H.B. moves forward with wood guardrail design for Bluff Top Park

The Huntington Beach City Council approved a design Monday for a bluff guardrail — one element of a $1.7-million project to improve the city’s Bluff Top Park along Pacific Coast Highway.

The council was presented with a wood lodge pole guardrail design recommended to replace the corroded metal guardrail that now lines the bluff and buffers the paved multi-use path.

Despite reservations about the durability and aesthetics, the council approved the design 6-0, with Councilman Mike Posey absent, determining that it fits the heavily used park’s needs and makes sense for the project.

The wood pole design was determined to be the best suited among the various options. City staff said the material would stand up to seawater exposure better than the metal rails proposed.

Aside from being the cheapest option at $77 per linear foot, its pieces can be easily and cheaply repaired or replaced, unlike the current railing that requires fabrication and installation of an entire 8-foot section to remedy corrosion or damage, city officials said. The various metal guardrail designs would cost $120 to $170 per linear foot.

However, officials said, the wood design is susceptible to splintering or being carved into, making it more prone to possible vandalism.

Some council members were hesitant about the wood look.

“I personally don’t think this look belongs on the beach,” Mayor Lyn Semeta said, adding that it would obstruct the view from Pacific Coast Highway.

Councilman Erik Peterson agreed that the lodge pole design could be more disruptive of the landscape and said the staggered poles look like something “a kid had done.”

Staff replied that it could adjust the diameter of the poles and reassess the design’s effect on the ocean view but pointed out that the offset pole design contributes to the guardrail’s durability and strength.

Councilman Patrick Brenden said he was “really happy with the design.”

“I think the aesthetics are much more fitting to our culture and our city,” he said.

Other council members reevaluated the design and said the wood elements offer a historical beach town aesthetic, and the council ultimately approved it with the condition that staff evaluate alternative configurations that give the guardrail a lower profile.

In June, the state budget earmarked $1.7 million to restore the 2-mile stretch of multi-use trail at Bluff Top Park.

The project also will include resurfacing and widening the asphalt pathway, extending sidewalks and adding traffic control markings and more signage.

Magnolia Tank Farm item pulled

As expected, the council voted to delay a scheduled public hearing about the Magnolia Tank Farm site on request of the property owner, Shopoff Realty Investments.

The hearing was intended to address entitlements for a planned residential and commercial redevelopment of the 29-acre site at 21845 Magnolia St., which once served as an oil storage and pumping facility. The Planning Commission voted 5-2 on Oct. 24 to verify the project’s environmental impact report and approved a general plan amendment and zoning change.

However, Shopoff asked last week that the item be pulled from Monday’s council agenda to “continue to address and be responsive to the community’s ongoing concerns” about environmental issues and the project’s proposed residential density.

Council consideration will be held on a date determined by Shopoff.

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