Pacifica Creek Park

This is the "soon to be proposed" Pacific Creek Park -San Pedro development. I am including it on this blog because IF this is not a hoax, IF it is actually planned to be a real proposal, and IF it finally becomes a proposal, Ponte Vista would become about the size of a nat on an elephant.

Mr. Richard Royce of ventureEXPO has corresponded with me about this project. Essentially it is a redevelopment project of Pacific Avenue between 1st. and 22nd. Streets, in San Pedro.

Details of the proposal apparently aren't ready to be released, but I figure it is worth posting the information I have received so far and allow myself some comments about this "soon to be proposed" project towards the bottom of this post and welcome comments from others.

I think this is one way Mr. Royce and others proposing the redevelopment of Pacific Avenue can have a compass to review how their plans may pass through interested members of the community.

Anyway, it is a relief from "all things Ponte Vista" except....are the new high school student-residents around part of Pacifica Creek Park going to be going to SRHS #14 when it is finally built?

The first photo is an aerial shot of the approximate area of San Pedro encompassed in the Pacifica Creek Park dream. You can click on the photo and it should grow somewhat.

As you can see by the photo, there is a great deal of downtown San Pedro's area that would be taken up by such a redevelopment plan. And Pacifica Creek Park may be only one of many proposals for the "needed" redevelopment of the area.

Below is a card which purports to illustrate the creek and the placement of the park lands and bridges of Pacifica Creek Park.

At first glance, my impression was, "this is too incredible to be real", and perhaps it is. But what the heck, it still is a very interesting thing to look at and it gets me wondering what else might be out there in the redevelopment of Pacific Avenue.

This last illustration came to me only this morning. It answers some questions I posed to Mr. Royce, but it also generates a whole lot more questions and comments.

To me, it looks like the bridges will be actually vehicle bridges through the development. I also noted the parking spaces and the vehicle direction arrows associated with this illustration.

I have imposed conditions on myself for posting these illustrations and illuminating Mr. Royce's vision on my blog. I will take the opportunity to comment on the "soon to be proposed" proposal and welcome comments from Mr. Royce, his fellow planners, and anyone else wishing to post any comments regarding Pacifica Creek Park.

First, some useless trivia. The creek running through Pacifica California is the San Pedro Creek.

I wrote to Mr. Royce that I would be creating this post and made some of the following comments to him.

7th, 9th, 13th, 17th, and 19th streets should have unrestricted access across any redevelopment of Pacific Avenue, in my opinion. These have traditionally been roads that have transported us to both sides of Pacific Avenue since they were built. Both 9th and 19th Streets have intersections with Western Avenue.

As I look at the last illustration, I am trouble with narrowing 7th and 9th Streets to make room for diagonal parking. These two streets should be kept as wide as possible and I wouldn't think of putting a cobblestone bridge over the five streets I feel are essential to keep freely open in any project.

I think there will be many emergency personnel, parents, business leaders, and others who will question limiting so much vehicular traffic between what would essentially become West San Pedro and East San Pedro. With so much residential development being built east of Pacific Avenue, I can imagine some stress at the ability of folks to get to major food stores, all of which are west of Pacific Avenue.

Access to the Harbor Freeway and the Vincent Thomas Bridge is a major concern for everyone in San Pedro, I feel. The lack of effective access to the 110 Freeway via Pacific Avenue has been a long standing issue. I would think any developer of any redevelopment of Pacific Avenue would be required to provide mitigation for that problem. The idea of folks in what would become East San Pedro, having to get to the 110 Freeway and the Bridge via Harbor Blvd presents a great many problems, especially with the new Waterfront Development Plan under consideration.

All is not negative in my commenting, though. Pacific Avenue need redevelopment very badly, in my humble opinion. There could be almost unlimited opportunities for residential and employment growth in the area. Perhaps this redevelopment might bring real affordable housing to the area as well as a good mix of other residential types and commercial and retail opportunities.

This could be an area in the harbor where higher density would be more welcome. Placing higher density housing closer to retail and commercial development would help everyone. Perhaps a small, light rail system along the route of Pacifica Creek Park could allow everyone clean, effective, and cost efficient transportation in the area. Connecting such a small line to a larger line, such as the current lines, would aid transportation issues for the entire area.

If a developer is wise, they can construct a redevelopment area and tie it in with the tourists that come to visit San Pedro and embark and disembark on the cruise ships.

Ponte Vista claims to be "smart growth" in our area. With some heavy corrections to the Pacifica Creek Park plan, in my opinion, this, or some other redevelopment of Pacific Avenue would be much smarter.