“Doghouses” we don’t want in Seal Beach
by Mike Bubhe
Please join me in stopping the proposed doghouses on the roofs of four houses on 10th Street. Come to the City Council meeting on August 10th. It was scheduled for July 13 but Council has continued it to the new date. at 7 PM, in the council chambers on Eighth Street, or write a letter to the city council!
A “doghouse” is a local term that describes a structure that sits on top of the roof, looking like, well, a doghouse. The doghouses used to be legal but the resounding victory of Measure Z stopped anything that exceeded the 25 foot limit.
The proposed doghouses are almost 7 feet’ tall and are 8 feet long and 6 feet wide. The problem with doghouses is that they violate the 25′ height limit of Measure Z by almost 7 feet!
These doghouses are the size of a backyard storage shed. They might even be called cowsheds they are so big. The purpose of the four proposed doghouses is housing an elevator shaft that goes to the deck on the top of the second story roof. Picture a backyard storage shed perched on the roofline puncturing the sky by the additional height!
Is this what we want to see in Old Town? I think not.
I seldom see roof decks occupied because it is either too hot, too cold, or too windy. After spending 5 minutes on a roof deck admiring the view, I always descend to shade, shelter, and comfort. Meanwhile an elevator shaft doghouse will be there 24 hours a day 7 days a week poking into the skyline, an eyesore for the rest of us. Most existing rooftop decks have a staircase without a doghouse, so it is possible to access a rooftop deck without a doghouse. Rooftop decks are legal, and we have no quarrel with them, but to build an elevator shaft doghouse that violates the Measure Z height limit is unacceptable. It’s the “camel’s nose under the tent” that would increase the height limit to 32 feet this time…and who knows how much next time?
With a 73% citywide vote, the citizens of Seal Beach said resoundingly that the height limit in Old Town will be 25′.
I hope this clears up the meaning of doghouse. A simple letter to the city council is very important in persuading the council members to make a sensible choice and say no to doghouses that violate Measure Z. Please deliver or mail a letter to the city clerk by the end of this week!
Address it to:
Seal Beach City Council
211 Eighth Street
Seal Beach CA 90740
Thank you for your continued support to keep Seal Beach small!