A proposed development project near the Seal Beach/Long Beach border could have an impact on local Pacific Coast Highway traffic.
The public has until Thursday, April 17, to comment on the city of Long Beach’s notice of preparation of an environmental impact report to develop the Seaport Marina Hotel property. The hotel is located at Pacific Coast Highway and Second Street.
The property is located a short distance from Seal Beach’s border. Traffic impacts from the project could effect residents of the Hill and both residents and businesses in Old Town.
Jim Basham, Seal Beach director of Community Development services, said he was aware of the proposal.
According to the notice of preparation, Long Beach is proposing to demolish the Seaport Marina Hotel and build a 245,000-square-foot commercial center.
Most of that land, 216,000 square feet, would be retail space. Another 29,000 square feet would restaurant space and 1,172 square feet would be on-site parking.
The project as currently proposed would include both one- and two-story buildings. None of the buildings would be higher than 35 feet.
A previous proposal included residential development on the same lot, but this plan apparently does not include residential use.
According to news reports, this is the third time in recent years that Long Beach officials have tried to develop the lot.
Seal Beach District Three Councilman Gordon Shanks said he was sorry to hear about the development proposal.
Shanks said Long Beach had been working on developing the property for four or five years and had been turned down by the California Coastal Commission several times.
Shanks said that corner was probably the business in Long Beach. He said the development’s impact on Seal Beach would primarily be increased traffic on PCH.
Shanks said that Huntington Beach traffic probably had a more direct effect on Seal Beach.
He said that anything Long Beach does there will effect Seal Beach one way or another.
“Well, I’d like to see whatever the plans are,” Shanks said.
Mayor Ellery Deaton would also like to see what the plans are.
Deaton was apparently surprised to hear about the project because she said that Long Beach had not completed its Southeast Area Development and Improvement Plan. Deaton said she thought they were going to complete that.
The plan to which Deaton referred, SEADIP, is a section of the Long Beach zoning code that covers 1,500 acres of southeast Long Beach.
According to Deaton, said the notice of preparation of the environmental impact report for the Seaport Marina Hotel area was not specific.
Deaton said she knew the project was down to two stories.
She said the public would get the specifics in the environmental impact report. Deaton also said she wanted to see the new traffic study for the project.
Deaton said that different restaurants would create different parking demands.
Deaton said people would start paying attention to the issue after the environmental impact report comes out.
“The way it’s presented now, I don’t see how people can be for or against the project,” Deaton said.
“We need more information,” she said.
“I’m in kind of a wait and see mode,” she said. “Kind of a holding pattern.”
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