Environmental Impact Report

A group of Huntington Beach residents filed a lawsuit against the city today alleging it broke state environmental laws by approving the Downtown Specific Plan’s Environmental Impact Report. A group of residents called the Huntington Beach Neighbors believe officials violated the California Environmental Quality Act by not adequately analyzing the impacts the plan will have on downtown residents. The plan is a long-range document that dictates building and parking specifications and design guidelines.

The Huntington Beach Planning Commission’s public hearing on the changes to the Downtown Specific Plan and its Environmental Impact Report has been postponed to 6 p.m. Oct. 6. The Downtown Specific Plan is a long-range planning document that dictates building and parking specifications and design guidelines. The plan is being updated to increase development over the next 20 years. The update would consolidate the downtown from 11 separate districts to seven. The public hearing was originally scheduled for today.

The Ocean View School District has sued the city of Huntington Beach over a proposed mixed-use project that it claims would cause overcrowding and other problems in nearby schools. The lawsuit, filed Jan. 23, demands that the city more fully analyze and mitigate the impacts of the Beach and Warner Mixed Use Project, which seeks to add up to 279 residential units and almost 36,000 feet of restaurant and retail space to a 9.4-acre site at Beach Boulevard and Warner Avenue. The city estimates that the development will bring in 185 elementary school students and 34 middle school students.

The Huntington Beach Planning Commission’s public hearing on the changes to the Downtown Specific Plan and its Environmental Impact Report will be at 6 p.m. tonight in Council Chambers at the Civic Center on Main Street. The Downtown Specific Plan is a long-range planning document that dictates building and parking specifications and design guidelines. The plan is being updated to increase development over the next 20 years. The update would consolidate the downtown from 11 separate districts to seven.

Two residents have filed an appeal on an Environmental Impact Report for the Downtown Specific Plan that will allow increased development over the next 20 years and was certified by the Planning Commission. David Rice, a member of the Huntington Beach Downtown Residents Assn., a group opposed to any updates that would allow the destruction of the Main Street Library and Triangle Park, and City Councilwoman Jill Hardy filed an appeal with the City Clerk. Rice and Hardy are appealing the Planning Commission’s certification of the plan’s Environmental Impact Report.

After numerous study sessions on the Downtown Specific Plan, the Huntington Beach Planning Commission has one left on the draft Environmental Impact Report before its public hearing. The Downtown Specific Plan is a long-range planning document that dictates building and parking specifications and design guidelines. The plan is being updated to increase development over the next 20 years. The draft found the plan would have a significant impact on short-term noise levels and could be a strain on the city’s public services, including fire stations, and cause an unknown impact on cultural resources over the next 20 years, according to the report.

The Huntington Beach Planning Commission on Tuesday discussed expanding residential parking and increasing parking fees if the city goes through with the proposed updates to the Downtown Specific Plan. The Downtown Specific Plan is a long-range planning document that dictates building specifications and is being updated to increase development over the next 20 years. The plans encompass the area south of Goldenwest Street and north of Beach Boulevard along the beach and from the pier to Palm Avenue, with Sixth and Lake streets as the boundary lines.

With the release of the Environmental Impact Report on Monday regarding Huntington Beach’s Downtown Specific Plan, the future of the downtown area looks uncertain in many ways. Among the report’s findings were that the new developments may strain fire stations and other public services, increase short-term noise levels and have an impact on air quality. Kellee Fritzal, the deputy director of economic development for the city, said that in her opinion, there were no “overriding issues” in the report, and she may be correct.

I voted for Don Hansen as a City Council member to represent our city and make leadership decisions for Huntington Beach as a whole. That is why I commend him not only for keeping the residents in southeast Huntington Beach in mind when making his decision to certify the desalination facility's environmental report, but also for keeping the rest of Huntington Beach in consideration. I also commend the majority of members on the City Council for making the right decision in approving Poseidon's environmental impact report.

The Ocean View School District has sued the city of Huntington Beach over a proposed mixed-use project that it claims would cause overcrowding and other problems in nearby schools. The lawsuit, filed Jan. 23, demands that the city more fully analyze and mitigate the impacts of the Beach and Warner Mixed Use Project, which seeks to add up to 279 residential units and almost 36,000 feet of restaurant and retail space to a 9.4-acre site at Beach Boulevard and Warner Avenue. The city estimates that the development will bring in 185 elementary school students and 34 middle school students.

An appeals court's recent ruling has given Huntington Beach the ability to build a $22-million senior center in Huntington Central Park, City Atty. Jennifer McGrath said. The court on Monday upheld an Orange County Superior Court judge's ruling that the city violated its general plan and a state environmental law by not adequately looking at alternative locations in its environmental impact report for the planned senior center. However, it overturned the judge's ruling that the city could not use funds from the stalled Pacific City project to build the center.

A Huntington Beach grassroots organization that wants to limit growth downtown and the number of liquor licenses is moving forward with litigation against a project that will increase development, with a trial date this winter. The Huntington Beach Neighbors filed a lawsuit against the city in December claiming officials violated the California Environmental Quality Act by not adequately analyzing the impacts the Downtown Specific Plan will have on downtown residents. The lawsuit is scheduled to go to court Jan. 13. The Neighbors contend officials didn't complete a proper environmental impact report (EIR)

A Huntington Beach grassroots organization that wants to limit growth downtown and the number of liquor licenses is moving forward with litigation against a project that will increase development with a trial date this winter. The Huntington Beach Neighbors filed a lawsuit against the city in December claiming officials violated the California Environmental Quality Act by not adequately analyzing the impacts the Downtown Specific Plan will have on downtown residents. The lawsuit is scheduled to go to court Jan. 13. The Neighbors contend officials didn't complete a proper environmental impact report (EIR)

A group of Huntington Beach residents filed a lawsuit against the city today alleging it broke state environmental laws by approving the Downtown Specific Plan’s Environmental Impact Report. A group of residents called the Huntington Beach Neighbors believe officials violated the California Environmental Quality Act by not adequately analyzing the impacts the plan will have on downtown residents. The plan is a long-range document that dictates building and parking specifications and design guidelines.

Two residents have filed appeals on an Environmental Impact Report for the Downtown Specific Plan that will allow increased development over the next 20 years and was certified by the Planning Commission. David Rice, a member of the Huntington Beach Downtown Residents Assn., a group opposed to any updates that would allow the destruction of the Main Street Library and Triangle Park, and City Councilwoman Jill Hardy filed separate appeals with the City Clerk. Rice and Hardy are appealing the Planning Commission’s certification of the plan’s Environmental Impact Report.

The Huntington Beach Planning Commission’s public hearing on the changes to the Downtown Specific Plan and its Environmental Impact Report will be at 6 p.m. tonight in Council Chambers at the Civic Center on Main Street. The Downtown Specific Plan is a long-range planning document that dictates building and parking specifications and design guidelines. The plan is being updated to increase development over the next 20 years. The update would consolidate the downtown from 11 separate districts to seven.

The Huntington Beach Planning Commission’s public hearing on the changes to the Downtown Specific Plan and its Environmental Impact Report has been postponed to 6 p.m. Oct. 6. The Downtown Specific Plan is a long-range planning document that dictates building and parking specifications and design guidelines. The plan is being updated to increase development over the next 20 years. The update would consolidate the downtown from 11 separate districts to seven. The public hearing was originally scheduled for today.

After numerous study sessions on the Downtown Specific Plan, the Huntington Beach Planning Commission has one left on the draft Environmental Impact Report before its public hearing. The Downtown Specific Plan is a long-range planning document that dictates building and parking specifications and design guidelines. The plan is being updated to increase development over the next 20 years. The draft found the plan would have a significant impact on short-term noise levels and could be a strain on the city’s public services, including fire stations, and cause an unknown impact on cultural resources over the next 20 years, according to the report.