HUNTINGTON BEACH : Council OKs Plan for Parks in Seacliff

After 23 years of seeing their children play in the streets because of a lack of parks, residents of the upscale Huntington Seacliff development may finally get some open space.

The City Council last week voted to require Pacific Coast Homes, a subsidiary of the city’s biggest developer, the Huntington Beach Co., to construct two small parks in Seacliff.

Pacific Coast Homes had requested City Council approval of a new housing tract in the area, but the council said its OK would be forthcoming only if the developer built two 0.55-acre parks in the Seacliff area.

In recent months, many Seacliff residents have protested that their area of the city has always been lacking in parkland. They said that 23 years ago, when Seacliff was launched, the council erred in not requiring parks to be built in the new subdivision.

Although their homes are near the ocean and are expensive, Seacliff children have no place to play except in the streets, parents told the council.

On Monday night, Councilman Jim Silva said he was concerned about the shortage of public open space in the area. “My main concern is that we have sites for parks in Seacliff,” he said. “We want to guarantee getting parks for this area.”

Mike Adams, the city’s director of community development, said the proposal required the developer to donate parkland before more development would be approved.

Dominick A. Tomaino, president of the Huntington Seacliff Homeowners’ Assn., told the council Monday night that he hoped the parks would be built soon. Silva agreed. “It’s been 23 years, and I think it’s time you do have parks,” he said.