Help Decide: Seacoast Drive Street Lighting Demonstration Next Week

Originally published 3:51 p.m. Nov. 16.

Imperial Beach residents are invited to attend a Seacoast Drive lighting demonstration next Tuesday to see and help decide possible ways the street may be lit in the future.

Starting at 6:30 p.m., various options for street lights will be on display between Date and Elm avenues and attendees will be asked to share their opinions of lighting fixtures.

The demonstration was extended by the city to Wednesday and Thursday evening as well.

Comments can also be shared at the event Tuesday, a city council meeting Wednesday or by contacting the city manager's office.

Investment in the commercial district and support of additional lighting has been the focus of the Seacoasters, a group primarily made up of business and property owners that includes councilmembers Ed Spriggs and Lorie Bragg.

The beachfront street of the continental United States' most southwesterly city has seen a resurgence of investment in the past year by prominent San Diego companies like Cohn Restaurant Group, Pacifica Companies and Filippi's Pizza Grotto as well as smaller businesses like Seacoast Gyro, Barrels Wine & Bar, IB Yoga and an additional D'ames Day Spa location inside Pier South Hotel.

Last month Coronado Brewing Company announced plans to open its first location outside of Coronado at 875 Seacoast Dr. to replace Jersey Boys Diner.

On nearby Old Palm Avenue, Seaside Candy, Allied Real Estate, Clube de Jiu-Jitsu Pitbull and The EndZone Barber Spa have also opened. A new three-story building with commercial space on the ground floor is planned for the corner of 2nd Street and Old Palm Avenue.

City council voted 2-3 in March 2012 to reject pedestrian-scale light but the idea was approved with a 3-2 vote about a year later.

Supporters of funding for lighting said hotel guests won't leave their room to walk a dark street and that positive gains on the waterfront will help spur development elsewhere in the city. Mayor Jim Janney voted against pedestrian scale lighting twice, both times arguing that other parts of the city don't have any street lights and deserve more attention from city leaders.

Lawrence Thornburgh of Nasland Engineering and Patrick O'Connor with the urban design firm Parterre have focused on pedestrian-scale lighting and other development ideas for the city in recent years.

A lighting presentation and ideas for other ways to develop Seacoast Drive were shared by O'Connor and Thornburgh in January.

The duo suggested the city change the name of the commercial district to Seacoast Esplanade and consider the installation of gateway signs and street corner mini parks to make the street more attractive to visitors.

A more inviting Seacoast Drive pedestrian experience has been named as a priority of city government multiple times in the past decade.

City records show that citizens and various city councils since the early 2000s have advocated for a more pedestrian friendly Seacoast Drive.

Plans to spend $100,000 or more for short- and long-term plans for marketing, code compliance and other ventures to maximize the positive impact of Pier South Hotel were shot down twice by city council. 

The hotel project received $7 million from the Imperial Beach Redevelopment Agency.