Plans Unveiled for Beachfront Property

A muddy lot at Seaward Avenue and Harbor Boulevard may sprout shops, restaurants and a hotel--and become what city officials envision as a fitting gateway to Ventura’s funky beachfront strip.

On Monday, Bay Area developer Steve Thomas unveiled ambitious plans for the vacant 5-acre lot.

The complex, called Seaward Village, would consist of an extended-stay hotel, a small shopping center, three restaurants (two would be fast-food restaurants) and a commercial building.

The city’s Design Review Committee expressed excitement that the fallow land would at last be developed, but some expressed reservations about the initial designs.

“The corner of Seaward and Harbor needs special treatment so it would be a a gateway--so it reflects the architecture already down there,” said Linda Windsor, the city’s case planner for the project.

Others question whether the city needs more fast-food restaurants in the area, whether there is adequate pedestrian circulation within the complex, and how the complex would fit into the neighborhood.

Windsor said the city is interested in what type of development goes up on the property because the site is visible from the Ventura Freeway, and serves as a gateway to the surf-side strip of Seaward Avenue.

The developer is expected to modify the plans and resubmit them within several months.