| Dear Friend of Los Cerritos Wetlands, I can hardly believe it, after years and years of community meetings and discussions, new zoning for the lands in and around Los Cerritos Wetlands will have its final hearing this Thursday, October 8th, before the California Coastal Commission. It’s an important vote since the outcome will shape the future of Southeast Long Beach for years to come. We, for the most part, support the final plan as long as the Coastal Commission agrees with their staff and accepts the 16 additional recommendations. Beyond that there are just a few more things we would tweak: 1) If the heights of the buildings in the proposed South East Area Specific Plan (SEASP) area are going to go up (and they are) then there need to be large and robust buffers between the new buildings and the wetlands. In fact, buffers should be a prerequisite for any increased development height, but especially in the Marketplace shopping area since that area is right up against fragile wetlands. It is really the only site within the SEASP planning area where expanded buffers could recoup some of the wetlands/sensitive habitat loss due to development. And of course, the Marketplace, and other spots in South East Long Beach do warrant revitalization. But unlike the other sites, only Marketplace directly abuts the wetlands. So while there will be new development, it should be configured is such a way that protects and expands the wetland footprint. Roads, utilities and shoreline protection devices should be located outside of the buffers and located on the development site where there is room. 2) Building heights above 3 stories should only be granted if additional wetland and Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Area (ESHA) protections are provided. Incentives should directly protect wetlands and ESHA through wider buffers, voluntary purchase of wetland mitigation bank credits and purchase of wetlands to be conveyed to the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority. 3) Lighting for buildings near wetlands should meet the highest of standards for protection of wildlife. SEASP currently incorrectly calculates the illumination from moonlight. This sets the wrong standard for illumination at the edge of habitat and needs to be fixed. Also, new development located on properties that contain or are located within 100 feet of wetlands, ESHA, or sensitive coastal habitat areas should be designed to achieve the minimum degree of illumination necessary for public safety, minimize light trespass, and limit the illumination of open space and sensitive coastal habitat areas to the maximum extent feasible. At the edge of habitat, the lighting from development should be downward directed, shielded, energy efficient, dark sky-compatible, and incorporate state-of-the-art improvements in lighting technology when replaced. Replacement bulbs or fixtures must be upgraded to incorporate best available technology, and programmable timing devices shall be utilized to turn off unnecessary lights where possible. If you agree with us, please send a note to the Coastal Commission and tell them so. To make it as easy as possible, the note is even pre-written (although feel free to customize your note in any way you wish). Lastly, please plan to attend (virtually) the Coastal Commission meeting on Thursday, October 8th, if you can. The Coastal Commission is famous for being one of the most powerful regulatory agencies in California. It’s fascinating to watch them in action. Our item appears to be on halfway through their agenda that day. It’s easy to sign up to testify (and I hope you will). Sincerely, Elizabeth Lambe Executive Director Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust |
