{"id":12834,"date":"2024-01-25T12:00:15","date_gmt":"2024-01-25T20:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sanpedrotoday.com\/?p=12834"},"modified":"2024-01-27T05:59:16","modified_gmt":"2024-01-27T13:59:16","slug":"sardine-city","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sanpedrotoday.com\/2024\/01\/25\/sardine-city\/","title":{"rendered":"Sardine City"},"content":{"rendered":"

Two developments at opposite ends of town fill me with dread for the future of San Pedro.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m referring, of course, to Ponte Vista, the housing project on North Western Avenue across the street from Green Hills Memorial Park, and the amphitheater planned for the extreme southern end of West Harbor, the commercial project that\u2019s supposed to replace Ports O\u2019 Call Village.<\/p>\n

The apartments and townhomes crammed into Ponte Vista already have earned the epithet \u201cEyesore Estates\u201d in some quarters for obvious reasons: They\u2019re ugly. Built so close together that it looks like you can reach out from the windows and shake hands with your neighbors, it causes me to think of another way to describe the area: Sardine City.<\/p>\n

And we all know how it will impact traffic on the already benighted Western Avenue. As for West Harbor, when I saw the artist renderings and what the completed amphitheater might look like, all I could think was, \u201cBe afraid, be very afraid.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a beautiful location, on a thin strip of land jutting out into the harbor, surrounded by water on three sides. So how did those thousands of people milling about before the stage get there? By boat? Helicopter? Oh, right, in those thousands of cars that somehow got down a two-lane Harbor Boulevard to the West Harbor exit at Seventh Street.<\/p>\n

Nederlander Concerts expects 100 major events there annually. That\u2019s two a week! That\u2019s twice a week Harbor Boulevard, one of San Pedro\u2019s main arteries, will be in constant gridlock. And we all know how sound travels over water. San Pedrans living in that part of Point Fermin overlooking the harbor can expect many sleepless nights.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, the amphitheater plans still must go through the environmental impact review process. As reported, \u201cAt the top of the list are noise, traffic, and parking concerns.\u201d In my books, that\u2019s three strikes, and you\u2019re out. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

More on West Harbor<\/b><\/p>\n

San Pedrans have fond memories of Ports O\u2019 Call, especially the early years: the Sierra Nevada, the Sky Tower, helicopter rides, a puppet show, the creepy Occult Shop, Belgian waffles, an art gallery, a smoke shop, and craft and novelty stores of all types. What made it fun was that almost everything there you couldn\u2019t find anywhere else in town.<\/p>\n

Now, I look at the current lineup for West Harbor:<\/p>\n

A brewery. Don\u2019t we have two just up the street?<\/p>\n

A ramen restaurant. Again, just blocks away from the fine Ko-Ryo on Sixth Street.<\/p>\n

A pizza place. Right, that\u2019s what San Pedro needs, another pizzeria.<\/p>\n

A breakfast restaurant. You\u2019re kidding. See above.<\/p>\n

A burger joint and a deli. Yeah, we don\u2019t have enough of those in San Pedro. Egads.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A cantina with waterfront dining. Didn\u2019t we just tear down a popular one called Acapulco?<\/p>\n

A high-end Mexican restaurant. We all know what \u201chigh-end\u201d means. We\u2019re all going to miss the Green Onion.<\/p>\n

From what I read, it looks like a bunch of San Diego-based businesses are coming north that, purposely or not, will add nothing to our landscape and simply siphon business away from downtown. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What we don\u2019t see is something replacing the late, lamented Ports O\u2019 Call Restaurant, a fixture for decades that, when the rest of Ports O\u2019 Call was falling apart, still attracted San Pedrans.<\/p>\n

And do I really have to write what I think of a dog park you must pay to use? \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

On top of that, I\u2019m not alone in finding the whole project ugly (see Ponte Vista above). West Harbor\u2019s design is considered \u201cindustrial,\u201d a modern concept supposedly meant to reflect the port environment. Well, the port can be called many things, but no one has ever considered it attractive.<\/p>\n

And while I wish no ill will toward the new project, I can\u2019t help but point out that the opening will coincide with two roadway projects that portend economic disaster for San Pedro as it is: the planned Harbor Freeway off-ramp reconstruction at Knoll Hill and the rehab of the Vincent Thomas Bridge that will close it either entirely for one year or restrict it for two.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And we all know that no matter what happens, after the first few waves of lookie-loos, most people coming to West Harbor will be there for one reason and one reason only: San Pedro Fish Market. spt<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Two developments at opposite ends of town fill me with dread for the future of San Pedro. 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