Hope you had a happy Labor Day and enjoyed the official “end of summer” holiday. The following is some news and updates for Seal Beach’s District 1 that includes Old Town and Surfside:
Street Lights on Main: Construction began Tuesday, Sept. 3 on our new lights will begin. The project has three phases: Coring, excavating and installation. As with every project, this will cause some inconvenience for all of us. But, the City and the contractor are committed to keeping the inconvenience to a minimum. The parking meters in the Main Street Lots will be covered so parking while shopping or dining on Main Street will be free. There will still be a 2 hour limit to be sure the parking is not monopolized and the program not abused. If there are no unforeseen problems (the street is 100 years old) and the weather remains good, the following schedule is planned. During the month of September the team will do the conduit boring. One side of the street will be done at a time. Then, excavation and foundation pouring will be done in October. November is planned for installing the lights and finally December will be the testing of the system.
Ocean Avenue alleys last phase to begin: The Ocean Avenue Alleys reconstruction from Main to Sixth Street is now complete and at the last council meeting the Council accepted the bids to finish the rest of the Ocean Avenue alleys all the way to First Street. For more information, please call the project manager, Cesar Rangel at (562) 432-2527, Ext. 1328.
e-Cigarettes—what do you think? There is a relatively new product that has storefronts opening up in cities around us including Long Beach and Huntington Beach. What do you know about them? The Council has put a 45 day moratorium on businesses dedicated to e-Cigarettes so we can learn about the product, the stores and the experiences other cities are having. I’m currently researching the issue and would like your opinion and thoughts.
Please write me at sealbeachdistrict1@gmail.com and give me your experience or your thoughts on e-Cigarettes and on stores dedicated to their use and sale. Then, there will be a public hearing to determine how to move forward on Sept. 23, in the City Council Chambers at 7 p.m. I will submit all written communication I receive into the public record for consideration. Please come or write me to be part of this decision making process.
Coyotes in District 1: Orange and Los Angeles counties are working together to minimize coyotes in residential areas, but the fact is they have abundant food and water and the population is growing. Please keep your pets in the house and keep food and water for them inside as well. Be aware that coyotes are here at the beach, in Old Town and Surfside. They are looking for food and water. And they are finding it in food and water left out for animals and small animals allowed to roam outside.
Pier Improvements: Once the repairs are completed the fence will come down. The City has begun pier improvements and the end of the pier is fenced off while these repairs are made. There are three projects in the Capital Improvement Program for the pier. Those projects are 1) Pier Decking, 2) Pier Utilities, & 3) Pier Structural Improvements. The City is also making health and safety repairs to the pier restaurant.
Coffee Chat: Join Me for Coffee from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 19, at Javatini’s and discuss Old Town and Surfside issues. I look forward to meeting with you.
Seal Beach Boulevard Bridge Widening: The widening project has been very difficult for all of us. Hopefully you are finding ways to avoid the traffic going over the bridge. (I go down Westminster, turn left on Valley View, go to Lampson and back to Seal Beach Boulevard.) Once the bridge is completed it will be very smooth going, but getting there is taking time and patience. If you need any information on freeway closures or other information regarding the construction, please contact: OCTA at www.octa.net/westcounty or if you prefer, you can email: wccproject@octa.net.
Art Show Coming Next Weekend: The annual Seal Beach Art Show is coming to Eisenhower Park next Saturday, Sept. 7 and Sunday, Sept. 8. This is always a fun event with lots of fun arts and crafts.
Ellery Deaton is the Seal Beach City Councilwoman for District 1 (Old Town and Surfside). She can be reached at (562) 743-4355.
