BSRA January 2015 Newsletter
Happy New Year to all!
Our next meeting will be Thursday January 8 at 6 pm at the Bay Shore Library; the guest speaker will be Elvira Hallinan, Long Beach Manager of Marine Operations, who will speak about issues related to the beach in Belmont Shore.
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PARKING STUDY
Resident recommendations sought for Belmont Shore Parking Study
At the BSRA's December meeting, guest speaker Mike Conway ( Long Beach Director of Economic and Property Development) asked Shore residents to send him comments and recommendations of items to be included in the upcoming Belmont Shore Parking Study. Conway presented a draft of the RFP Scope of Work document at the meeting. This will be used to solicit bids for a parking study to be conducted early in 2015 to assess the current parking situation in the Shore, consider ways to improve parking availability, and make recommendations for improvement.
Conway heard a number of questions, comments, and suggestions, some of which were: expansion of the hours and days of the study of parking space occupancy, expansion of the study area to include the beach from the Belmont Pier to the Leeway Sailing Center, consideration of angle parking on Ocean Boulevard, delineation of parking spaces on the residential streets, removal or relocation of utility poles in alleys which obstruct parking and garage access, consideration of commercial vehicles parked on residential streets, changing the zoning designation to prevent future attempts at conversion of houses to parking lots, review and revision of the parking requirements for various types of businesses, etc.
Mr. Conway noted that comments and recommendations about the RFP will be accepted through January and can be sent directly to him at "[email protected]". Residents were asked to copy BSRA (at "[email protected]") when responding.
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SEADIP UPDATE
Traffic, Density and Building Height Concerns with Development Scenarios
City Staff and the consultant team, Placeworks, have decided to study only two of four development options presented to the Community Advisory Committee (CAC) at its December 10 meeting. It was stated that the only two "Financially Feasible Options" are a 1 - 5 story 'Mixed Use' option or a 1 - 7 story 'Mixed-Use Option' (currently SEADIP has a height limit of 35 feet or approximately 3 stories). The Scenarios appear to fit the Seaport Marina property at the corner of Second Street & PCH, though they apparently would apply to properties on both sides of PCH from the Seal Beach border north to the bridge at the northern edge of Marina Pacifica as well as to the Golden Sails Hotel and Gaslamp Restaurant properties. (Please see the December 10, 2014 Meeting Presentation on the City Website: December 10, 2014 Meeting Presentation)
One Scenario being studied would allow up to 5 story buildings with 416 housing units, 36,000 sq. ft. of retail and a 60 room hotel, the other Scenario would allow up to 7 story buildings with 710 housing units, 109,000 sq. ft. of retail and a 90 room hotel.
It was also announced at the December meeting that the consultants will be studying the extension of Studebaker Rd. from where it dead ends at Second Street through the Los Cerritos Wetlands to PCH. Through the years, there has been strong opposition to extending Studebaker through the Wetlands, and it's unlikely that the California Coastal Commission would approve such a road, but it was stated that the Studebaker Extension must be studied because it is shown in the existing SEADIP document.
The consultants will also be studying the extension of Shopkeeper Road through the Marketplace parking lot to PCH (which has also been opposed previously).
We urge Belmont Shore residents and the Second Street business community to pay close attention to the consultants' Study and conclusions and the ongoing SEADIP process, as it will have major implications for increased traffic in our area, height and density along PCH and a host of environmental considerations affecting the SEADIP area which covers 1,500 acres of southeast Long Beach.
We're told there will be a SEADIP Community Workshop this month (no date provided as yet), and that City staff will go back to the committee for comments and will host a Planning Commission Study Session this spring. A draft of the updated Specific Plan and the Notice of Preparation for the Environment Impact Report is expected in spring 2015.
The City's web site contains information about SEADIP here: Long Beach SEADIP update
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TIDELANDS PROJECTS AND THE CITY BUDGET WILL SUFFER FROM THE STEEP DROP IN OIL PRICES
A report by City Finance Director John Gross released last Friday says the world wide decline in the price of oil means reductions in both the general and tidelands operating funds this year, with only about a third of what's needed for planned Tidelands projects.
The City Council will have the difficult task of deciding which Tidelands projects will go forward. A proposed prioritization plan is expected to go to the City Council on Jan. 20.
The City's General Fund will also be impacted. Details to come from City management.
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Thursday, January 8, 6:00 pm, BSRA Meeting, Bay Shore Library
Thursday, January 15, 9 am, Belmont Shore Parking Commission, Bay Shore Library
Tuesday, January 27, noon, BSBA meeting, Legends, upstairs
Happy New Year to all!
Our next meeting will be Thursday January 8 at 6 pm at the Bay Shore Library; the guest speaker will be Elvira Hallinan, Long Beach Manager of Marine Operations, who will speak about issues related to the beach in Belmont Shore.
************************************************************
PARKING STUDY
Resident recommendations sought for Belmont Shore Parking Study
At the BSRA's December meeting, guest speaker Mike Conway ( Long Beach Director of Economic and Property Development) asked Shore residents to send him comments and recommendations of items to be included in the upcoming Belmont Shore Parking Study. Conway presented a draft of the RFP Scope of Work document at the meeting. This will be used to solicit bids for a parking study to be conducted early in 2015 to assess the current parking situation in the Shore, consider ways to improve parking availability, and make recommendations for improvement.
Conway heard a number of questions, comments, and suggestions, some of which were: expansion of the hours and days of the study of parking space occupancy, expansion of the study area to include the beach from the Belmont Pier to the Leeway Sailing Center, consideration of angle parking on Ocean Boulevard, delineation of parking spaces on the residential streets, removal or relocation of utility poles in alleys which obstruct parking and garage access, consideration of commercial vehicles parked on residential streets, changing the zoning designation to prevent future attempts at conversion of houses to parking lots, review and revision of the parking requirements for various types of businesses, etc.
Mr. Conway noted that comments and recommendations about the RFP will be accepted through January and can be sent directly to him at "[email protected]". Residents were asked to copy BSRA (at "[email protected]") when responding.
************************************************************
SEADIP UPDATE
Traffic, Density and Building Height Concerns with Development Scenarios
City Staff and the consultant team, Placeworks, have decided to study only two of four development options presented to the Community Advisory Committee (CAC) at its December 10 meeting. It was stated that the only two "Financially Feasible Options" are a 1 - 5 story 'Mixed Use' option or a 1 - 7 story 'Mixed-Use Option' (currently SEADIP has a height limit of 35 feet or approximately 3 stories). The Scenarios appear to fit the Seaport Marina property at the corner of Second Street & PCH, though they apparently would apply to properties on both sides of PCH from the Seal Beach border north to the bridge at the northern edge of Marina Pacifica as well as to the Golden Sails Hotel and Gaslamp Restaurant properties. (Please see the December 10, 2014 Meeting Presentation on the City Website: December 10, 2014 Meeting Presentation)
One Scenario being studied would allow up to 5 story buildings with 416 housing units, 36,000 sq. ft. of retail and a 60 room hotel, the other Scenario would allow up to 7 story buildings with 710 housing units, 109,000 sq. ft. of retail and a 90 room hotel.
It was also announced at the December meeting that the consultants will be studying the extension of Studebaker Rd. from where it dead ends at Second Street through the Los Cerritos Wetlands to PCH. Through the years, there has been strong opposition to extending Studebaker through the Wetlands, and it's unlikely that the California Coastal Commission would approve such a road, but it was stated that the Studebaker Extension must be studied because it is shown in the existing SEADIP document.
The consultants will also be studying the extension of Shopkeeper Road through the Marketplace parking lot to PCH (which has also been opposed previously).
We urge Belmont Shore residents and the Second Street business community to pay close attention to the consultants' Study and conclusions and the ongoing SEADIP process, as it will have major implications for increased traffic in our area, height and density along PCH and a host of environmental considerations affecting the SEADIP area which covers 1,500 acres of southeast Long Beach.
We're told there will be a SEADIP Community Workshop this month (no date provided as yet), and that City staff will go back to the committee for comments and will host a Planning Commission Study Session this spring. A draft of the updated Specific Plan and the Notice of Preparation for the Environment Impact Report is expected in spring 2015.
The City's web site contains information about SEADIP here: Long Beach SEADIP update
************************************************************
TIDELANDS PROJECTS AND THE CITY BUDGET WILL SUFFER FROM THE STEEP DROP IN OIL PRICES
A report by City Finance Director John Gross released last Friday says the world wide decline in the price of oil means reductions in both the general and tidelands operating funds this year, with only about a third of what's needed for planned Tidelands projects.
The City Council will have the difficult task of deciding which Tidelands projects will go forward. A proposed prioritization plan is expected to go to the City Council on Jan. 20.
The City's General Fund will also be impacted. Details to come from City management.
************************************************************
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Thursday, January 8, 6:00 pm, BSRA Meeting, Bay Shore Library
Thursday, January 15, 9 am, Belmont Shore Parking Commission, Bay Shore Library
Tuesday, January 27, noon, BSBA meeting, Legends, upstairs