| We had a good meeting last Tuesday and I really appreciate all who attended what was our first in-person event in over TWO YEARS (held outside for extra safety.) Shout out to the Belmont Heights United Methodist Church for allowing us to meet in their courtyard, it was the perfect spot for a meeting. A highlight of the meeting was our program, led by Terry Watt who is an expert in general and specific planning. Terry helped attendees delve into the details of the new zoning (South East Area Specific Plan/SEASP) for the lands in and around Los Cerritos Wetlands and the pending development applications for that area. Since new zoning was approved, first by the City and then by the Coastal Commission, it is no surprise that development applications would follow. Some key take aways from Terry’s presentation are: Any development brought forward within SEASP must be reviewed and found to be “consistent” with City and Coastal Commission approved planning, zoning and other applicable requirements. That includes all new mitigation measures and policies that are now required within SEASP. Members of the public (and advocacy groups like the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust) can and should recommend improvements during the public review process to proposed development projects to help make them better. For example, my take away from our meeting is that reasonable improvements to help mitigate traffic impacts or impacts to wetlands would be welcome. For any building proposed to be over 5 stories high we can (and will) ask for wetlands improving considerations and incentives (additional “community benefits” are now required for developments trying to build beyond the new approved height limit of 5 stories). We can bring up other issues, as you or we think of them. For example at our meeting one gentlemen suggested that, since we are in a drought, water use for new development should be more efficient than the current existing water use. Reasonable suggestions to achieve low – or even net zero water use – should be appreciated. I know some people were unhappy to see the amount of development that is allowed under the new SEASP, but keep in mind even more height and density was on the table at one point and it was rejected. Furthermore, thanks to our advocacy, some important protections were won such as wetlands sensitive lighting for new development, a wetlands friendly plant palette for landscaping the area and new development will include a fund to protect and restore wetlands. Lastly there will be robust protective buffers, free from non-essential infrastructure, between development and Los Cerritos Wetlands to protect fragile plants and animals from the harmful hubbub that development and traffic will inevitably create. Stay tuned, as we learn more, we will share it with you. In the meantime thank you for caring about Los Cerritos Wetlands. The below map is an important reminder of what a vast wetlands area South East Long Beach once was (and Bolsa Chica too!) and how much has been lost forever to development. It is so very important to protect and restore what is left. With your help we have been successful and will keep at it. |
Meeting Re-Cap: We Learned a Lot
