Huntington Beach council directs 90-day study on placing Surf Museum inside Main Street Library
Summary
The City Council voted unanimously to have staff study whether the Huntington Beach International Surf Museum can relocate into underused space at the Main Street branch library and return findings within 90 days.
The Huntington Beach City Council voted 7-0 to direct staff to study whether the Huntington Beach International Surf Museum (HBISM) could co-locate within underused space at the Main Street branch library and report findings within 90 days.
The study was ordered so staff can assess available space, operational compatibility, potential collaboration benefits with the Huntington Beach Art Center and Visit Huntington Beach, and any entitlement requirements such as a conditional use permit. The item’s issue statement said the museum has outgrown its existing facility and that its collection includes surfboards dating to the 1930s and archival materials not currently accessible to the public.
Council members described the move as a potential way to activate vacant library space and strengthen a downtown cultural district. Councilman Twining said the museum’s growth was “a good problem to have,” and other council members suggested the arrangement could raise the profile of both the museum and the library and create programming synergies. Visit Huntington Beach indicated preliminary support and said it may assist underwriting operational costs pending further discussion.
Council discussion touched on next steps if a co-location proved feasible: the HBISM would relocate from its current building, the existing museum site could be leased, and staff would need to evaluate whether land‑use entitlements such as a conditional use permit would be required. The council asked staff to coordinate with HBISM leadership and Visit Huntington Beach on relocation and potential funding roles.
The motion to direct staff passed without recorded opposition. The council’s action is limited to authorizing a feasibility review; no relocation, lease, or funding decisions were made at the meeting.
If staff’s report finds co-location feasible, the council will decide whether to pursue entitlements and any operational or funding arrangements in a later meeting.
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