They Are Out to Destroy “Mayberry by the Sea!”

More On Seal Beach Neighbors vs Bay City Partners !

(As mentioned in earlier articles, What’s Up in Seal Beach receives periodic reports from a large group of Seal Beach residents who are in opposition to the Bay City Partners group who are trying put a high density residential development on the old DWP land on the waterfront beginning at First and Ocean. What follows was received at 9 p.m. Tuesday evening.)

SEAL BEACH NEIGHBORS: Thank you again for coming to the DWP Advisory Committee meeting.  We think the Council is beginning to ‘hear’ you. Tomorrow night is the “rescheduled” EQCB Meeting at 6PM in the Council Chambers. Let’s see if they try to reschedule it again!

Remember that the DWP land has been on the “high priority list” of the Coastal Commission for many years. The current owners have owned this property for 10 years and all they’ve done is construct a “block-out-the-view spite fence” and allowed motor cross to destroy the natural vegetation and perhaps natural habitats. Good Guys…they are not!

They currently have threatened the City of Seal Beach with lawsuits if the Council does not change the zoning to fit their needs. We need your help us stop the over development of this land.

Schedule of coming meetings:

* EQCB (Environmental Quality Control Board)  Wednesday April 26th at 6PM in the City Council Chambers

* Planning Commission Final EIR & Project Recommendation Wednesday May 2nd      7:30 PM in the City Council Chambers

* City Council (1st hearing) Final EIR & Final Project hearing   Monday June 11  7PM

* City Council (2nd hearing) Final EIR & Final project hearing   Monday June 25  7PM

Remember:

*The Developers not only are trying to change the existing zoning they are going to get a lot of money from the city….and we are going to pay for it!

• 48 row houses densely packed end to end & a severe reduction of the planned park land  will be covered in concrete( This is the last bluff on Southern California Coast)

*   These houses will be jammed on 25′ narrow lots.

• There will be costly  concessions from the rest of  us to these developers.

We will have to pay the developers $900,000 to lease the driveway to 1st Street parking lot & we will get ZER0 of the Parking fees!

We are still trying to find out how something like this slipped through without the citizens being told.

We don’t want:

* Increased traffic, noise, pollution

* Increased costs for sewers, roads, water, schools

* Increased FIRE and POLICE costs

* Cancellation of Open Space that has been planned for over 10 years!

EQCB CANCELLED AT LAST MINUTE !

Not sure why….perhaps the Council wasn’t ready to face the opponents to the Bay City Partners project…but it was cancelled late this afternoon.

STAY TUNED…..We’ll try again!

A Message to Concerned Citizens of Seal Beach

(What’s Up In Seal Beach received the following note from the group of residents in opposition to the planned over-development of the old power plant property at Ocean and 1^st street.)

SEAL BEACH NEIGHBORS:  Please attend the DWP meetings at the City Council meeting tonight! The DWP property has been on the high priority list of the Coastal Commission for 40 years!

AT 6 p.m. tonight there is an Environmental Quality Control Board  meeting -Monday April 17th tonight 6:PM

AT 6:30 p.m tomorrow night there is a  DWP Advisory Committee Meeting – Tuesday April 17th  6:30 PM

THE MAJORITY OF THE CITY COUNCIL DOESN’T BELIEVE THAT MOST OF THE CITIZENS ARE AGAINST THIS PROJECT !

In 2003 THe DWP Ocean front acres were bought for $4,000,000.  When the Bay City Partners, bought the land they knew it was Zoned 70% Open Space/30% Visitor Serving Commercial …NOW THEY WANT TO CHANGE IT.

They are trying to invalidate that zoning and reduce the open space and adversely impact the remaining space…not with “Visitor Serving Commercial development ….but with densely packed row housing.

The Developers get:

* $900,000 from the city…which we will pay for.

*   48 row houses densely packed end to end on and a severe reduction of the park land (To the last bluff on        Southern California Coast)

* 25′ narrow lots

* Costly concessions from us the taxpayers (We pay the developer $900,000 to lease the driveway to 1st Street lot?  We get no parking fees for that “gift”

Is it right to grant a zone change to developers just so they can make more money ?

Seal Beach Residents & the city get what?

* Increased traffic, noise, and pollution

* Increased costs for sewers, roads, water, schools

* Increased FIRE and POLICE costs

Densely populated housing tracts REDUCE THE VALUE OF the rest of the home values in Seal Beach.

THEN: In 2003 THe DWP “Ocean front acres: were bought for 4 Million dollars and there was strict zoning in place. Zoned 70% Open Space/30% “Visitor Serving Commercial.” (VSC would have brought lots of tax dollars to the city.)

NOW: The Developers get money back; lots instead of the planned development; more of the 70% that should have been open space; 48 row houses densely packed end to end on and a severe reduction of the park land (last bluff on southern California Coast) ;25′ narrow lots; costly concessions from us,the taxpayers, we pay the developer $900,000 to lease the driveway to 1st Street lot, 0 park fees. ( THAT’S RIGHT NO PARKING FEES TO THE CITY!)

*Is it right to grant a zone change to developers just so they can make more money ?

Seal Beach Residents get ?????

* Increased traffic, noise, pollution

* Increased costs for sewers, roads, water, schools

* Increased FIRE and POLICE costs

Why should  we subsidize this many houses ???  Densely populated housing tracts will contribute to the end of “Mayberry By The Sea” if we don’t stop this miscarriage of justice.  Please show up tonight and let your elected council member know what your feelings are about this miscarriage of justice.  It’s not too late!

(Editor’s Note: Since this project came up What’s Up in Seal Beach has seen the number of opponents within the city grow exponentially. A very, very dramatic rise …yet other publications continue to say that the developers are in the ‘driver’s seat.’  In our candid opinion…we don’t agree …and we encourage those of you in opposition to the proposed development to show up at tonight’s Council Meeting.)