OCEANSIDE - A two-block Westin hotel and time-share project that would overlook the ocean and act as the hub of downtown Oceanside's redevelopment efforts would contribute to a growing traffic crunch the area, according to an environmental report.

But the eight-story "Oceanside Beach Resort," which would include shops, a restaurant, and underground parking across the street from the Oceanside Municipal Pier, will also open many doors and help downtown merchants who have been waiting on such a project for almost 30 years, said Kathy Baker, city redevelopment manager.

The report, which was made available for public review on Friday, is a critical step in a three-year process that Baker said she hopes will culminate with the beginning of work on the project next spring. The public review period closes Oct. 15.

The report shows the resort's biggest impact on the area would be increased traffic on a number of roadways and intersections including Mission Avenue from Horne Street to Interstate 5; Coast Highway from Surfrider Way to Mission Avenue; Pacific Street from Pierview Way to Tyson Street; and Myers Street from Mission Avenue to Seagaze Drive.

Jeremy Cohen, senior vice president for S.D. Malkin Properties Inc., which is proposing the resort, noted, however, that the environmental report looks at the cumulative effects of traffic from the Malkin project, the Fairfield Timeshare Resort to the north, and the CityMark mixed-use project to the east. Both the Fairfield and CityMark projects are under construction and all three developers will be contributing to making traffic improvements in the area, Cohen said.

The major improvements, he said, are the addition of multiple traffic lights along Mission Avenue, reconstruction of Myers Street, and crosswalk improvements over the railroad tracks.

"The reality is, you have a town where lots of things are planned," he said. "It's a redevelopment area. The city has known that it's going to need traffic improvements and those improvements are proposed."

Plans for the $187 million resort take into account building height, the number of time shares, and other issues like public access that have been raised over the years in conjunction with various projects proposed for the site, Baker said.

"We feel we've worked with everyone to the greatest extent possible," Baker said of the Malkin development, referring to the public workshops and various community meetings that were held over the last three years. "This is just such a far better project than any we've had that we feel strongly it will be supported."

Activist Carolyn Krammer, who chairs the group Citizens for the Preservation of Parks and Beaches and has fought against aspects of previous projects planned for the site, said Thursday that she does not anticipate the report's being appealed to the California Coastal Commission, which oversees beach-area projects statewide.

While she said she's not comfortable with eight stories, the height was a "medium we thought we could all live with." An earlier failed proposal by a different developer called for four towers and 12 stories.

"I don't like the height and density," Krammer said, "but there has to be room for compromise to make things work."

The report, which was done by San Diego-based PBSJ consultants, examines things such as noise, the amount of shade cast by the buildings, traffic and historical aspects of the area that would be affected by the development.

The project is bounded by Pacific Street on the west, Myers Street to the east, Seagaze Drive to the south and PierView Way on the north, and would require the demolition of three run-down 1900s-era residences at 109 N. Myers St., 106 N. Pacific St. and 112 A/B Seagaze Drive.

It also calls for the relocation of the historical Graves house - also known as the "Top Gun" house for its appearance in scenes from the 1980s movie. The house would be moved from its existing 102 N. Pacific St. site to the restaurant area of the hotel project, where it would be restored and serve as a coffee house, according to the report.

When finished, the development would cover 2.76 acres, including a north block with 293 hotel rooms and a combination of hotel rooms and time-share units along with restaurants and shops. The time shares are different than regular time shares because instead of people buying a room for one week, they must buy it for multiple weeks.

The south block of the resort would include about 240,000 square feet of hotel rooms in an eight-story tower.

The development would be bounded on the north by the Fairfield Timeshare Resort and to the east by the CityMark mixed-use project.

Parking would be provided in two floors of underground parking below each block that would be connected to form one large garage extending beneath Mission Avenue.

- Contact Staff Writer Marga Kellogg at (760) 901-4067 or mkellogg@nctimes.com.

To view the report:

Copies of the draft environmental impact report are available for public review and comment through 5 p.m. Oct. 15.

They can be picked up at the city's planning division counter at the Civic Center, 300 N. Coast Highway, the Main Public Library, 330 N. Coast Highway, and at the Mission Branch Library, 3861-B Mission Ave.

Mail written comments to Richard Greenbauer, Senior Planner, City of Oceanside Planning Department, 300 N. Coast Highway, Oceanside, CA 92054

For more information, call Greenbauer at (760) 435-3519.

Timeline:

The report is scheduled for approval by the City Council in December. A 10-day window in which the report can be appealed to the California Coastal Commission will follow. If the report is not appealed, site preparation work is expected to begin in spring 2008.