Los Al planners greenlight Lampson project

Despite questions surrounding environmental site assessments performed of the proposed Lampson Park Place housing development, the Los Alamitos Planning Commission has voted to send the permit application to the full City Council with a recommendation for final approval. 

The Los Alamitos City Council will hold a public hearing on the project on Monday, Nov. 18. The meeting will start at 6 p.m.

Before doing so, however, the Commission engaged in a two-hour discussion that aired many concerns of residents, some of whom are still concerned that the project has potential impacts that are not being properly mitigated. 

Based on public testimony given during previous public hearings, sentiment that was once more negative toward the project has edged in favor of the proposed development project. While some residents still expressed concern, a majority of residents spoke in favor of the housing project. 

Many, however, still had concerns about the overall density of the project, which is proposed for a multi-acre site in Los Alamitos on Lampson Avenue. This site is directly across from the College Park East community, located in the city of Seal Beach. 

“We’re not against the project,” said Patty Campbell, a resident of College Park East and a member of the Seal Beach Planning Commission, “we’re against the negative impacts to Seal Beach.” 

“This project is way too dense and there is insufficient parking,” said Campbell during the public hearing testimony. She urged developers who were present at the meeting to cut out one of the buildings in the proposed development, which would make room for parking. 

Most of the College Park East residents expressed concern that the density impacts of the 246 units in such a concentrated area would create problems with storm drains, and traffic congestion, and it was not clear which entity would be able to provide sewer service to the proposed development. 

“We’re not against housing,” said Dan Brandt, another resident of College Park East, “it’s the density. From the very beginning, it’s been about the density.” 

“If I could, I would like to make one quick clarification regarding the project’s density,” said Michael Daudt, the city attorney for Los Alamitos, who told residents developers could have almost doubled the proposed density.

“But significantly, this project site is zoned R3,” said Daudt, “which under the zoning code, allows a base density of 25 units per acre. “That would result in a permissible unit count of 308 units on that site, based on the zoning and the acreage, so the applicant is actually proposing 246 units,” he said.

“They (Lampson developers) are actually proposing below the permitted max on the site for our zoning code, and again, they have not sought to use their density bonus, which pursuant to state law, would in fact, allow them to add as many as 154 units on top of the 308,” the city’s attorney clarified. 

Others had serious concerns about the recently issued Environmental Impact Report, which stopped short of suggesting the project would have a serious environmental impact. 

Susan Perrell, a career environmental engineer with “years of experience leading environmental studies working with federal, state and local permitting agencies,” was one who expressed concerns about the potential environmental impacts of the project on nearby communities.

“I do not see how this project’s EIR can be certified,” said Perrell, noting that the Lampson housing project “will result in significant environmental impacts.”

In addition, she said “the project mitigation measures provided in this EIR will not reduce those impacts to below significance,” she said, even though the Lampson EIR demonstrated no such impacts.  

Other residents came with a variety of statements, mostly supportive of the project.

“I can’t afford to live there but I think this is a good housing project,” said local resident Max Clark. 

“I’m a layman when it comes to environmental impacts, but it is a little difficult for me to understand what could be at the Lampson site that would be better than housing.”

“I’m in favor of the Lampson project,” said Frank Marchese, who said he comes from a real estate development family. 

“There’s nothing down in that area, that’s 1985 down there (Lampson),” he said. “It’s beautiful, it’s quiet, and that street has very little traffic on it.” 

Marchese said this development, “and plenty more” are on the way. 

“California is overbuilding because we have a Governor who wants this,” he said. 

Ashley Nichols, a Los Al resident said “I’m here again to express my support for this project. “I’ve observed that over the past decade or so, the amount of new housing units being built in Los Alamitos has been very low when compared to other communities around us.” 

Elizabeth Handsberg, co-founder and director of the housing advocacy organization of Orange County expressed support for the Lampson Project, especially the affordable units. 

“This project brings the type of housing that we are desperately in need of,” she said, “which is below market rate.” 

Brian Bell, Commander of American Legion Post in Los Alamitos, said “I’m in total support of this project for several reasons. Having below-market housing would not only help the Legion recruit and retain employees, but veterans need below-market housing. ‘

“The G.I. Bill does not go as far as it used to,” said Bell. 

Catherine Showalter, Chair of the Seal Beach Quality Control Board, appeared before the Commission to explain the detailed letter of concerns her board has submitted. 

In summary, Showalter said her board is concerned about sewer service, traffic, infrastructure, pedestrian safety, construction impacts, and flooding, among others, 

“Our board met last Wednesday evening, Oct. 16. The purpose was to listen to public comments and discuss the contents of the EIR (Lampson Environmental Review),” said Showalter. 

She laid out in specific detail a long list of concerns developed by the Seal Beach QC Board regarding infrastructure concerns. 

She made other project enhancement suggestions, including the reinstatement of a Caltrans Park and Ride facility, which she said would reduce vehicle miles traveled, provide safe spaces for ride/share and a safe-haven for children catching the school bus.

Like others, Showalter said the project’s “excessive density and premature nature leaves numerous essential questions” to be answered. 

Commissioners learned that Seal Beach has not yet issued a “will serve” to the Lampson Place project for sewer service, not sure yet whether the 60-year-old system can handle the additional flow of the Lampson development. 

Development Services Director Ron Noda said the city understands that even if Lampson is not able to work out a cooperative endeavor agreement with Seal Beach for sewer treatment, there are options for sewer treatment services. 

He said Seal Beach sewage officials have met with the Rossmoor Los Alamitos Area Sewer District “and it has been agreed that if the City of Seal Beach does not allow the connection to the sewer district, the Rossmoor Los Al Sewer District would find a way to accommodate the sewer connection by building an extension to the development.” 

“This (extension) will be constructed at the developer’s expense,” said Noda, noting that there was no “condition” for it to be at the developer’s expense. “We do not have a condition that states that,” Noda told the Commission.

Carol Churchill, a Rossmoor resident expressed concern about the costs associated with the Rossmoor Los Al Sewer District providing a sewer line extension to the Lampson project. 

“I’m not going to be happy if my assessment on my property tax bill in Rossmoor is covering the developer’s cost,” she said during public testimony. 

“It doesn’t tell me the developer is going to pay for his sewer line. It tells me he’s going to get the district to impose an assessment not only on Rossmoor, but Los Alamitos, and you’re going to see that on your tax bill,” Churchill said.

She asked the commission to make it a condition of approval that any sewer construction to facilitate the project would be at the developer’s expense. 

George Voigt, who represents the permit applicant, Lampson Park Place Development, LLC, said earlier in the meeting that he would not object to such a condition. 

“We’re happy to add a condition that the sewer will be managed through the Rossmoor Los Alamitos Sewer District at no cost to the city,” said Voigt. 

“We are fully committed to building this project in its entirety,” he said, “and we believe that the community and the City of Los Alamitos will be extremely proud of this project.” 

Planning Commissioners Art DeBolt and Wendy Grose reviewed the detailed agreement, suggesting potential changes in the conditions involved in the eventual award of a permit by the City Council. 

The conditions included things like stating in writing that the city would bear no expense for a sewer line, holding back the development of some market-value residences to ensure the developers build affordable homes, concurrent recording of the project and other technical process details.

 Daudt went through each condition in detail with the Commission to ensure the Commission’s permit changes would be presented properly when the lengthy document reaches the City Council for final approval.

 “Our job here is to use the evidence that has been presented to us and make a decision on this project and this project alone,” said Commission Vice Chair David Zellmer. 

“The EIR on this project is not improper,” he said. “Yes, there are certain things that are considered to be adverse to our communities, but our job isn’t to limit every single adverse thing that happens,” he said.

“Our job is to weigh and balance whether the benefit outweighs the adverse effects. I think we as the Planning Commission need to look at the whole here,” said Zellmer. “There are limitations on how many hearings we can do so we need to come up with a decision and move this along.”

“We are a community, and we must understand that we respect other people’s boundaries and other people’s jurisdictions. And in my opinion, while we do have obligations as a planning commission to do what’s right for our city, we should consider other cities,” said Zellmer. 

“I honestly think, looking at this, that we’ve done that,” he said. 

Planning Commission Chair Mary Ann Cuilty asked for a motion for each of the four resolutions required to propose approval for the Lampson Place housing project.

DeBolt offered each of the four separate motions, seconded by Grose, and the resolutions were unanimously approved by the Commission, sending one of the largest housing projects in the city’s history to the City Council for final approval.