Area residents raised concerns about the safety of the communities surrounding the Naval Weapons Station at a recent workshop about an on-going land use study of the areas near the military base.
Earlier this month, the city of Seal Beach held the second workshop for the Naval Weapons Station Joint Land Use Study. Survey results from the two workshops are now available at sealbeachjlus.com.
The study is a joint project of the Navy and the city of Long Beach. The goal of the project, according to representatives of the project’s consultant, Matrix Design Group, is to minimize conflicts between the base and surrounding communities. According to Celest Boccieri-Verner, of MDG, the bulk of the money for the project is coming from the Office of Economic Adjustment, an arm of the Department of Defense. Ten percent of the funding comes from Seal Beach.
One man suggested using the Navy base to provide housing. He said his family had experienced issues with contamination of their property. He pointed out there was no “buffer zone” between the base and the surrounding civilian communities. A woman sitting next to that man said the Navy had not provided the community with an evacuation plan. Patty Campbell of College Park East suggested they get Community Emergency Response Team training.
For more information, contact Crystal Landavazo, the project manager for the study and interim Community Development director for the city of Seal Beach. Her email is clandavazo@sealbeachca.gov. Her phone: 562-431-2527, ext. 1324.
