City Council members listed finding a restaurant to fill the space at the end of the Seal Beach Pier and watching the budget as primary concerns for 2014. Completing the Bay City Partners project, opposing toll roads and replacing the McGaugh Swimming Pool were also on the list.
The council members gave those answers, among others, in response to the question: what are the opportunities and challenges facing Seal Beach in the year ahead.
Here’s what the individual council members had to say:
Mayor Ellery Deaton (District One)
Ellery Deaton, who represents Old Town, said she was looking forward to serving as mayor and working on mutually beneficial projects such as the city’s 100th anniversary in 2015.
“Here are the primary goals I’d like to see come to fruition this year:
“1. As in year’s past, living within our means with a balanced budget and good, solid reserves is my first goal.
“2. Select a new restaurant at the end of the pier and finish off the new utilities, rest rooms and planking on the pier.
“Along with that, the pier needs to be fully open to the public. Right now it is closed off because of vandalism. With a new restaurant at the end, there will be more people on the pier to deter vandalism.
“3. See a 6.5 acre park built where the old DWP plant had been. What a beautiful spot to enjoy the sunset, stroll the walkways or to bird-watch.
“4. Move forward with the selection of a site and conceptual design for a new community pool to replace our aging pool at McGaugh School which is wearing out.
“5. Begin the planning for the city-wide Centennial celebration. Seal Beach will be 100 years old in 2015.
“6. Work to see the Bay Theater re-opened as soon as possible to the public for movies. I would like the children’s Saturday afternoon matinees as well as art movies brought back for our community.
“Obviously this is an ambitious list of what I’d like to work on this year and that should make it a fun year,” Deaton said.
Councilman David Sloan (District Two)
David Sloan, the new mayor pro tem, who represents College Park West and part of Leisure World, said Seal Beach is fortunate to be financially viable.
“We just have to keep our eye on the dollar,” Sloan said.
Sloan, a former firefighter, said he wanted to maintain the city’s fire, paramedic and police services.
He said the Orange County Fire Authority was doing a fine job.
“We have a station out by Leisure World, Station 48, that responds several times a day,” Sloan said. “If they didn’t enjoy working with senior citizens, they’d work at another station.”
He echoed Deaton’s desire to resolve matter of the place formerly occupied by Ruby’s.
“I think we need to do something about the restaurant at the end of the pier—that needs to be resolved,” he said.
Councilman Gordon Shanks (District Three)
The Hill’s representative on the City Council, Gordon Shanks, said, “The big one, of course is the DWP,” referring to the former Los Angeles Department of Water and Power property currently owned by the Bay City Partners.
Shanks said developing a replacement for Ruby’s at the end of the pier and developing the pier itself would be an important issue.
He put the cost of replacing the utilities in the restaurant space at about $1 million.
The city budget was also on Shanks’ mind. “Considering what other cities are facing, we’re in pretty good shape,” Shanks said.
“We’ll have to go into the budget, which is always a major issue,” Shanks said.
“Then there’s also the question of what to do about the McGaugh Swimming Pool,” Shanks said.
He said the swimming pool was near the end of its useful life.
Councilman Gary Miller (District Four)
Gary Miller, College Park East’s representative, was brief and to the point:
“In 2014, I see the City of Seal Beach establishing a new restaurant on the pier; completing the process regarding the DWP property; finding a location for a new city pool; seeing the completion of the Seal Beach Bridge and West County Connectors Project; and continuing efforts to ensure there is an acceptable alternative for the I-405 Improvement Project,” Miller said.
All the I-405 corridor cities (and the unincorporated community of Rossmoor) opposed the Orange County Transporation Authority/Caltrans proposal to add toll lanes to the freeway.
Miller, with the assistance of other council members, worked against the toll road proposal last year when he was the city mayor.
Councilman Michael Levitt (District Five)
Michael Levitt, who also represents Leisure World—the only neighborhood large enough to cover two council districts—said completing the Bay City Partners development was one of the priorities for this year.
He also said completing the search for an operator for the restaurant space at the end of the pier and resolving the issue over electronic cigarettes would be important.
The city’s urgency ordinance banning stores that specialize in selling electronic devices that use liquid (sometimes containing nicotine) in place of tobacco is still in place. The ordinance allows the sale of electronic cigarettes by stores that also sell other products.
City staff is expected to bring a draft of an ordinance regulating shops that sell electronic cigarettes to the council early this year.
Levitt also said Seal Beach should be ready if the OCTA and Caltrans resurrect the toll road proposal for the I-405.
“We want to be prepared to fight them on that,” Levitt said.
