The Public Works Department began planting ficus trees on Seal Beach’s Main Street. On Wednesday, April 4, the beautification project began with the removal of old trees from the business district to make way for 25 new ficus trees. The City Council set aside $115,000 for the project. The goal: to create a canopy of ficus trees covering Main Street by adding new ficus to the old ficus already there.
The subject of low income housing cropped up when the City Council scheduled an early April hearing on the Housing Element of the General Plan. Two areas considered for the low income housing designation were the Shops at Rossmoor Center and the as-yet-undeveloped Bay City Partners property that used to belong to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.
However, when the hearing was over, city officials decided to leave both the shopping center and the controversial Old Town property off the list of potential low income housing sites.
Speaking of the Bay City Partners’ property, the Final Environmental Impact Report for the project was issued on Tuesday, April 17. The 18 individuals who commented on an earlier draft included three members of the DWP Committee, a member of the Ad Hoc Gneeral Plan Committee, a member of the city’s Tree Advisory Board, a Planning Commission and one member of the Acheological Committee.
One controversy that arose over the development project was whether a hotel would be a viable business enterprise on the site, which was at the time zoned for a hotel.
By mid-April, organizers of the Run Seal Beach announced that enrollment was 80 percent full for the annual event.
Meanwhile, as preparations were well under way for the Run Seal Beach, local Cub Scouts prepared for the Pinewood Derby that takes place annually during the Seal Beach Classic Car Show.
The Surfrider Foundation of Huntington Beach/Seal Beach presented Ohana Day on Sunday, April 22 (that’s Earth Day, folks) at the Seal Beach Pier.
Run Seal Beach broke attendance records. Alan Grant of ZPizza came in third after winning the event the previous three years in a row.
Alas, there was trouble as well as triumph in “Mayberry by the Sea.” A man was arrested for attacking his mother with a sword. Fortunately, she wasn’t injured.
The DWP Advisory Committee voted 4-1 to recommend that the City Council deny the Bay City Partners’ request to change the zoning for their property. Members said the city was illegally pre-committed to approving the project. City Councilwoman Ellery Deaton said on many occasions in 2012 that that was not true. Bay City Partner Brian Kyle accused the committee members of having closed minds. The sole hold-out in favor of the project was Seth Eaker, who expressed concern for the owners’ property rights and pointed out the city had multiple opportunities to buy the land in the past.
The following week, members of the Environmental Quality Control Board voted 4-1 to advise the council that the Final EIR for the Bay City Partners Project was inadequate. Board Chairman Mario Voce criticized the consultants who drew up the EIR, compared the document to a legal brief in favor of the project and said he stopped reading it. The sole board member who voted in favor of the project, Roger Bennett, said he was impressed with he consultants’ work. Kyle called the environmental board meeting a “kangaroo court.”
April ended on a high note as thousands of visitors swarmed Main Street to attend the 25th Annual Classic Car Show. More than 500 cars entered the event.
