SOUNDING OFF:

There’s plenty of activity in the H.B. elves community regarding the Huntington Beach Downtown Specific Plan. Will it be the excitement of a Barbie Doll opened on some distant Christmas Day or just another round of Jim Jones eggnog Kool-Aid?

With a Frosty beginning, the fourth and final community workshop to discuss the Downtown Specific Plan, a joint project between the city of Huntington Beach Economic Development and Planning Departments to modify development thresholds and encourage mixed-use development, took flight at Roger’s Senior Center at 17th Street and Olive Avenue, which itself isn’t part of the plan.

Surprising, since Huntington Beach has that sign up in the park for the new senior center, and it’s not part of the Beach/Edinger plan, either.

The design concepts presented by Erik Justesen, chief executive of RRM Design, look promising despite initial fears of local residents with the ‘URBAN’ description plastered on the plans.

The details can be found at www.surfcity-hb.org. Go to “Government” then “Departments” then “Economic Development” and click on “Downtown Specific Plan.”

The proposed Downtown Specific Plan is the result of six technical studies and four community workshops.

Good for RRM Design! Public involvement often leads to a Barbie Doll “success” project because ideas flow but open the door for criticism and differences. Although, a different nose can come in handy — right, Santa?

Following Justesen’s presentation, resident and local business questions revolved around the increased density, new enforceable guidelines, and vague implementation logistics.

Questions were particularly focused on how new development would mesh next to existing residence and business. After all, who wants an abominable snowman in the backyard?

I wonder, though. Are they just asking us to drink eggnog Kool-Aid?

Density and economic guidelines shared were calculated over recent years and missed the current economic crisis.

So how dependable are those predictions? And is there really a Santa Claus?

Which leads to other questions:

Does higher density always need to be the answer?

What if the finer elements were lost in the blizzard as the project weaves its way through the city’s process and to the rooftops of each of the city council member — most of whom must have been nestled all snug in their beds because they weren’t at the meeting?

Why doesn’t the project involve more than the downtown?

Why isn’t it connected to the Beach/Edinger Project in some manner?

Should the proposed trolley be expanded to include riding through the woods and on to Bella Terra?

For a moment, let’s take out the stump of a pipe Santa holds tight in his teeth, and put down the Kool-Aid, because there’s more to consider than just Christmas Town HB.

The real issues of density, the plan approval process, and implementation logistics were swept under the sleigh during this meeting.

This current economic crisis could be a warning sign of things to come for California, currently in an extremely weak economic position and lacking in resources of water and power. And I don’t care how many tickets the California Highway Patrol write Arnold, it won’t make up the difference. Just the same, watch yourself, Rudolph.

Huntington Beach would do well to become proactive to a bigger picture and take steps to invest in tide, wind and solar energy sources and move forth with necessary water projects otherwise nothing will save the little Christmas tree, Charlie Brown.

If the tinsel and gold go up before the infrastructure is set, the Grinch may be stealing Christmas again — permanently.

With this in mind, Huntington Beach might expand its concept for the Downtown Specific Plan and connect the entire city’s points of interest.

This would include a self-contained infrastructure, transportation links, and the vision to connect and preserve the natural resources of our parks and wetlands.

There’s excitement the Night Before Christmas: excitement of what tomorrow may bring.

Next step for the project is a presentation to City Council — let’s hope it doesn’t become a Nightmare before Christmas.

And may God bless each and every one of us — eh, Tiny Tim.

JEFFREY HANSLER is a Huntington Beach author, professional speaker and surfer born and raised in the OC. He may be reached at jhansler@oxfordco.com.