ORANGE COUNTY PERSPECTIVE : ‘Surf City’ Spruces Up

In a distinctly West Coast expression of civic pride, a former mayor once said that “Huntington Beach without its pier is like Paris without its Eiffel Tower.”

That may be a bit of a stretch, but some quaint hyperbole is altogether fitting, and certainly to be expected from a place that has come of age through its natural assets of sea, sun and breezes.

After all, Huntington Beach is exactly what Jan and Dean had in mind when they sang songs for the teen-age baby-boomers who now are raising families in the suburbs.

Of course there is a new generation of surfers now along the shoreline, and downtown has embraced with gusto the title of “Surf City.”

No wonder the city is turning out to do a bit of celebrating on this special day. Its $10.8-million gleaming new pier opens with a ribbon-cutting ceremony this morning and two days of attendant festivities.

Huntington Beach, gamely pressing ahead with its redevelopment of the downtown area in the face of a testy recession, has watched with anticipation as a new state-of-the-art structure has been literally driven into the the floor of the sea along a length of 1,856 feet. It is indeed a symbol for the future.

In recent years, decay had set into the old downtown area, and the decline was aided by a winter storm in 1988 that ripped away 250 feet of the city’s old pier.

Paul Cook, former city administrator, made the difficult and unpopular decision then to close the old structure. It is somehow fitting that he has been selected to head the festivities for this weekend’s events--a sign of new beginnings.

The civic pride is justified. The rebuilding was made possible with the help of the many contributions, small and large, of individuals and businesses.

The residents of Huntington Beach clearly recognize the symbolic value of a new pier. By making their contributions, they have invested wisely in the revitalization of their downtown area.