Island and South Coast Plaza, have also joined.
This is the first time all four cities have banded together to
market the entire Orange County coastline to visitors.
"We really believe that coastal Orange County has a far wider
reach than any one city," O'Modrain said. "This approach takes the
value of each city and meshes them together for a wonderfully global
perspective."
Tourism bureaus in each city will also get involved in the effort,
but the focus of the marketing campaign is to promote coastal Orange
County in its entirety as a diverse vacation destination. Concierge
at the resort hotels might encourage an art enthusiast staying in
Huntington Beach to drive south for the Pageant of Masters, or a
body-boarder in Dana Point to catch some waves at The Wedge in
Newport Beach.
Last week, the OCeanfront sent out color, glossy, 30-page
brochures to 75,000 targeted homes
"It's aimed at a more sophisticated traveler looking for a more
sophisticated travel property," Huntington Beach Conference and
Visitors Bureau President and CEO Doug Traub said.
For more information, go to www.theOCeanfrontCA.com.
Desalination plant is
back for second wash
A controversial plan to bring desalination to Huntington Beach is
getting ready for round two.
Stamford, Conn., industrial developer Poseidon Resources is making
its second push at developing a seawater desalination plant to
produce 50 million gallons of drinking water a day. The plant would
be located behind the AES power plant and use the company's intake
and outfall pipelines to capture seawater, and then deliver the brine
back to the ocean.
Poseidon applied for a permit with the city in Dec. 2003 to build
the plant, but was rebuffed after the council ruled the Environmental
Impact Report submitted by Poseidon was incomplete. Executives with
Poseidon have recently resubmitted the report, which can be viewed at
http://www.surfcity-hb.org/City Departments/planning/major.
The desalination plant is gearing up to be the big planning battle
of 2005. Councilwoman Debbie Cook has taken a stand against the
$250-million facility, arguing it ushers in the privatization of
water, while environmentalists argue that the vacuum created by the
intake pipe kills marine life.
Poseidon executive Billy Owens said the plant will create a much
needed water resource and add millions of dollars to the local
economy. Owens contends the desalination plant is environmentally
safe.
A public hearing on the plant will likely be scheduled for the
fall.
