The Business First Committee received an overview of the Main Street Vision Plan on Wednesday, July 29. The meeting was held after the Sun’s deadline for last week. Plans for improving the Main Street area included new lighting, changing the trees, adding benches for seating, intersection art, and increased parking space.
The Business First Committee has not yet sent any proposals to the council. Only the council can legally approve any projects that would change the area.
Most of what follows is taken from the staff report.
The city’s goals are:
• Make the pier a destination.
• Relieve the parking imbalance between the beach lots and Main Street.
• Use existing assets in the community.
• Identify short-term, medium-term, and long-term strategies.
• Have Seal Beach be true to itself.
The Main Street Vision did not include cost estimates for any of the proposed changes.
Though Public Works Director Iris Lee gave the staff presentation, the slides were prepared by an urban architecture firm called “studioneleven” (sic).
She said the vision wasn’t intended to change what makes Seal Beach special, but to build on its attributes and add improvements.
The vision identified six “opportunity zones”:
• Lifeguard Headquarters
The slide presentation described LGHQ as “outdated and lacking sufficient space.” The slide presentation proposes a green roof/ vehicle garage to extend Eisenhower Park’s landscape. The remodeled Lifeguard building would have a service yard, showers relocated to be clear of emergency vehicles, a lifeguard tower to watch the beach and ocean, and a storefront on the plaza. (See below for more about the plaza.)
The most recent estimate is that it would cost $15 million to replace the current Lifeguard Headquarters. Staff identified $9.3 million in available Seal Beach funds in May 2026. (For more on the Lifeguard HQ project, see “Lifeguard HQ project update” at sunnews.org.)
• Eisenhower Park
The slide show described the park as “unnecessarily formal and in need of new programs.”
The vision proposes reimagining the park as a unified park/and plaza. Currently, the park is divided into three sections: One section is cut off by the Eighth Street entrance to the beach lot and the next two sections are halved by the walkway to the Pier. The slide presentation imagines an event building in the area overlooking the Eighth Street lot; a pavilion and sculpture gardens in the area between Eighth Street and the Pier; with an event lawn, a picnic area, and a dog park in the part of Eisenhower Park that overlooks the 10th Street beach lot.
• Pier Plaza
The Pier “plaza” is described as lacking “cohesion and accessibility”. This area is basically the concrete area between two sections of Eisenhower Park that lead up to the Pier and the walking area on either side of the pier. That area currently consists of two steep ramps with no handles.
The proposed plaza would have a seated area, stairs where there is currently a steep ramp down to the beach, a children’s play area, seating near a staircase, an outdoor stage, and an elevator. Based on the slide for the plaza, the play area appears to be in a different location from the Tot Lot that is currently located next to the 10th Street Parking lot.
From the slide, the ramps would appear to go away.
• Pier
The presentation described the pier as under used and lacking vitality. Proposed plans for the pier would add seating with shade, wayfinding signs, and workout/activity stations along the pier, as well entry arches. The slide did not include a cost estimate for the pier improvements.
• Beach parking
The slide described the parking area as “unorganized and unwelcoming”. According to the slide, there are currently 215 spots in the Eighth Street lot and 180 in the 10th Street lot. The current Tot Lot play area for children is next to the 10th Street lot. (The Tot Lot would be relocated )
Proposed changes: Wayfinding signs, an electric vehicle charging station, a painted mural or graphic image on asphalt, with 267 parking spaces in the Eighth Street Lot and 194 spaces in the 10th Street lot.
There would be an ADA access ramp, shad canopies with solar panels on them, and landscaping along the parking edges.
• Main Street
The vision for Main Street covers one section at a time, starting at the Main and Ocean intersection, with way finding signage and bike racks. The slide showed a wayfinding sign at Ocean and 10th Street, just before the driveway to the 10th Street beach parking lot.
The next intersection is called the “Civic Intersection,” at Main and Central Avenue. The proposal is to have new street trees throughout Main Street, intersections and crosswalks enhanced with art, and benches at various locations.
Local man Tom Quinn suggested paver art. He spoke during the public comment period of the meeting and spoke before the presentation begain. He cited a quotation he received that the work could be done for $80,000. According to Public Works Director Lee, it wasn’t clear if that estimate was based on prevailing wages. Legally, whoever the city hired to do the work would have to pay the prevailing wage.
The next intersection covered in the plan is the “Community Intersection” at Main and Electric. The proposal is to have new streetlighting. (The business committee members discussed lighting at length. The discussion focused on the lighting “temperature”.) The proposal also includes more seating areas and enhanced landscaping. The slide specifically pointed to the area near the bus stop at Main and Electric.
“Regarding the lighting, I had the opportunity to walk Main Street yesterday evening,” wrote Committee member Rosie Ritchie on July 30.
“After seeing the existing conditions firsthand, I believe the brighter lighting option would be the best choice from both a liability and public safety standpoint as it provides pedestrians with better visibility of the path they are walking,” Ritchie wrote.
“We will also be receiving cost estimates for several tree lighting options:
“• Lighting in the trees only
“• Lighting from the trunk up
“• Ring lighting
“In addition to the installation costs, the estimated ongoing monthly operating and maintenance costs will also be taken into consideration before any recommendation is made,” Ritchie wrote.
District One Councilman/Committee member Joe Kalmick said he preferred the middle light. He agreed with Ritchie that the city wanted as much illumination as possible.
Kalmick also said the city would need to trim the ficus trees to where the lights are not up inside the canopy.
Police Chief Michael Henderson said there were people suggesting that Seal Beach have string lighting. “I personally would be somewhat concerned because of logistics,” Henderson said. He said you might wind up with a truck that shows up that clips the lights.
“Do we want to light the trees from the trunk up or do we want to light the canopies?” Henderson asked.
The last intersection was the “Coastal Intersection” at Main and Pacific Coast Highway. Here, the proposal was to have enhanced crosswalks, street murals, and an “iconic” entrance monument.
• Downtown Connections
The slide described Downtown Connections as: “A network of active nodes and resources left unconnected and without intention.”
The proposal is to make the most of existing connections and to encourage movement by foot, by bike, by bus or tram and car. (On July 27, the City Council approved a one-year extension of the contract with Parking Concepts, Inc., to provide a senior shuttle service from the Pier to the Shops at Rossmoor. The new agreement puts the maximum cost of the service at $155,000.