California Resources Corporation (CRC) owns approximately 92 acres located at 20101 Goldenwest Street in the City of Huntington Beach. The property has been used exclusively for oil and natural gas production for nearly a century. The property encompasses a flat, rectangular shaped site that fronts Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) for 1.2 miles between Goldenwest Street and Seapoint Street, as well as a small 3-acre segment of the property on the north side of Seapoint Street.

The City of Huntington Beach’s General Plan designates the 92 acres as Commercial Visitor. The zoning is provided through the Palm/Goldenwest Specific Plan (PGSP), which designates approximately 89 acres as Commercial Visitor and three acres as Open Space.

The PGSP was adopted by the City of Huntington Beach in 2000 and certified by the California Coastal Commission in the same year. Land governed by the PGSP is divided into two segments:

1.     54 acres previously owned by PLC – now fully developed with residential and park uses (Boardwalk Community)

2.    92 acres previously owned by Aera Energy (now a wholly owned subsidiary of CRC) that is currently used for oil and natural gas production.

The 54-acre segment previously owned by PLC is designated primarily as Residential in the PGSP while approximately 89 acres of the CRC property is designated as Commercial Visitor.

At the time of its adoption in 2000, the PGSP recognized that development of the 54-acre parcel was imminent while the Aera Energy (now CRC) parcel would continue oil and natural gas production for the foreseeable future (approximately 15-20 years). Because Aera did not propose a comprehensive development plan for their property at the time, the PGSP acknowledged that the property owner would have to amend the specific plan in the future when the site was considered for redevelopment.

CRC is proposing to repurpose the property by removing existing oil and natural gas production facilities and developing a mix of commercial, residential and open space/park uses. Specifically, CRC seeks to amend the PGSP and the City of Huntington Beach’s General Plan to allow for medium-density residential development (15 dwelling units per acre) on 53 acres within CRC’s 92-acre segment, while open space/park uses would occupy 23 acres. No high-density housing is being proposed. Commercial Visitoruses will continue to be permitted on the property on a smaller portion of the site.

 Under the proposed plan:

• New Housing: Up to 800 residential units are proposed within the 53-acre residential zone

• Resort Style Hospitality and Commercial Space: 16 acres will be designated for Commercial Visitor use, permitting up to 350 hotel rooms and other visitor-serving businesses

• Expansive Public Open Space: Approximately 23 acres will be preserved as open space/park land

Currently, the PGSP and the City of Huntington Beach’s General Plan designate the CRC property as Commercial Visitor. This designation allows for hotels, restaurants, retail and cultural facilities, among other visitor-serving uses but not residential use. To permit housing, amendments to the PGSP and the General Plan are being proposed to designate portions of the property for Residential as well as for Open Space uses. The plan proposes the Commercial Visitor portion of the site to be consolidated on 16 acres in the center of the property. A maximum of 350 hotel rooms and other visitor serving uses permitted in the Commercial Visitor zone by the Huntington Beach Zoning & Subdivision Ordinance will be allowed.

The intent of the proposed amendments to the City of Huntington Beach’s General Plan, PGSP and Local Coastal Program (LCP), is to introduce new housing to the site that is compatible with adjacent neighborhoods, designate 17 percent of the property for commercial uses and provide 23 acres of open space and parks. These amendments will result in much less intense development than would be allowed under the current PGSP.

The current PGSP governs the intensity of development on the site by capping the Average Daily Trips (ADT) – traffic generated by the property – at 21,909. The proposed 800 residential units coupled with less intense commercial development are expected to generate fewer than 9,000 ADT. The proposed land use generates about 60 percent less traffic when compared to the development allowed under the existing zoning. The PGSP also limits the height of commercial development to four stories (50 feet) with a maximum floor area ratio (FAR) of 0.5:1. CRC is not proposing to change either of those development standards. Reducing the Commercial Visitor zone to 16 acres will effectively cap the gross floor area of commercial development at 348,480 square feet which is 80 percent less than the permitted maximum. CRC is not proposing any changes to prescribed setbacks from the existing residential neighborhoods on the PLC segment of the PGSP.

The public open space and parks will occupy approximately 23 acres of the property. The open space/park area includes a more than one-mile linear park fronting the entire length of the property along PCH. The park will connect with parkland along the inland side of the property to form a greenbelt around the project offering a multi-use trail that is 2.5 miles long.

CRC’s proposal maintains 17 percent (16 acres) of the property for visitor serving uses. A maximum of 350 hotel rooms would be allowed along with opportunities for retail and dining.

In March 2025, CRC submitted an application to amend the City of Huntington Beach’s General Plan, PGSP and LCP to permit up to 800 homes to be built on the site along with commercial uses, including shopping, dining and lodging. The proposed amendments will go through multiple levels of review within the City of Huntington Beach. As part of this process, the proposal will be reviewed by City staff and the community. The City will also evaluate the project under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to ensure compliance with state environmental regulations. Following this, the Huntington Beach Planning Commission will review the proposal and make recommendations to the City Council, which will conduct its own evaluation before making a final decision. We anticipate the City Council considering the amendments in mid-2026. Upon Council approval of an LCP amendment, it will be sent to the California Coastal Commission for final review and approval. Please visit our website for updates and join our emailing list for the latest news.

Because the property is in the Coastal Zone, CRC is proposing to amend the City’s Local Coastal Program. The Coastal Commission has final approval of any proposed changes to the City’s Local Coastal Program.

Oil production on the site began around 1920. Today, the site includes wells and infrastructure where oil and natural gas is produced, processed, stored, and routed for offsite distribution. As part of the redevelopment planning process, CRC is conducting soil testing on the site. To date, results have shown the presence of substances typical of oilfield development, such as hydrocarbons and certain metals. This information will be shared with the City of Huntington Beach and responsible agencies as needed during the environmental review process for the proposed land use plan to ensure the property meets all necessary standards for safe development. Since oil and gas production is ongoing, CRC will continue to monitor and test the site to ensure compliance with all applicable regulations.

As a part of the environmental impact documents, a study will be conducted to assess traffic impacts on neighboring streets. The CRC proposal, if approved, effectively down-zones the property from the current allowed uses by reducing the traffic that would be generated by the proposed uses. Also, the CRC proposal uses the same parking standards that exist in the approved specific plan today.

Adding residential development to the uses allowed on the site will require compliance with the City of Huntington Beach’s affordable housing policies, which mandate that 10 percent of the total number of homes constructed be affordable as defined by the City’s zoning code.

CRC’s proposal aims to transform an industrial property into a vibrant, ocean-oriented mixed-use community offering new homes, resort-style lodging, dining and abundant open space and parks. This investment will not only enhance the local landscape but also bring economic benefits, including jobs for local residents and increased tax revenues to support city services such as public safety, infrastructure repair and other vital municipal services. Our goal is to create a thriving, mixed-use community that enriches Huntington Beach for generations to come.   

We do not yet have an interested buyers’ list as we are at the very beginning stages of the process of bringing this opportunity to the City of Huntington Beach. 

Please visit our website or email us at info@crchbproperty.com. We look forward to gathering valuable community feedback on the proposal.