Long Beach Planning Issues Its 2nd + PCH Vote

The City of Long Beach's Planning Department has issued its recommended action on the much-anticipated 2nd + PCH condo-hotel-retail development,  but until we finish reading it, we offer the link to the document so that you can read it for yourself.

The city's Director of Development Services, Amy Bodek, point person on the proposed project that sought a 12-story condo tower, a smaller hotel and restaurants, offered some interesting explanation in understandable language to Patch, and we will have that story in the future. As a matter of perspective, the current land zoning for the parcel where Seaport Marina Hotel currently exists is 600,000 square feet of retail. That would be equal to the Albertson's across the street, plus the Ralph's in Marina Pacifica plus the Target in Los Altos, the Lowe's, and a large sporting goods store. Plus restaurants.

The project has fierce supporters and opponents, and despite some reports, all supporters are not real estate agents, out-of-town developers who won't need to drive the expected added traffic; and opponents are not limited to "some residents," or one environmental group, the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust (it's been said opponents want zero building but the LCWLT paid a specialist to draft other building plans, one of which calls for a hotel). A decent number of people polled still have no idea what the development proposal is.

Here's the link that should include amendments as well.

Tell us what you think and keep the conversation going. And if any Patchers understand height averaging and envelopes, share with the group.

 The report is a recommendation to the Long Beach Planning Commission, which will hear the matter publicly starting at 5 p.m. Wednesday in the Long Beach City Council Chambers in downtown Long Beach. The Commission does not need to take the recommendation but can't approve a project larger than the maximum scale studied in the EIR, acceptance of which is part of the staff recommendation. They could vote for a scaled down version of the project, but the property owners and their hired development company may not wish to build it.

That adoption of the EIR is a key turning point in the process, but whatever decision the Commission makes will go before the Long Beach City Council to decide. The California Coastal Commission will still need to approve any project in the state's coastal zone. SEADIP is a local coastal plan communities must have for any development in designated coastal areas and the term amendment refers to changes the plan would require for the city's version.

Here are two links from other media.

http://www.lbreport.com/news/oct11/2ndstaff.htm

http://tinyurl.com/3bcvf69