NEWS
By Anthony Clark Carpio | April 2, 2014
Concerns about density, infrastructure for bicyclists and the planned desalination plant were among the topics posed by residents at the Community Vision meeting held March 27 at the Huntington Beach Central Library. About 30 residents participated in live polling regarding what they like about the city and what they would change over the next 15 to 20 years. Another group was polled March 22. "This forms the basis of the vision, which is the real foundation of the general plan," said Jeff Henderson, managing director of the planning consultant firm PMC. Henderson said that the ideas brought up at both meetings will be compiled into one document and posted online, where the public can comment further.
NEWS
By Anthony Clark Carpio | March 25, 2014
Diversifying the business base, preparing for a possible rise in sea levels and shoring up the Huntington Beach Police Department to pre-recession levels are just a few concerns facing the city as it prepares to update its 18-year-old general plan. City officials hosted a kick-off party on the beach March 19 to garner public interest and opinion and let residents know they are an integral part of updating the city's future road map. "There's been a lot of changes since 1996, so we have to update it," senior city planner Jennifer Villasenor said of the document.
NEWS
By Andrew Shortall | December 4, 2012
The changing of the guard included some familiar faces along with one new member at Monday's Huntington Beach City Council meeting. Mayor Don Hansen, Mayor Pro Tem Devin Dwyer and Councilman Keith Bohr saw their terms come to an end. Dwyer lost his reelection bid, placing fifth in the race of 12 with the top-three vote getters - Jill Hardy, Jim Katapodis and Dave Sullivan - earning a seat on the council. Connie Boardman and Matthew Harper were unanimously voted in as the new mayor and mayor pro tem, respectively, of Huntington Beach.
NEWS
By Mona Shadia | June 19, 2012
The Huntington Beach City Council voted Monday to establish new development impact fees and adjust existing ones, a move that a local business leader said could lead developers to shy away from building in the city. The new fees are expected to generate $154.8 million if the entire city is built out, including a $20-million increase from the current impact fees, according to a city staff report. Impact fees are paid by developers to allow cities to offset additional public service costs stemming from new developments.
NEWS
By Mona Shadia, mona.shadia@latimes.com | April 20, 2011
The Huntington Beach City Council voted Monday to hire a firm to prepare an environmental report for a proposed skate park by Vans. The city is paying $222,900 for the report. The money, however, is being reimbursed upfront by Vans, which has proposed to build, maintain and run what it calls a world-class skate park. The city is paying PCR Services Corp., which is conducting the report, directly for the job to have oversight of the report and speed the process, said Scott Hess, director of planning and building.
NEWS
By Britney Barnes, britney.barnes@latimes.com | December 15, 2010
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.
NEWS
By Britney Barnes, britney.barnes@latimes.com | October 19, 2010
The Huntington Beach City Council on Monday night approved amendments to its maps, general plan and zoning to include Sunset Beach, and added provisions to prohibit marijuana dispensaries and to require short-term vacation rentals to complete the permitting process. The council unanimously adopted changes to the general plan, local coastal plan, zoning text and zoning map. Mayor Pro Tem Jill Hardy and Councilmen Joe Carchio and Gil Coerper were absent. The 134-acre unincorporated area of about 1,300 residents was placed under Huntington's sphere of influence last year by the Orange County Local Agency Formation Commission, which oversees the process of municipal boundary changes.
NEWS
By Britney Barnes | April 28, 2010
The Planning Commission approved a proposal to allow 22 homes to be built near the Bolsa Chica Wetlands for the city’s first “green” residential project. The commission approved the plan 4 to 3 with Chairman Blair Farley and Commissioners Elizabeth Shier Burnett and Tom Livengood voting no. The commission also adopted the mitigated negative declaration, 5 to 2, with Farley and Shier Burnett voting against it. The general plan, zoning map, zoning text and local coastal program amendment will go before the City Council for approval.
NEWS
By Britney Barnes | September 30, 2009
An Orange County Superior Court judge ordered a halt Tuesday to the construction of a new senior center to be built in Huntington Central Park after it ruled the city violated its general plan, city charter and the California Environmental Quality Act. A group of residents called the Parks Legal Defense Fund filed a lawsuit against the city challenging a 45,000-square-foot senior center, which would use a 5-acre section of the park between the...
NEWS
By Alise Clevely | October 5, 2006
It is unfortunate that Howard Zelefsky was forced to resign this summer under the guise that he is responsible for the slow planning process in the city of Huntington Beach. The city's planning department staff are simply trying to do their job, which is to interpret the convoluted and gray areas of the city's zoning ordinance. It is the City Council politicizing the planning process that slows down the building permit process, not the planning department. The City Council votes on a general plan and a zoning ordinance, but then, when a legitimate, conforming project is proposed that may offend the sensibilities of a vocal minority, suddenly the recommendations of planning are tossed aside for a long and arduous political process that usually involves public hearings and elected officials worried about votes.