By Brooklynn Wong
Improving the appearance, ambience and accessibility of Beach Boulevard has been a goal for several Orange County cities over recent years.
A “Renew Beach Boulevard Coalition” was created, composed of representatives from the cities along the historic thoroughfare.
A major part of the improvement project has been creating a branding campaign, and a piece of that will be a “Meet on Beach” event that is planned for Nov. 17, 2019.
At this week’s City Council Meeting, Senior Planner Swati Meshram provided an update on the event and filled in some of the details.
She said on that day there will be festivals along 21 miles of Beach, including La Habra, a joint event thrown by Buena Park and Anaheim over a two mile stretch, Stanton, Garden Grove, Westminster, and finishing at Huntington Beach with a beach party.
Meshram said Knott’s Berry Farm has been included in talks in planning for the event, since their property is along the route. They reportedly are interested in participating, and may offer the area outside Independence Hall as a venue for festivities.
Also included in the initiative is a Southern California Association of Governments campaign called “Go Human Go Beach” which encourages “human-powered transportation modes” such as walking and biking.
Consultant Community Arts Resources (CARS) has been selected to design the Meet on Beach event.
Buena Park and Anaheim’s portion of the route may include an “open street,” on which only non-vehicular transportation would be allowed for the day. Goals for the “Meet on Beach” event include bringing awareness to pedestrian safety and encouraging alternative modes of transportation, in addition to encouraging people to get out and experience Beach Boulevard.
The City Council was excited about this planned event, as it has been in the works for a long time.
Said Council member Beth Swift, “I can hardly wait.”
