and a limited range of multiple- family housing (e.g., garden apartments, lofts).
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Insert separate PDF page to maintain quality of figure
Land Use Plan Figure LU-2
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High Density Residential
Density range: >30.0 units/acre
The High Density Residential designation provides for
uses allowed in the Low, Medium, and Medium High
Density Residential designations as well as a broad
range of multiple-family housing types (e.g., apartments, condominiums, lofts). The maximum density allowed within the area designated with the High De nsity Residential land use is prescribed on the Land Use Map for individual parcels/areas or within an adopted specific plan that covers the High Density Residential designated area.
Commercial Designations
Four land use designations accommodate commercial development in Huntington Beach.
The businesses and other organizations located in t hese designations provide jobs, services, and goods, contributing to the economic vitality and shaping the physical environment. These commercial-focused designations are distinguished by location and the customers the uses are intended to serve. Neighborhood-serving commercial uses are located in low -scale stand -alone buildings or small centers near residential neighborhoods. C ommunity- and regional -serving uses occupy larger properties near principal intersections. Visitor-serving uses are located near primary tourist destinations, including the beach and pier . One employment -focused office designation support s professional employment centers and complementary uses in and around Downtown and along arterial corridors.
Neighborhood Commercial
FAR range: up to 0.35
The Neighborhood Commercial designation provides
for small-scale retail commercial, professional offices, eating and drinking establishments, financial
institutions, household goods, food sales, drugstores,
personal services, cultural facilities, institutional, health, government offices, and similar uses designed to serve the needs of the surrounding residential area. The maximum building height is two stories.
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General Commercial
FAR range: up to 1.5
The General Commercial designation provides for retai l commercial, professional offices, eating and drinking
establishments, financial institutions, automobile sales, household goods, food sales, drugstores, building
materials and supplies, personal services, recreational commercial, hotels/motels, timeshare s, cultural facilities, institutional, health care, government offices, educational, and similar uses designed to serve the needs of the community. The maximum building height is two stories.
Visitor Commercial
FAR range: up to 0.5
The Visitor Commercial designation provides for
hotels/motels, timeshares, recreational commercial,
eating and drinking establishments, retail, cultural
facilities, and similar uses that are designed to serve the needs of tourists visiting the city and region.
Office
FAR range: up to 1.0
The Office designation provides for professional offices, ancillary commercial services (e.g., financial
institutions, print shops), eating and drinking
establishments, and similar uses designed to serve the
needs of businesses and employees.
Mixed-Use Designation
One land use designation accommodates mixed -use development that currently occurs entirely within established specific plan areas. The designation is intended to provide for compact, pedestrian-oriented developments with commercial centers that range in scale from small neighborhood -serving centers to large community - and regional -serving centers. These developments will generally feature mixed types of commercial uses, and may include multiple-family residential housing, civic and cultural uses, and open spaces accessible to the public.
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Mixed-Use
Building FAR range and residential densities are established per specific plan and shown on the Land Use Map for specific areas.
The Mixed -Use designation provides for any
combination of comm ercial uses ; offices; attached
single-family housing, multiple-family housing, and live- work units; institutional uses; cultural facilities;
developments including an open space component; and/or civic facilities. Mixing of these uses may occur in a vertical and/or horizontal orientation. Maximum FAR and residential density standards are established within individual specific plan areas. For some specific plans, FAR and density are not prescribed for individual properties or developments. In these cases, the overlaying specific plan includes a maximum development capacity for each land use.
Industrial Designations
Two land use designations accommodate industrial development in Huntington Beach. To ensure that the city is well positioned for future prosperity, these designations continue to provide jobs in established industries, while also supporting new employment opportunities that accompany emerging technologies and the redevelopment of transitioning industrial areas. One designation accommodates a divers e mix of nonresidential uses. The other accommodates a range of industrial uses that have historically characterized established industrial areas.
Research and Technology
FAR range: up to 1.0
The Research and Technology designation provides for
a wide variety of nonresidential mixed-use development
in industrial areas that are undergoing or poised for
transformation to support changing employment
demand. The designation encourages both employment
uses and commercial uses designed to accommodate employees while continuing to allow traditional industrial uses such as manufacturing and production. Uses include clean and green manufacturing (e.g., medical devices, solar panels), research and development, technology, warehousing, business parks, professional offices, limited eating and drinking establishments that have an industrial component (e.g., a brewery), restaurants and cafes to accommodate employment uses and surrounding residential neighborhoods , and similar neighborhood commercial uses.
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Industrial
FAR range: up to 0.75
The Industrial designation provides for manufacturing
(e.g., assembly, fabrication), construction,
transportation, logistics, auto repair, research and
development, warehousing, business parks,
professional offices, ancillary commerci al services
(e.g., financial institutions, print shops), warehouse and sales outlets, and similar uses.
Open Space and Recreational Designations
Five land use designations accommodate resource conservation, parks, and recreation in Huntington Beach.
Conservation
The Conservation designation provides for
environmental resource conservation and
management (e.g., wetland protection) and supporting
ancillary uses (e.g., maintenance equipment storage).
Park
The Park designation provides for public parks and
recreational facilities and supporting ancillary uses (e.g., maintenance equipment storage).
Recreation
The Recreation designation provides for publicly or
privately operated recreation facilities, such as golf
courses. This designation also provides for supporting
ancillary uses (e.g., food stands, recreational equipment rentals, maintenance equipment storage).
Water Recreation
The Water Recreation designation provides for water bodies used for recreation al purposes, such as boating, swimming, and water sports.
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Shore
The Shore designation provides for coastal beaches
operated by the City and state, and publicly or privately operated ancillary uses (e.g., food stands, recreational equipment rentals, maintenance equipment storage).
Public and Semi-Public Designations
Two land use designations accommodate a wide variety of public ly owned facilities and community-serving uses.
Public
The Public designation provides for government
administrative (e.g., City Hall) and related facilities, such as public utilities, public parking lots, and similar uses.
Public-Semipublic
The Public-Semipublic designation provides for public
and private schools, hospitals, churches, cultural
facilities, institutional, and similar semi -public community service uses. Most land use properties with a Public - Semipublic designation have an underlying designation
shown in parenthes es on the Land Use Map. The underlying designation indicates the preferred land use in the event the sites permanently transitions to another use. A General Plan Amendment would be necessary to change these sites to the underlying designation or any other land use.
Overlay Designations
Threewo overlay designations are included on the Land Use Map. These overlay designations provide additional development criteria to supplement the underlying or base land use designation. Overlay designations are illustrated on the Land Use Map (Figure LU-2) or noted as a suffix to the base land use designation on the Land Use Map.
Mixed Use Overlay
The Mixed Use Overlay permits the development of residential uses in conjunction with the underlying commercial designation. Currently, the only area of the city with the Mixed Use Overlay designation is within the Sunset Beach Specific Plan, which permits residential units in conjunction with visitor-serving commercial uses on designated parcels in the specific plan area. Design and density standards are set forth in the specific plan.
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Specific Plan Overlay
The Specific Plan Overlay permits the underlying land use desi gnation and requires a specific plan to provide greater specificity for development of property and includes such things as land use and infrastructure plans, design and development standards, circulation and pedestrian access, and design guidelines. Permitted density and intensity is either shown on the Land Use Map in parentheses or established in the specific plan.
Affordable Housing Overlay
The Affordable Housing Overlay provides the option to develop residential uses instead of the underlying land use designation within areas identified on the Land Use Map (Figure LU-2). Residential development on an Affordable Housing Overlay site requires a certain percentage of dwelling units to be deed restricted for lower income households. Development and density standards are established in the Huntington Beach Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance (HBZSO) or adopted specific plan for each site within an Affordable Housing Overlay area.
Adopted Specific Plans
There are 15 adopted specific plans in Huntington Beach, as identified in Figure LU-3.
These plans have predominantly been used to focus on the characteristics unique to an area and customize the planning process and land use regulations and requirements to apply to that area of the city. Specific plans provide greater specificity for land use and infrastructure plans, design and development standards, and phasing/implementation.
Designations for SP-2 and SP-16 are currently reserved for future specific plans, in the event they are needed.
The City has several specific plans that are also within the coastal zone and, as such, are incorporated into the City’s certified Local Coastal Program Land Use Plan. Two adopted specific plans, Brightwater Specific Plan and Sunset Beach Specific Plan, have not been certified by the California Coastal Commission. The land use designations for these specific plan areas are shown on the Land Use Map with the notation that they have not been certified as part of the City’s Local Coastal Program Land Use Plan.
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Adopted Specific Plans Figure LU-3
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Community Subareas
In addition to the specific plans identified throughout the planning area, the General Plan also identifies a number of community subareas (Figure LU-4), which are intended to supplement density/intensity standards, use characteristics, and urban design goals and policies provided in this element beyond the guidance offered by the land use designations. Each community subarea has been identified to further the economic goals and guiding principles of the City and to enhance area s where reinvestment or improvements are proposed during the life of the General Plan, but require additional consideration due to their locations and/or environmental setting. Although some subareas are contained partially or wholly w ithin a specific plan, the description and goals of the subareas in this General Plan do not conflict with the respective specific plans. The following subareas have been identified through the General Plan process or carried over from the previous General Plan.
Intersection Enhancement Subareas
The following four community subareas represent opportunities to improve neighborhood gateways and commercial corridors within the planning area.
Subarea 1: Beach/Warner Intersection Enhancement
Encompassing the four corners of the Beach Boulevard and Warner Avenue intersection, within the Beach and Edinger Corridors Specific Plan, this 27-acre subarea is designated Mixed-Use and surrounded by Low Density Residential , Medium Density Residential, Medium High Density Residential, General Commercial, Mixed-Use, and Public uses. The subarea includes buildings of varying scales and architectural styles. The built environment and streetscapes lack a cohesive style. The predominant uses are retail stores, a gas station, a drug store, a car wash, and the 14 -story Ocean Tower. The intersection is the subarea’s defining feature.
Subarea 2: Brookhurst/Adams Intersection Enhancement
Encompassing the four corners of the Brookhurst Street and Adams Avenue intersection, this subarea includes 58 acres of commercial use. Surrounded by low-density residential uses to the south and medium high-density residential uses to the north, each corner contains a variety of commercial uses within individual developments.
This subarea is characterized by large parking lots separated from the main roadways by landscape buffers. Strip retail and/or large format retailers are located behind the parking areas, and small pad retail buildings are dispersed within portion s of the developments.
The buildings generally maintain a low profile and the built environment and streetscapes lack a cohesive identity. Existing uses include banks, restaurants, a grocery store, a
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drugstore, and several small commercial service business es. Both streets are wide and carry a large volume of traffic through the subarea.
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Land Use Subareas Figure LU-4
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Subarea 3: Goldenwest/Edinger Intersection Enhancement
Encompassing the four corners of the Goldenwest Street and Edinger Avenue intersection, within the Beach and Edinger Corridors Specific Plan , this 79-acre subarea includes portions of Goldenwest College and commercial development designated for future mixed commercial and residential use on three corners. The subarea is surrounded by additional public uses associated with Goldenwest College to the north/northeast, additional planned m ixed commercial and residential u ses to the east , and low-density residential uses to the south and west.
The remainder of the subarea consists of commercial development. The development pattern features large parking areas along both arterial streets, strip retail and/or large format retail stores located behind the parking areas, and pad buildings and smaller retail centers interspersed within the parking areas. The parcel located at the southwest corner of the intersection is currently vacant. The subarea’s built environment and streetscapes lack a cohesive identity. The wide streets provide motorists with good access to the college and the retail uses, but limit pedestrian access, especially for students attempting to cross the streets to patronize businesses.
Subarea 4: Goldenwest/Warner Intersection Enhancement
Encompassing 64 acres along the four corners of Warner Avenue and Goldenwest Street, this subarea is predominantly designated for commercial and office use. It is surrounded by two low-density residential neighborhoods, a medium high-density residential development, Ocean View High School, Golden View Elementary School, two parks, and a flood control channel.
This subarea features various forms of commercial development. Large parking areas fronted by landscape buffers line both arterial streets; strip retail and/or large format retailers are located behind the parking areas; and small pad retail buildings are dispersed within the parking areas. The buildings generally maintain a low profile, and between each of the corners of the intersection, the buildings and streetscape/landscape currently lack a cohesive identity. In addition to large and small retail businesses, the overlay area also includes an assisted living facility and various small service businesses. Both Warner Avenue and Goldenwest Street are wide arterials, carrying large volumes of traffic through the intersection, but impeding pedestrian access from one corner of the site to another.
The overlay area also currently lacks pedestrian connections to adjoining residential areas.
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Technology and Innovation Subareas
Subarea 5: Gothard Street
Centrally located along Gothard Street between Edinger Avenue and Ellis Avenue, the 422-acre Gothard Street Subarea consists of both industrial and research and technology uses, along with a few isolated community service and public use parcels. The subarea is predominantly surrounded by residential development of varying density and character to the east and south, areas identified for mixed commercial and residential development to the north along Edinger Avenue, and Ocean View High School and Central Park to the west. The eastern edge of the subarea abuts the Oak View neighborhood. The Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) right-of-way runs just east of the Gothard Street Subarea, extending from the northern city limits to its endpoint just north of Garfield Avenue.
The Gothard Street Subarea is predominantly occupied by smaller manufacturing and warehouse uses and auto repair facilities. Other uses include a lumberyard, some retail and office uses, Republic Services, several gyms/training facilities, Seabreeze Church , and City f acilities. The built environment consists of small industrial buildings, isolated offices, and a few industrial parks. Incompatibilities between existing industrial uses in the subarea and residential uses in the Oak View neighborhood present existing environmental justice concerns, as expressed by community members. Given the proximity to residential uses and Ocean View High School , the potential for land use compatibility and environmental justice issues associated with typical industrial use remains an ongoing concern. The City has also designated the abandoned portion of the UPRR rail corridor south of Ellis Avenue for a future transportation corridor use. Potential uses include development of a bicycle or multipurpose trail or an exclusive transit corridor.
To support economic development goals to attract new incubator and technology-oriented uses, this subarea introduces the Research and Technology land use designation along with the existing Industrial designation to promote opportunities for new indu strial uses that are generally greener, lighter, more mixed with commercial, and more compatible with surrounding sensitive uses. Similar to the Northwest Industrial Subarea, this subarea uses the Research and Technology designation to provide a flexible platform for both industrial and commercial uses that do not fit into the city’s historically commercial or industrial areas. While the average building intensity of research and technology use is anticipated to be higher than that of traditional industrial use, the processes and operations of such uses are intended to have fewer potential air quality and noise impacts on surrounding sensitive uses than conventional industrial activities.
The maximum development intensity for uses in this subarea ranges from 0.75 FAR for traditional industrial uses to 1.0 FAR for proposed research and technology uses.
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Subarea 6: Northwest Industrial
The 760-acre Northwest Industrial Subarea is located in the northwestern portion of the planning area. Comprising the McDonnell Centre Business Park Specific Plan north of Bolsa Avenue and industrial and research and technology uses south of Bolsa Avenue, the subarea is surrounded by residential uses to the north, south and east, and is bordered by the City of Seal Beach to the west and by Interstate 405 and commercial developments to the east and north. This subarea is anchored by two of Huntington Beach’s largest employers ( Boeing and C&D/Zodiac Aerospace ), as well as a variety of industrial, technology, commercial service, and fitness uses. The built environment ranges from large office buildings and business parks to small commercial pad and industrial spec buildings.
Given the proximity to residential uses, the potential for land use compatibility issues within typical industrial uses is a major concern. As a result, this subarea introduces the Research and Technology land use designation in areas adjacent to single -family residential neighborhoods to promote opportunities for new industrial uses that are more compatible with surrounding sensitive uses.
The Research and Technology designation provides a flexible platform for both industrial and commercial uses that do not fit into the city’s historically commercial or industrial areas. Many new business types require this flexibility as they may need both commercial and industrial components to conduct business. As a result, the Research and Technology designation is a catalyst to spur employment growth and change within this opportunity area, reinforcing the City’s desire to meet current and future needs and spur economic growth.
The maximum development intensity for uses in this subarea ranges from 0.75 FAR for traditional industrial uses to 1.0 FAR for proposed research and technology uses.
Pacific Coast Highway Coastal Corridor Subareas
These subareas intend to preserve and enhance the recreational character of the Pacific Coast Highway coastal corridor through the expansion of visitor -serving uses and maintenance of open spaces and recreational opportunities. The intent is to e stablish distinct commercial nodes, residential communities, and open spaces along its length.
Subarea 7: Open Space – Shore
The shoreline along Pacific Coast Highway is an amenity that requires a careful balance of preservation and enhancement of the recreational character through the expansion of visitor-serving uses and maintenance /improvement of open spaces and recreational opportunities consistent with policies and programs identified in the Coastal Element. No modifications to development intensities or use characteristics are proposed . However, future development or reuse project s will be required to highlight environmenta l awareness and education initiatives in project design.
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Subarea 8: Pacific Coast Highway/Beach Northeast
This subarea allows for Open Space-Conservation (OS-C), Visitor Commercial (CV), and Medium Density Residential (RM) uses, with building heights up to three stories, and land use density/intensity limited to 15 du/ac and 0.5 FAR, respectively. Key elements of this subarea include:
Establishment of a major streetscape element to identify the Beach Boulevard-Pacific Coast Highway intersection.
Site, design, and limit the scale and mass of development, as necessary, to protect wetlands.
Maintain visual compatibility with Downtown.
Incorporate on-site recreation amenities for residents. Minimize access to and from P acific Coast Highway, providing an internal roadway system.
Incorporate extensive landscape and streetscape.
Subarea 9: Peter’s Landing
Located at the western end of the planning area, the Peter’s Landing Subarea is located northeast of Pacific Coast Highway and Anderson Street. The purpose of this subarea is to promote revitalization and enhancement of the commercial center and to e stablish a unified "village" character . Through the use of consistent architecture , appropriate massing, and proper building pla cement and orientation, Peter’s Landing should be redeveloped to promote extensive pedestrian activity and human-scale character.
A key component of any future redevelopment should include a major entryway into the subarea which also serves as a landmark entry into the City of Huntington Beach from the north. Future development should provide pedestrian linkages with surrounding areas that link Pacific Coast Highway to the waterways within Huntington Harbour and i ncorporate measures to reduce roadway noise from Pacific Coast Highway. Due to the scale and type of development desired by the community, development intensity in the Peter’s Landing Subarea is limited to a maximum 0.5 FAR, building heights are limited to three stories, and uses permitted are limited to Visitor Commercial (CV).
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Subarea 10: Sunset Beach
In addition to the regulations and guidance provided in the Sunset Beach Specific Plan (SP 17), the Sunset Beach
subarea was established to provide guidance for future
development activities that ensure Sunset Beach
maintains its distinctive and unique neighborhood
character and to promote cohesion between Sunset
Beach, Huntington Harbour, and the balance of
Huntington Beach.
During the GPAC meetings, discussion of the Sunset Beach subarea emphasized the need for extensive outreach to existing property owners, residents, and businesses during planning activities. In addition, inclusion of key stakeholders, such as the Sunset Beach Sanitary District, Sunset Beach C ommunity Association, Sunset Beach LCP Review Board, Las Damas, and Sunset Beach Woman’s Club, is recommended.
Distribution of Land Uses
Table LU-1 identifies the distribution of land uses described in this element and in Figure LU-2. The largest land us e in the planning area is residential, which makes up approximately 42.5 percent of the planning area with single-family residential comprising the majority of the residential land use designations 1. The next largest land uses in the planning area are public and rights-of-way (27.9 percent) and open space uses including recreation and conservation (17.4 percent).
1 This percentage does not include areas where residential uses are permitted as part of an Overlay.
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Table LU-1
General Plan Distribution of Land Uses
Land Use Designation Acres
(approximate)
Percentage of
Planning Area
Residential
Low Density 5,666.3 29.8%
Medium Density 1,184.6 6.2%
Medium High Density 1,034.4 5.5%
High Density 180.7 0.95%
Commercial
Neighborhood 90.9 0.48%
General 296.9 1.6%
Visitor 165.7 0.9%
Office 16.3 0.1%
Mixed Use
Mixed Use 637.9 3.4%
Industrial
Research and Technology 473.2 2.5%
Industrial 654.6 3.5%
Open Space and Recreational
Conservation 1,661.9 8.8%
Park 701.1 3.7%
Recreation 237.8 1.3%
Water Recreation 238.7 1.3%
Shore 434.3 2.3%
Public and Community Service
Public 835.7 4.4%
Public-Semipublic 779.2 4.1%
Rights-of-Way 3,681.5 19.4%
Total 18,971.8* 100%
Source: City of Huntington Beach
*Totals may not add up due to rounding
Development Capacity
Table LU-2 identifies the development capacity associated with the planned distribution of land uses described in this element and summarizes the land use distribution and the resulting residential and nonresidential levels of development that can be expected from implementation of land use policies established by the General Plan. As the density and intensity standards for each land use designation are applied to future development projects and land use decisions, properties will gradually transition from one use to another, and land uses and intensities will gradually shift to a lign with the intent of this Land Use Element.
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Table LU-2
General Plan Development Capacity
Land Use Designation Acres
(approximate)
Total Estimated
Dwelling Units
(2040)
Nonresidential
Square Feet
(2040)
Residential 8,066.0 85,360 —
Commercial 1,207.7 431 18,442,316
Industrial 1,127.8 — 24,149,404
Open Space & Recreational 3,273.8 — 1,734,283
Public & Rights-of-Way 5,296.4 — 6,084,987
Total (2040) 18,971.8* 85,403 50,410,990
Existing (2014) Totals 18,971.8* 78,175 45,026,070
Change, 2014–2040 — 7,228 5,384,920
Source: City of Huntington Beach
Notes:
*Totals may not add up due to rounding
1. Residential units located in the General Commercial designation represent existing residential units on land designated for a range of nonresidential uses where no land use change is anticipated.
The Land Use Element does not directly specify a maximum population for Huntington Beach. The maximum possible number of residential units is determined by the different maximum densities allowed for each land use d esignation and the amount of land area with that designation. However, this maximum number of units is unlikely to be reached because every residential parcel in Huntington Beach would need to be developed to its maximum potential. Because most of the planning area is built out and existing buildings are generally in good condition, these changes will primarily occur within the “transform” areas identified in Figure LU -1. Forecasting assumptions are used to determine the realistic expected number of residential units that Huntington Beach will have when all of the parcels that are reasonably expected to redevelop have already done so.
In 2022, the City established an Affordable Housing Overlay land use designation in conjunction with an update to the Housing Element, which is on a separate eight- year statutory update schedule. The Housing Element must accommodate residential capacity to meet the City’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) pursuant to Housing Element law. The City’s RHNA dwelling unit t argets are determined by the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG). For the 2021-2029 Housing Element cycle, the City’s RHNA targets exceeded the residential development capacity of the General Plan, which has a horizon year of 2040. Table LU-2 does not reflect the additional residential capacity established through the Affordable Housing Overlay to accommodate the RHNA targets. However, much of the Affordable Housing Overlay area is designated as mixed use:
residential/commercial and therefore, already accounted in Table LU-2. In addition, it is unknown how much, if any, residential development would occur within Affordable Housing Overlay areas with a non-residential base land use designation.
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Development of residential units within the se areas of the Affordable Housing Overlay would result in a corresponding decrease in nonresidential square footage since the underlying land use would not be developed. The City will track residential development throughout the 2021 -2029 Housing Element cycle and monitor the effect of the Affordable Housing Overlay on the development assumptions and capacity data in Table LU-2.
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Urban Design Plan
In 2000, the City adopted Urban Design Guidelines intended to addr ess urban design issues citywide and guide new development in the city. This Urban Design Plan identifies key community issues related to urban design and includes goals and policies to ensure that these issues continue to be addressed throughout implement ation of the Urban Design Guidelines and other City codes.
Beach City Culture and Identity
Future development should maintain and
enhance the unique beach and “Surf City”
feel of Huntington Beach. This includes
preserving historic and cultural resources
related to that identity, such as older
neighborhoods and historic buildings;
perpetuating traditional beach city
architectural styles and design motifs in
newer districts and neighborhoods; and
preventing development from encroaching on views of the Pacific Ocean, the Bolsa Chica Wetlands, and Huntington Harbour.
Fostering the Identity of Individual Neighborhoods and
Districts
Some of Huntington Beach’s established suburban districts, neighborhoods, and corridors lack a distinctive character , which can contribute to a weak visual community image.
Future development occurring in these areas should foster or enhance the particular identity of the individual area and the ability of a person to identify or associate the area with the city’s unique beach city identity. This can be accomplished through the use of appropriate architectural styles and treatments , more extensive landscaping and street trees, coordinated streetscape elements and signage, public art, and the enhanced treatment of walled superblock corridors.
Accommodating Larger-Scale Development while Enhancing
Character of Commercial Corridors
Many of the city’s suburban commercial corridors appear fragmented, lack a unified identity and sense of center, incorporate inconsistent and excessively large signage, and possess varied development scales that create a disjointed appearance within the corridor and conflict wit h surrounding uses. Future development should be designed to better
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accommodate larger -scale development and to bring greater cohesion and enhanced character to these areas. This can be accomplished by designing p rojects to be visually distinctive, create a sense of place, provide adequate transitions in density, intensity, scale, and height, address public streets and tie into the city’s grid street pattern, and incorporate attractive, coordinated signage that is properly scaled and located on the site.
Maintaining Historic Character and Architectural Diversity in Downtown
Major new projects in the Downtown area have joined and in some instances supplanted the older buildings traditionally associated with this area . Older structures should be integrated into Downtown’s design themes. At the same time, Downtown should maintain some architectural diversity, as well as observe the retail stre et wall through consistent setbacks, taking care to coordinate new development setbacks with existing setbacks.
Economic Development Plan
Economic, demographic, social, and cultural conditions within Huntington Beach are interconnected. Land use decisions help to shape the local economy over time. Various aspects of urban design also determine the economic health of the community. This Economic Development Plan outlines the general economic issues and strategies the City intends to use to ensure a strong and healthy economy in the decades ahead.
Conditions affecting the local economy include land use decisions, business retention and development initiatives, job formation, and private and public investment patterns. This section covers general economic issues that have affected Huntington Beach in the recent past and highlights recent trends and growth patterns that illustrate future needs.
Economic Trends
Approximately 75,000 employees lived
in Huntington Beach in 2012. For
many decades, the economic engine
of Huntington Beach was the
aerospace industry. However, the past
two decades have also seen the
continued expansion of many high -
tech light industrial and service
industries. This reflects a long,
ongoing shift away from land-intensive
industrial operations (i.e., oil extraction and processing). The four largest employment
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sectors today are tourism, industrial, professional office, and healthcare/social assistance.
Top employers include the aerospace industry and a number of businesses in the manufacturing, healthcare, waste management, and retail sectors. Together, these industries account for roughly 13 percent of the jobs in Huntington Beach.
Forecasts conducted in 2014 indicate Huntington Beach is heading toward a long -term period of slow but steady population and employment growth. Estimates indicate that employment is projected to experience a relatively higher growth rate than household growth, resulting in an increase in the jobs-housing ratio from 1.03 in 2012 to 1.10 in 2040.
This level of growth is projected to be lower than most surrounding jurisdictions, including the county as a whole, which is projected to increase from 1.54 to 1.68 within th e same time frame.
Average annual wages earned by Huntington Beach residents have increased approximately 29 percent between 2002 and 2011. However, accounting for inflation and the recent economic recession between 2009 and 2014, real income has not gro wn. In 2012 inflation -adjusted dollars, median household income decreased 11 percent f rom 2000 to 2012. However, the city’s median household income is 5.8 percent greater than the median in Orange County.
Commuter Inflow/Outflow
Commuting behavior is linked to the jobs -housing ratio. Approximately 86 percent of Huntington Beach residents work elsewhere ( a characteristic called outflow), while 82 percent of employees in Huntington Beach commute into the city for work (a characteristic called inflow). Approximately 14 percent of jobs in the city are held by Huntington Beach residents. The result is a large commuting population and longer commute times, which can in turn create increased traffic volumes and longer vehicle miles traveled for residents and nonresidents alike.
The high inflow and outflow of commuters indicates a degree of mismatch between residents’ skills and education and the available training and jobs in the city, in addition to a relative lack of desirable and affordable housing for worke rs. Diversifying the economy toward professional/technical, specialized engineering, and research and development sector jobs could create greater job opportunities for residents, resulting in a better jobs - housing balance. Likewise, providing a greater di versity of housing opportunities could also positively affect the jobs-housing ratio.
Real Estate Trends
Median home values in the city were $616,700 in 2012, which is 21 percent higher than the county median. From 2000 to 2012, housing prices in the city increased 43 percent (in real dollars) versus 37 percent in Orange County. Due to a high quality of life, coastal
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location, and compelling economic opportunity, for -sale housing, resale, and new development activity are expected to remain strong, and incre ase with growth of new industry and jobs. This makes affordable housing a key economic development issue.
The city’s trend of higher real estate prices relative to other parts of the county extends to the retail, apartment, and industrial sectors , which ha ve performed at or above market averages over the past five to seven years while experiencing low vacancy rates. The one notable exception is office sector uses, which experience lower rent and higher vacancy rates than the market average . As a result, Hun tington Beach is generally considered a secondary office location for businesses requiring leased space.
Development Activity
Development activity in Huntington Beach is predominantly residential, with a marked increase in mixed-use multifamily style developments accounting for the largest share of new projects. Nonresidential development is dominated by retail uses, with a small portion of industrial uses.
Job generation associated with retail development tends to be lower than that associated with industrial development, and wages associated with retail jobs also tend to be lower on average. As a result, the City will continue to look for opportunities to attract employers offering higher paying technical, professional, and skilled labor positions.
Retail Capture and Leakage
Another way to describe the economic strength or weakness of specific economic sectors compared to the region is by considering capture and leakage. Taxable sales per capita provide an indication of where the city is underperforming in relationship to the local market area and Orange County and where retail sales that could be captured by local shops are being made elsewhere (a characteristic known as leakage).
Retail taxable sales per capita are significantly lower in Huntington Beach than both the Orange County and local market area averages. While the recent revitalization of the Bella Terra shopping center and Edinger Plaza addresses part of this issue, other similar opportunities likely exist. The Pacific City development is having a notable positive effect on leakage in this sector. Sites in the planning area that could host development serving these markets are discussed in the Economic Development Strategies section below.
Economic Development Strategies
Huntington Beach has established goals to bring new local businesses into the city, with a focus on start-ups and research and technology industries, while maintaining a diverse economic base and strong support for tourism. T he City has identified target industries
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and opportunity areas in the Northwest Industrial Subarea and the Gothard Street Subarea for new development to help meet these goals. These opportunity areas were identified because they either have significant concentrations of existing employment, or have future economic growth potential. The City could p rovide incentives to retain, expand, and capture new businesses, including research and development industries and start -ups.
The City should also update the Huntington Beach Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance to ensure that development regulations and land use controls reflect the City’s economic development goals.
Research and Technology Uses
When assessing Huntington Beach’s location, employment, and land use potential, technology manufacturing and technology se rvices industries present high potential for growth. A Research and Technology land use designation within the Northwest Industrial Subarea and the Gothard Street Subarea will accommodate these types of future uses.
This designation provides for a wide variety of nonresidential mixed-use development and encourages both employment uses and commercial uses designed to accommodate employees while continuing to allow traditional industrial uses such as manufacturing, and production. Uses may include clean and g reen manufacturing and industrial uses (e.g., medical devices, clean air technology ), research and development uses, technology, warehousing, business parks, professional offices, limited eating and drinking establishments that have an industrial component (e.g., a brewery), restaurants and cafes to accommodate the employment uses and surrounding residential neighborhoods, and similar neighborhood commercial uses.
Technology firms will demand newer or refurbished multi -tenant buildings that offer modern, high speed and high bandwidth infrastructure. Therefore, the City will also focus on encouraging development of a strong inventory of adequately improved and competitive industrial buildings within these districts that prov ide the resources and technological capacity desired by businesses in this industry.
Infrastructure
Along with bandwidth in facilities, adequate infrastructure across all services is also important to support new industry growth. The City must invest in water, sewer, drainage, street, and other infrastructure updates to serve future generations of residents, businesses, and visitors. There is much to be done to achieve long -term fiscal stability and to bring public services and capital infrastructure back t o acceptable levels, which were impacted by the economic recession and loss of redevelopment funding.
The City will continue to maintain and expand its Capital Projects Reserve for the repair and construction of city infrastructure. New infrastructure projects will be coordinated using
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a comprehensive systems approach that balances serving existing community members and provides adequate capacity for future growth.
Quality of Life
Huntington Beach currently has an excellent quality of life. Its desirable residential neighborhoods, world -class beaches and recreation areas, and safe environment all contribute to a city that is a great place to live, work, and play. Improving the jobs-housing balance by planning for a range of housing types in appropriate focus areas in conjunction with industrial and commercial expansion is a key component of ensuring and maintaining the city’s quality of life.
Fiscal Responsibility
Without redevelopment, new, creative, and innovative ideas to stimulate business and development will have to be implemented. Resolving these issues and many others will influence the level of net revenues that the City will have available to fund enhanced levels of service and to maintain and build new infrastructure necessary to support a strong, vibrant economy.
General Fund costs will now be subject to a fiscal impact analysis since they are so important to the fiscal health of the community. As part of this plan, the e conomic development recommendations will be tested using a fiscal impact model to provide guidance in the development of effective land use goals and policies that facilitate a strong local economy and long-term fiscal stability. As economic recovery is vulnerable to global, national, and state forces beyond the City’s control, the City is committed to continue on the path of fiscal conservatism.
Tourism and Hospitality
An estimated 30 percent of jobs in Huntington Beach are tourism-based. Tourism is one of the city’s competitive economic advantages, and continuing to foster the health of this sector is important to the overall strength and diversity of the city’s economy. With over 10 miles of contiguous, accessible coastline, Huntington Beach hosts over 16 million visitors annually. Many of these visitors stay in one of the city’s nearly 2,000 hotel and motel rooms, most of which are located along the coast. However, the current level of demand for overnight accommodations is not fully met within the city, leading to economic leakage and lost tax revenues. Therefore, identifying prime locations along the coastline as well as in other areas that provide a high-quality visitor experience remains an economic development priority.
The Cit y will continue to work with existing and future operators to update or expand existing overnight accommodations and visitor -serving facilities, and develop new accommodations and facilities to meet future demands. To complement this strategy, the
2-34 City of Huntington Beach General Plan (Draft, October 2022)
City will also continue to expand and enhance natural resources, open spaces, and recreation amenities to retain or improve its position among the top tourism destinations in Southern California.
Land Use and Urban Design Issues, Goals, and Policies
The land use and urban design issues addressed in this element include:
Coordinating development patterns and protecting community character Addressing interactions between neighborhoods and nonresidential attractions Providing a range of well-maintained housing types
Protecting and adaptively reusing industrial areas
Maintaining flexible long-term school capacity
Fostering the identity of individual neighborhoods and community subareas Maintaining historic character and architectural diversity in Downtown Coordinating Development Patterns and Protecting
Community Character
Much of the planning area has been developed, and many of the remaining undeveloped parcels are committed to development by specific plans and development agreements, or are preserved for open space. Consequently the fundamental patterns, distribution, and form of development has been established. However, protecting the traditional beach and the successful “Surf City” brand and feel of Huntington Beach is a community priority.
Continuing to preserve historic and cultural resources related to that “Surf City” identity, such as older neighborhoods , historic buildings, structures, and monuments, Native American, pioneer settlement, agricultural development, and historical periods including prehistory settlements, trading with Catalina, Civil War, World Wars, veterans’ history etc., is an important step in retaining Huntington Beach’s unique culture.
Goal LU-1. New commercial, industrial, and residential development is coordinated to ensure that the land use pattern is consistent with the overall goals and needs of the community.
Policies
A. Ensure that development is consistent with the land use designations presented in the Land Use Map, including density, intensity, and use standards applicable to each land use designation.
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B. Ensure new development supports the protection and maintenance of environmental and open space resources.
C. Support infill development, consolidation of parcels, and adaptive reuse of existing buildings.
D. Ensure that new development projects are of compatible proportion, scale, and character to complement adjoining uses.
Goal LU-2. New development preserves and enhances a distinct Surf City identity, culture, and character in neighborhoods, corridors, and centers.
Policies
A. Ensure that new development and reuse projects protect existing Surf City culture and identity an d p reserve and recognize unique neighborhoods and areas as the building blocks of the community.
B. Ensure that new and renovated structures and building architecture and site design are context-sensitive, creative, complementary of the city’s beach culture, and compatible with surrounding development and public spaces.
C. Distinguish neighborhoods and subareas by character and appearance and strengthen physical and visual distinction, architecture, edge and entry treatment, landscape, streetscape, and other elements. Evaluate the potential for enhancement of neighborhood entrances and perimeter walls.
D. Maintain and protect residential neighborhoods by avoiding encroachment of incompatible land uses.
E. Intensify the use and strengthen the role of public art , arc hitecture, landscaping, site design, and development patterns to enhance the visual image of Huntington Beach.
Addressing Interactions Between Neighborhoods and
Attractions
Huntington Beach contains several well -defined places characterized by community activity and a high level of identity. These include the pedestrian-oriented Downtown area, the beach, Central Park (the city’s primary recreation and cultural center), the Bolsa Chica Wetlands, neighborhoods such as Huntington Harbour and Sunset Beach and the comparatively new Bella Terra area. Most other areas have developed as principally auto- oriented environments that pose a challenge for neighborhood interactions. Future planning should provide multiple ways for neighborhoods and attractions to interac t through non-auto travel modes, drawing on existing and expanded bicycle and pedestrian facilities as well as enhanced transit facilities.
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Goal LU -3. Neighborhoods and attractions are connected and accessible to all residents, employees, and visitors.
Policies
A. Ensure that future development and reuse projects are consistent with the Land Use Map to provide connections between existing neighborhoods and city attractions.
B. Improve trail, bicycle pathway, roadway, sidewalk, and transit connections to new development and reuse projects.
C. Ensure connections are well maintained and safe for users.
Providing a Range of Well-Maintained Housing Types
Continued increases in land values and construction costs inhibit the ability to provide a range of housing types an d prices to meet the needs of existing and future residents, particularly young family households, seniors, and low- and very low-income households.
Providing a range of residential land use designations is crucial to meet existing and future housing needs. As the existing housing stock continues to age, ongoing efforts will be required to ensure it is maintained and does not physically or economically deteriorate.
Goal LU-4. A range of housing types is available to meet the diverse economic, physical, and social needs of future and existing residents, while neighborhood character and residences are well maintained and protected.
Policies
A. Encourage a mix of residential types to accommodate people with diverse housing needs.
B. Improve options for people to live near work and public transit.
C. Encourage and provide incentives for residential property owners to maintain their homes and buildings.
D. Ensure that single -family residences are of compatible proportion scale and character to surrounding neighborhoods.
E. Encourage housing options located in proximity to employment to reduce vehicle miles traveled.
Protecting and Adaptively Reusing Industrial Areas
The nature of industrial uses has changed over the past few decades. Historica lly, most industrial land in Huntington Beach was used to support the aerospace industry and manufacturing. These uses were separated from residential and commercial uses to avoid transmitting excessive noise and odors, and located adjacent to arterial and rail corridors
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to support goods movement. Although aerospace and manufacturing uses continue to thrive in Huntington Beach, a variety of nonindustrial uses have been introduced in some industrial areas. Many of these uses have supported and been ancillary to the primary industrial function, while others provide diverse and valuable services to the community .
Protecting the city’s industrial areas is critical to promote the creation of more local jobs.
Goal LU-5. Industrial businesses provide employment opportunities for residents, supporting the local economy.
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Policies
A. Support and attract new businesses in the city’s industrial areas.
B. Encourage clean, less intensive industrial development in areas identified in the planning area.
C. Ensure proposed development and uses in industrial areas contribute to the City’s economic development objectives and do not minimize existing uses.
D. Explore opportunities to optimize use of underutilized or underperforming industrial land that is sensitive to surrounding uses, and to introduce new industrial uses that create jobs.
E. Encourage and assist existing and potential industrial owners to update, modernize, and expand their industrial properties.
Maintaining Flexible Long-Term School Capacity
Much of Huntington Beach was built during a time when demand for school facilities was high to accommodate the needs of the post-World War II baby boom. Today, demand for school facilities is experiencing a relative decline. Some schools in Huntington Beach are at or above capacity while others are under capacity depending on the school or district.
Short-term demand for residential, commercial, and open space uses is competing with the ability to retain these sites for longer -term school use. Nonoperational schools are being leased for other uses, while other schools are overcrowded.
Goal LU-6. Neighborhood school sites adapt over time to meet the changing needs of the community.
Policies
A. Consistent with state law, explore alternatives with school districts for public benefit and access to recreation and open spaces, as well as other uses for surplus school sites should a closure occur.
B. Continue to consult with school districts in connection with any City -related or school district-related planning and environmental review of proposed non -education surplus school site projects.
C. In consultation with school districts, and consistent with state law, encourage flexible interim use options to maximize existing use of school sites while addressing future community needs.
Fostering the Identity of Individual Neighborhoods and
Community Subareas
A lack of distinctive character within some of Huntington Beach’s subareas, corridors, and neighborhoods can contribute to an overall weak visual community image. Fostering or
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enhancing the identity of individual communities is key to strengthening the city’s overall image and the ability of a person to identify or associate it uniquely with Huntington Beach.
Goal LU-7. Neighborhoods, corridors, and community subareas are well designed, and buildings, enhanced streets, and public spaces contribute to a strong sense of place.
Policies
A. Preserve unique neighborhoods, corridors, and subareas, and continue to use specific plans to distinguish districts and neighborhoods by character and appearance.
B. Use street trees, signage, landscaping, street furniture, public art, and other aesthetic elements to enhance the appearance and identity of subareas, neighborhoods, corridors, nodes, and public spaces.
C. Minimize visual clutter along commercial corridors.
D. Enhance intersection subareas to create additional pedestrian connections and appeal of the area.
E. Promote additional uses that complement and support the existing uses in the intersection subareas.
F. Encourage undergrounding of utilities on approaches to and within the intersection subareas.
Maintaining Historic Character and Architectural Diversity in Downtown
New projects in the Downtown area have joined and in some instances supplanted the older buildings traditionally associated with Downtown. Older structures should be integrated into the design themes of the Downtown. At the same time, Downtown should maintain some architectural diversity, as well as observe the retail street wall through consistent setbacks, taking care to coordinate new development setbacks with existing setbacks.
Goal LU-8. Historic character and architectural diversity in Downtown Huntington Beach are protected and enhanced in new development and in the retrofit of existing buildings.
Policies
A. Reinforce Downtown as the city’s historic center and as a pedestrian and bicycle-oriented village with commercial, entertainment, and recreation uses to meet the needs of residents and visitors.
B. Encourage development of underused parcels with a mix of uses and unique architecture.
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C. Ensure new development reflects the Downtown’s historical structures and theme.
D. Reinforce the unique Downtown character and visual distinctions, architecture, and streetscape.
Economic Development Issues, Goals, and Policies
The economic development issues addressed in this element include:
Capitalizing on location with technology infrastructure Retaining, expanding, and capturing businesses
Capturing sales tax revenues
Encouraging renovation and revitalization of commercial and industrial areas Adapting to a changing economy
Enhancing tourism, hospitality, and the high tech industry Capitalizing on Location with Technology Infrastructure The City must continue to capitalize on its location and reputation as an advantageous and competitive business location by encouraging expansion of state-of-the-art technology infrastructure related to communications, media, and computing systems that existing and new businesses can cost-effectively use.
Goal LU -9. Industrial uses provide job opportunities for existing and future residents, as well as the surrounding region, while generating revenue for the city.
Policies
A. Establish technology or innovation districts, such as the Gothard Street Subarea and the Northwest Industrial Subarea, where technology infrastructure is provided specifically to support existing and new businesses.
B. Support the provision of technology infrastructure and services to supply necessary technological and communication tools for existing and new industry and businesses.
C. Provide opportunities for new start -up businesses to develop innovative products and services in a business incubator environment.
D. Support the ability for future industrial uses to accommodate new flexible work programs.
Retaining, Expanding, and Capturing Businesses
The city’s business sector includes a sizable share of research, development, and start - up businesses. However, there is an opportunity to attract more of these businesses to
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locate within the city and thrive, thus increasing the average wage rate of workers and improving the jobs -housing balance. Largely concentrated in the Northwest Industrial Subarea and the Gothard Street Subarea, most of these jobs are associated with technology manufacturing or technology services.
Goal LU -10. The City aggressively retains and enhances existing industrial businesses and technology businesses while attracting new firms to the city.
Policies
A. Provide incentives to retain, expand, and capture new businesses, including research and development industries and start-ups.
B. Promote the creation of jobs with increasing wage opportunities within the community.
C. In partnership with regional, state, and federal agencies, provide workforce programs that facilitate workforce diversity in the city through expanded labor force training and hiring practices.
D. Maximize the economic development services provided by the City to existing and prospective businesses and industries.
Capturing Sales Tax Revenues
The City must monitor taxable sales trends by key locations and work to reverse leakage trends in retail sales, with the objective of recapturing sales tax revenues that are leaving the city, by promoting targeted development and expansion of commercial uses that serve Huntington Beach and the surrounding region.
Goal LU-11. Commercial land uses provide goods and services to meet regional and local needs.
Policies
A. Encourage a variety of commercial uses that cater to local and regional demand to create an environment that meets resident needs and increases the capture of sales tax revenues.
B. Encourage new businesses to locate on existing vacant or underutilized commercial properties where these properties have good locations and accessibility.
C. Maximize the economic development services provided by the City to existing and prospective businesses and industries.
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Encouraging Renovation and Revitalization of Commercial and Industrial Areas
There is a marked difference in development quality and pr operty maintenance between older commercial /industrial corridors and newer commercial /industrial and mixed -use centers.
Goal LU-12. Commercial and industrial corridors throughout the planning area are renovated and revitalized.
Policies
A. Establish in the Urban Design Guidelines that nonresidential buildings and sites be designed to be consistent with and use low-impact design techniques.
B. Encourage renovation and revitalization of deteriorating and struggling nonresidential areas and corridors, particularly commercial locations.
C. Expand shuttle services and pedestrian linkages between adjoining business areas, particularly along the coast, where a greater flow of local shoppers and visitors is encouraged.
D. Seek opportunities to encourage the creation of bus iness improvement districts or other economic development strategies where coordination and financing of mutually shared, enhanced services can increase business potential for all.
Adapting to a Changing Economy
As with the oil industry in the early 20th century, many new industries are getting their start in Huntington Beach in the 21st century. However, in the past decade, the way businesses operate has changed. Employees are looking for alternatives to long commutes , employers are considering ways to at tract new talent , and communities desire greater workforce diversity.
Goal LU-13. The city provides opportunities for new businesses and employees to ensure a high quality of life and thriving industry.
Policies
A. Encourage expansion of the range of goods and services provided to accommodate the needs of all residents and the market area.
B. Capture emerging industries such as, but not limited to, “knowledge”-based industries and research and development firms.
C. Support development of new commercial and indus trial projects and retrofits of existing buildings.
City of Huntington Beach General Plan (Draft, October 2022) 2-43
D. Improve transit and other alternative transportation options, including shuttles and safe bicycle routes, for employees who live and work in the community.
E. Do not preclude future mobility technologies in land use planning.
2-44 City of Huntington Beach General Plan (Draft, October 2022)
Enhancing Tourism and Hospitality
Anchored by the beach, Pier, natural resources, and cultural amenities, Huntington Beach is a world-renowned tourist destination. Annual events like the US Open of Surfing and Surf City Half Marathon draw hundreds of thousands of visitors. Huntington Beach is also enjoying an increase in conventions and meetings, and has expanded the number of available hotel rooms along Pacific Coast Highway. A limited number of other lower-cost lodging options are available, and ongoing provision of a variety of lodging opt ions to ensure visitors of all income levels can enjoy the coast is a top priority of the Coastal Act.
A healthy tourist and hospitality economy also requires a robust service economy.
Goal LU-14. Huntington Beach continues to attract visitors and provides a variety of attractions and accommodations during their stay.
Policies
A. Encourage expansion of the range and location of available lodging for both tourist and business visitors.
B. Encourage both coastal and inland visitor -serving uses to offer a wide spectrum of opportunities for residents and visitors.
C. Improve the availability of affordable housing and accessible transportation options for service workers.
D. Facilitate the provision o f transit and bicycling linkages between the various tourist destinations which help encourage local residents and visitors to minimize the use of automobiles.
E. Support a concert/entertainment venue within the City.