Let me start by saying clearly that one of my highest priorities as a Council member will be the preservation of existing open space and the expansion of new space whenever possible!

Huntington Beach has always had a different approach to how we treat our open space and our parkland. While many Orange County cities have built out as much as possible, we in Huntington Beach have fought hard to preserve open space for recreation and enjoyment. The insightful decisions made by previous city leaders have left us with a large central park, a system of regional and neighborhood parks and a wide open coastline!

During the 1990's this kind of space was being threatened with development. The people of Huntington Beach passed Measure C to protect public land and open space. It has been a successful deterrent to development in the pace 20 years since passage. The recent issue of the Senior Center at Central Park showed us just how passionate people on both sides of an issue can be when park space is proposed for development. (More on the Senior Center in another item!) In the past few years we have also seen a shift in our Community Service department to favor active park uses (e.g. play equipment, fields, buildings, etc.) and this has even chipped away at passive open space.

As a Council member I will work hard to make sure that our existing open space is preserved. I will work with the community to look at the needs in our parks, and figth for active open space when needed, and passive when it make sense. We need to provide enough fields and gyms so the kids in our community have places to play! I will also fight to defend Measure C as was passed by the voters and later amended by the Council with their minute action. Any Measure C vote should follow the full environmental and financial reivew process so that the people of Huntington Beach can make an informed vote on projects.

What do you think? Does the City have enough Open Space? I would love to hear them... This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it !