SEADIP Survey: Wetlands

By Harry Saltzgaver
Executive Editor

A citywide survey of opinions about how to deal with development in southeast Long Beach has confirmed public priorities that activists long have claimed — restoration of Los Cerritos Wetlands, improvement of traffic flow and only modest commercial development.

A relatively large response of 682 responses were received by the Department of Development Services during the two-month survey period. The survey was prompted by a directive in August 2007 from the City Council to solicit opinions and report back before going further to revamp the Southeast Area Development and Improvement Plan (SEADIP), a zoning master plan approved in 1977.

That directive came after protests over a committee’s recommendations to revise SEADIP. That committee was formed by Third District Councilman Gary DeLong, and offered sweeping changes, particularly along the Pacific Coast Highway corridor. At the same time, efforts were underway to redevelop part of the tank farm at Loynes Drive and Studebaker Road into a Home Depot retail center, and dense redevelopment of the SeaPort Marina Hotel.

Since that time, the Home Depot center project has been dropped and Lennar Homes has left the SeaPort project, which has started over with new development partners. But the themes struck by opponents of those projects remained in the forefront of the latest survey.

Restoration of Los Cerritos Wetlands was by far the top priority for respondents — 79% listed it as number one. Most of the wetlands is privately owned and is being operated as an active oil field.

“As chair of the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority, I’m continuing the attempt to acquire the property,” DeLong said. “At the same time, I’m working on the federal level to get authority for the Port of Long Beach to gain mitigation credits for paying for the restoration work.”

Wetland restoration figured prominently in several survey questions. It was the most common response when asked how to improve the southeast part of the city, and it was central to the recreational opportunity many listed as a primary desired outcome for the area.

Improving traffic also was a high priority. In addition to car traffic flow, many people requested more bicycle and pedestrian options.

The owners of SeaPort Marina Hotel could read both good and bad into the survey results. The 11 acres on the southeast corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Second Street was listed as the site most in need of redevelopment and the site most under-used. A boutique hotel — one potential component of the SeaPort redevelopment plan — was the number one choice for reuse of that area, and specialty retail was a high second.

However, the respondents virtually ignore the potential for residential in the area, which has been another large component of the SeaPort redevelopment plan.

Providing housing opportunities ranked dead last in priority for 54% of the people, and only 10% listed that as a first or second priority.

“I was pleased with the process,” DeLong said of the public outreach. “It’s interesting to note that 80% of the people want some updated zoning in the area. They want increased mobility and limited development.

“Regarding SeaPort, I want to wait to see what they propose. I’ve promised to be open-minded. But it’s clear that residential is very low on the priority list.”

Craig Beck, director of the Department of Development Services, said he is continuing to meet with property owners in the area, and likely will schedule one or two public meetings before deciding what to do next. He said there appears to be strong support for an update, but that will take money, which in turn takes City Council approval.

The survey report, including a complete list of written comments, is available on the Web at (no hyphens) www.longbeach.gov/plan/pb/apd/special_studies/seadip.asp.