The proposed project site encompasses approximately 53 acres.
| Sadly, the vast majority of southern California coastal open space has been lost to development and infrastructure. With so few open spaces left, we must restore and protect what remains while, at the same time, fighting back against harmful development. A new development is being proposed for the soon-to-be-former tank farm on Studebaker just north of Westminster at 6801 E 2nd Street. While I am glad the ugly and toxic storage tanks are coming down, the question is what should go in that spot that will balance landowner needs while protecting the nearby fragile Los Cerritos Wetlands ecosystem. As you can see in the above image, the proposed Sares Regis Group’s “Sea Ranch” development would be located in a particularly important and environmentally sensitive location that straddles the Los Cerritos Wetlands and the San Gabriel River. Thanks to updated zoning for the area, there will be some good things about the proposed development (required bird safe lighting and native plant palette), but can more be done to protect the fragile wildlife that depends on this area? That’s what the environmental review process, required under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), is designed to do: inform us about development alternatives, including a no-build alternative. We are so fortunate in California to have CEQA, which at its most basic level provides information that promotes informed decisions. CEQA, which for decades has protected human health, as well as the environment, is now sadly under attack….see the section below and take action. Under CEQA, environmental projects are analyzed by producing an Environmental Impact Report (EIR). The first step in that process is a Notice of Preparation (NOP), which includes a public meeting. The meeting for the Sea Ranch development is scheduled for Wednesday, May 13th. The City has provided the following details: “The City of Long Beach will conduct a virtual public Scoping Meeting to present the proposed project and environmental process and to receive public comments and suggestions regarding the proposed project. All interested parties are invited to attend the scoping meeting to assist in identifying issues to be addressed in the Draft EIR. The Scoping Meeting will include a presentation about the proposed Sea Ranch project, the required environmental review process, and the schedule. After the presentation, public comments will be accepted either orally or in writing via the chat function. The Scoping Meeting will be held via web conference at the following date and time: Meeting Information (Virtual) Date: May 14, 2025, 6:00 p.m. Pacific via Zoom Time: 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Click here to join the meeting We will be there to share our comments both at the virtual scoping meeting and subsequently in a formal letter to be submitted by the deadline of June 2nd. We encourage you to participate too. Make your voice heard! Perhaps talk about the importance of robust buffers to protect fragile wildlife from the hubbub of urban life. Or share your concerns that traffic impacts be fully studied and problems addressed. For a good read on the importance of buffers and sensitive lighting next to open space, check out this memo written by our advisor, Travis Longcore. Any development adjacent to the wetlands should, at the very least, have science-based, robust protective buffers and a plan to keep invasive lighting and noise away from fragile wetlands. More details about the proposed development can be found in the official NOP Scoping hearing notice, released by the City last week. Hope to see you at the meeting! If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to me. Sincerely, Elizabeth Lambe Executive Director Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust The Sares Regis Group’s Sea Ranch project (depicted below) proposes 10 light industrial buildings ranging in size from 67,472 square feet (sf) to 124,265 sf, for a total of 938,681 sf. The project would include 200,000 sf of office space and 738,681 sf of light industrial space. |
