One of the pledges I made during my campaign for City Council was to support revitalizing our business corridors. A year ago, we formed the the Pacific Avenue Taskforce which has been working on projects all along Pacific Avenue. This taskforce has succeeded in planting new trees, installing new trashcans, painting utility boxes, painting the light poles, updating the Pacific Avenue community garden, installing bike racks, new street banners, and cleaning up over 80 building code violations. Next up is talks of a new Pacific center median and repaving the length of the street.

This week, I am excited to announce the creation of a new taskforce: the North Pine Avenue Taskforce. The taskforce will focus on Pine Avenue between 3rd Street and Anaheim and team up with the North Pine Neighborhood Alliance, interested area residents, Pine Avenue businesses, the City's Community Development Department, Redevelopment Agency and the Downtown Long Beach Associates to put together a plan to address numerous challenges and opportunities along one of our City's most important streets.

The North Pine Avenue Taskforce will work in conjunction with City efforts to improve the Pine Avenue street scape from Ocean Boulevard to 8th. We will be addressing business facade improvements, green spaces, tree plantings, and residential properties. We are also looking at any other means of improving the appearance and livability of North Pine Avenue - and we want your input.

Are you interested in being a part of the North Pine Avenue Task Force?

If you live, work, or own a business on Pine Avenue between 3rd and Anaheim, please email district1@longbeach.gov to send me an email. I would love to involve you in our Task Force. We will also be walking door to door in the coming weeks inviting all stakeholders to a meeting on North Pine soon.

With your help, we are going to build a better city, one street at a time!

Go Long Beach!

Robert Garcia