The Surfing Heritage Foundation is apparently running into a little opposition in Dana Point, California as organizers push for the proposed $30 million project to be built in what the OC Register describes as a “sprawling, passive park along Pacific Coast Highway and Niguel Road.”
It is the proposed park location that has locals a little upset. At the Surfing Heritage Museum Town Hall Meeting on Wednesday, March 25, 2009 many were not interested in seeing their open space replaced by a 30,000 square foot building no matter how cool its contents.
“For you surfers who didn’t want a freeway ruining your park in San Clemente, we don’t want a building ruining our park in Dana Point. We will support your surf museum, and you need to support open space,” McCabe said. . . Though the current plan met with much opposition at the meeting, some people supported the planned location. San Clemente resident Tom Morey, creator of the iconic Boogie Board, said Dana Point residents should trust their elected leaders, who should do all they can to put the museum in Dana Point.
According to the Dana Point Times:
The location had previously been approved by the City Council as the home of a new library in 2002, but plans to build it fell apart after the proposed $18 million project was denied a state grant. When the Surfing Heritage Foundation approached the city in 2007 with the idea of building a museum they inherited the conceptual plans for the formerly approved 33,300 square foot library. “Instead of books being there it’s going to be surfboards,” said foundation executive director Tom Pezman.”
We love the idea of the museum, and Dana Point is undoubtedly a perfect place for it, it’s just a tad ironic to see surfers fighting on the side of ripping out a park to put in a building.
[Link: OC Register and Dana Point Times]
there’s already a public library at PCH and niguel hwy. why would they want to put another one there? this article could use some more details.
but i’m not surprised the whacked out city of dp would try something like this.
save the open space above creek. a surfing museum is the last place i’m going to visit, i mean come on how many surfers are going by there to surf creek are going to stop on there to the beach.
put this in one of the “touristy” areas so it will have visitors.
Given the choice between open space and a surf museum, I would choose open space everytime.
As much as I respect Dick Metz and Steve Pezman, they need to re-think this idea.
I agree that this idea would probably do better in a more touristy location but I would like to see it happen somewhere…
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