Two Seal Beach residents on Monday, Oct. 28, urged the City Council to appeal the Los Al Planning Commission approval of the Lampson Avenue development. They were Seal Beach Environmental Board Member Susan Perrell and District Four candidate Patty Senecal.
The deadline to appeal is Nov. 6.
The council took no action on the matter this week. By law, the council can’t take action on something that is not on the agenda. The Los Alamitos project was not on the Oct. 28 agenda.
The next council meeting is scheduled for Nov. 12.
Last week, the Los Alamitos Planning Commission apparently approved the site development plan for the Lampson Avenue housing project.
Even though the Lampson project was not on the agenda, it came up during the public comment part of Monday night’s meeting.
Perrell said Los Alamitos planners had certified the EIR for the Lampson Park Place project.
(Following public comment, Seal Beach City Attorney Nicholas Ghirelli told the City Council that it was his understanding that Los Al planners recommended approved items related to the Lampson project. Ghirelli said that would have to go to the Los Alamitos City Council.)
Perrell said she was opposed to aspects of the project that will have impacts on Seal Beach that had not been addressed. She cited traffic impacts and flooding on Lampson Avenue
She also raised concerns for the safety of children being dropped off by a school bus in the project area.
Seal Beach Planning Commission Chair Patty Campbell said she attended the Los Al planning meeting.
She said the Los Alamitos commission ignored the recent letter from the Seal Beach Environmental Quality Control Board which raised several concerns about the environmental and traffic impacts of the project, as well as the ability of the Seal Beach sewer system to absorb the project.
“They have no intention of mitigating anything,” said Patty Campbell.
“They want two things from us: Water and sewer,” Campbell said.
“We’re not against the project,” she said. “We’re against the negative impacts to residents of College Park East.”
According to Campbell, Los Alamitos has identified Heather Park, which is in Seal Beach, as a park for children in the proposed development. “How dare they,” Campbell said.
She also raised concerns that flooding could lead to sewage on public streets.
Campbell said Seal Beach needed to get an agreement to do something for Lampson Avenue.
Council candidate Senecal (who is running unopposed) supported Seal Beach appealing the Los Alamitos Lampson Avenue decision.
Senecal said none of the mitigation measures mentioned in Seal Beach’s Oct. 21 letter to Los Alamitos were considered in the EIR or by the Los Alamitos Planning Commission.
“In closing, I think we should move forward with an appeal quickly,” Senecal said.
Text of Seal Beach letter to Los Alamitos Planning Commission
Re: EQCB Comments for the Los Alamitos Planning Commission
To Windmera Quintanar, City Clerk
City of Los Alamitos City Clerk’s Office
Dear Ms. Quintanar:
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) for the Lampson Park Place (Project). The City of Seal Beach Environmental Quality Control Board (EQCB) convened on Wednesday, October 16, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. to review and discuss the Project in detail. During this EQCB meeting, public comments were offered and the EQCB carefully examined the contents of the FEIR, including the Project’s responses to comments made by the City of Seal Beach. The EQCB found many of those responses to be inadequate. The Board members deliberated on various aspects of the proposed Project and formulated comments to provide feedback to the City of Los Alamitos. These comments, as stated below, are intended to help clarify and shape the content of this Project, ensuring that Seal Beach’s comments on the FEIR and all significant environmental impacts and issues are adequately addressed.
• Drainage and Flooding Concerns: The proposed Project would exacerbate existing drainage issues along Lampson Avenue and increase flooding risks from stormwater, with no adequate mitigation, solutions, or maintenance plans provided. The proposed underground detention basin would be fraught with the operation and maintenance problems that are common to such systems.
• Sewer System Impacts: There are significant concerns regarding the physical condition of the aged sewer system along Lampson and its connection to Seal Beach, which could lead to adverse impacts on local infrastructure. There are also concerns regarding the adequacy of the existing sewer system to provide capacity for all cumulative development
projects.
• Transportation: The Project’s increase in Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) is stated as a significant environmental impact. The project claims that this impact is unmitigable. The EQCB believes that the significant VMT impact could be avoided and/or mitigated by reducing the Project’s size (number of residential units) as well as through other mitigations (e.g., providing public transportation, ridesharing, and biking opportunities) that were not proposed by the Project.
• Transit Constraints: The project is required to comply with Mitigation Measure MM 4.15.1 because the VMT that the Project would generate causes unavoidable environmental impacts. There is no evidence that OCTA was consulted about future transit services for the area, raising questions about the adequacy of public transportation options for residents along Lampson Avenue.
• Pedestrian and Bike: The project proposes to “improve and encourage” bike transportation by leaving the current Class II bike lanes on Lampson Avenue. This claim
appears to be misleading at best. These “bike initiatives” do not seem to qualify for consistency with applicable transportation guidelines.
• Traffic Flow and Congestion: The proposed development is expected to have a significant impact on traffic flow, including public transportation and school bus access. Specifically, residents of College Park East are likely to experience the effects of increased traffic along Lampson Avenue, with an anticipated 12% rise in usage.
• Construction Impacts: The City of Seal Beach would be subjected to 39 months of construction along Lampson Avenue, necessitating an agreement for compensation to address the wear and tear caused by heavy-duty trucks and construction equipment traversing along Lampson Avenue during the extensive construction period.
• Preservation of Existing Infrastructure: The existing Caltrans designated Park and Ride
Lot is essential for school buses and rideshare services and should be preserved to
maintain accessibility for these users and others. The current 66 parking spaces at the Park and Ride Lot facility should continue to be available for AYSO games and other sporting events, reducing the need for attendees to park off-site.
• Safety Concerns: The increase in pedestrians of all ages crossing Lampson Avenue to and from the Project is especially troubling due to the potential for serious injury related to the volume and speed of vehicles. The FEIR’s conclusion that Lampson was safer than average does not align with the experience of residents and needs to be re-evaluated for credibility.
• Premature Proposal with Unanswered Questions: Overall, the proposed development plan for the Lampson Park Project raises significant concerns due to its excessive density and premature nature. Numerous essential questions remain unanswered regarding its potential impact on the environment, the community and infrastructure.
Thank you for the opportunity to provide comments on the FEIR for the City’s consideration. We look forward to working with the City of Los Alamitos on a mutually beneficial Project.
Sincerely,
Catherine Showalter
EQCB Chair
