OCEANSIDE — The city is moving forward with renovation plans for popular beachfront sites, including the Junior Seau Beach Community Center, amphitheater and bandshell, and will explore plans to add a rooftop park to Betty’s lot across the street from the Strand.
The Oceanside City Council on Oct. 26 approved staff’s recommendations to begin its environmental review of Phase 2 of the Beachfront Improvement Feasibility Study during a special council workshop.
According to the city, the study will identify and analyze existing conditions of the beachfront, evaluate opportunities and constraints at the site, and collect input from stakeholder groups and the community throughout the process.
City staff started the study in May 2020 before the council approved a professional services agreement with architect and design firm Johnson Favaro in January 2021.
“The need to enhance the beachfront area has been an ongoing priority of the city for a number of years,” said Darra Woods, the city’s senior civil engineer.
The council also accepted conceptual, preliminary design alternatives, including the option only to renovate the existing Junior Seau Beach Community Center rather than expand its footprint in any way.
The renovations will “refresh” the building, said consultant Steve Johnson of Johnson Favaro, including minor cosmetic, American Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant accessibility improvements, a plaza and proposed public art and signage honoring the late Junior Seau. Seau, an Oceanside native and professional NFL linebacker who died in 2012, was best known for his time with the San Diego Chargers.
Estimated construction costs for the center’s renovations are about $14.2 million.
Concrete cracks and other signs of deterioration in the amphitheater and bandshell were big reasons for initiating the Beachfront Improvement Feasibility Study.
Along with its alternative plans for the community center, the council also approved an option to raise the bandshell height from just under 24 feet to 29 feet and to keep it a closed bandshell without any openings, as discussed in some community meetings regarding the project.
Additionally, the amphitheater will receive several updates that will increase disabled accessibility, including 24 new seats for wheelchairs and widened aisles. The overall seating will increase from 2,500 to 2,630, and restrooms with additional storage will be built underneath the amphitheater.
“This facility, rather than being repaired, must be reconstructed,” Johnson said. He explained this is due to the bandshell and amphitheater’s current configurations and the lack of ADA accessibility.
The project’s environmental review will be carried out in coordination with the separate Pier View Bridge and Lifeguard Headquarters Project, which is set to update the concrete portion of the Oceanside Pier.
The council also added Betty’s lot to be considered in the environmental review process. Originally not included in the Phase 2 recommendations, staff and consultants have also considered a potential long-term option for Parking Lot 30, also known as Betty’s lot, which serves as the main parking area for The Strand and beach access.
Future improvements to Betty’s lot include building a structure above an expanded version of the current lot with four community recreation classrooms, three outdoor basketball or multipurpose courts, a new public park and open space.
All of these improvements would comply with Proposition A height limitations that require new construction to be the same height as other buildings along Pacific Street.
Only Mayor Esther Sanchez was opposed to including Betty’s lot. She said the idea didn’t emerge until later discussions with the community and wants to prioritize the other projects, including the pier, first.
“It was not vetted by the public,” Sanchez said. “I believe there’s going to be a lot of pushback.”
But the other council members disagreed with the mayor’s feelings on Betty’s lot.
“It’s wise to include it,” said Councilmember Christopher Rodriguez. “Something needs to be done to that space.”
Members of the public emphasized the need to keep the focus of all the improvements to the community center, bandshell and amphitheater on Oceanside residents. Several comments also noted the need to provide alternative gymnasium space before closing the Junior Seau Beach Community Center for renovations.
The Junior Seau center and Melba Bishop Recreation Center currently provide the city’s only public gymnasium spaces.
