Selling 9th and Palm Shopping Center Again And Other Upcoming City Projects at Meeting Wednesday

The Imperial Beach City Council will convene Wednesday at 6 p.m. to discuss a series of topics, including a series of projects that may reshape the face of Imperial Beach.

Visit the city website to download the complete agenda or agenda packet.

City Council will be asked to fund $10.4 million for the 2013-14 Capital Improvement Program (CIP).

Items in the 2013-14 CIP include:

- $2.1 million for public improvements near the Breakwater Project to build a new shopping center on Palm Avenue.

- $1.7 million to Bikeway Village project at northwest corner of 13th Street.

- $320,000 to repair sewage pipes in various parts of town.

- $29,000 for a test roundabout at the 9th Street and Donax Avenue intersection.

- $185,000 for pedestrian-scale lighting on Seacoast Drive and an additional $185,000 in fiscal year 2014-15.

- $495,000 to Palm Avenue Mixed Use and Commercial Corridor Master Plan.

Check the agenda packet to see the full list of projects and sources of funding.

This is agenda item 6.2.

Following a ruling in July by the California Department of Finance that rejected the city's Long Range Property Management Plan, city staff have held a series of meetings to renegotiate and keep on track plans to build a new shopping center on Palm Avenue between 7th and 9th streets.

The plan was rejected based on a December 2010 deal to build a new 9th and Palm Shopping Center. The plan is necessary to continue certain projects after the dissolution of redevelopment agencies was ordered by the state in 2011. 

The proposed Breakwater project to replace the Miracle Shopping Center is a 46,200-square-foot shopping center with seven shops, including a grocery store that will occupy roughly one-third of all square footage.

To come into compliance, the 2010 Disposition and Development Agreement between the city and Sudberry will be scrapped for a Purchase and Sale Agreement to be between the Imperial Beach Redevelopment Agency Successor Agency and Sudberry. 

Instead of selling the land for $1, a price the DOF said failed to meet a legal requirement to maximize value, Sudberry-Palm Avenue LLC will purchase the 4.75-acre lots for $213,000, based on an appraisal carried out last month. The price is reduced based on improvements to drainage pipes and grading the shopping center with the rest of Palm Avenue.

$2.1 million committed to the project by the successor agency will be placed in construction escrow for off-site improvements. 

The city council, acting as the successor agency, will be asked to approve the new deal Wednesday. 

All money from the sale of the property will go to the county to be distributed to taxing entities in the area, said Assistant City Manager and Successor Agency Deputy Director Greg Wade.

Members of the public are invited to attend the meeting and provide public item about agenda item 7.1. 

A revised Long Range Property Management Plan will also be considered for approval by the successor agency.

This is agenda item 7.2.

Several Pacifica Companies employees, including owner Ash Israni, will give an update on construction of Pier South Hotel Wednesday. At an update given last month Director of Planning Allison Rolfe told members of the public and Imperial Beach City Council the hotel is scheduled to complete construction Nov. 1.

This is agenda item 6.1. 

A reception for elected officials, the first official event at the hotel, was held last Thursday by the South County Economic Development Council.

Eight items on the consent calendar will be approved with a single, among them:

- Agreement with San Diego Sports Medicine and Family Health Center to continue Imperial Beach Fire Department Wellness Program, a program for firefighter fitness and health. The contract has annual options to renew through 2017 (agenda item 2.3).

- Warrant register with $983,000 in city expenses from Sept. 6-19 (agenda item 2.2).

- Renew Marine Safety Service training program for lifeguards (agenda item 2.4).

- Renew Fire-Rescue training program for firefighters' continuing education (agenda item 2.5).

- Seek roughly $30,000 in reimbursement from Department of Homeland Security for purchase of certain kind of radios by emergency personnel (agenda item 2.6).

- Authorize acceptance of $17,300 State Homeland Security grant funds to purchase equipment for a portable incident command center (agenda item 2.7).

- Landscaping contract with Aztec Landscape (agenda item 2.8).

If you can't make it to City Hall, Cox Communication customers can watch the meeting from 6-9 p.m. on channel 24.

How do you think the Imperial Beach City Council should decide issues on the agenda Wednesday? Share in comments.