Magnolia Tank Farm project has its critics but promises to add much-needed housing
Good morning. It’s Wednesday, July 17. I’m Carol Cormaci bringing you this week’s TimesOC newsletter with a look at some of the latest local news and events.
A 29-acre site in southeast Huntington Beach that used to house oil storage tanks was purchased in 2016 for a development. It was situated near the former Ascon landfill, which had been active from 1938 to 1984 and was full of toxic waste that had to be remediated.
In January 2021, the Huntington Beach City Council approved zoning amendments to its local coastal program to allow for the construction of the Magnolia Tank Farm, a mixed-use project that would include up to 250 residential units, a new hotel with market-rate and affordable rooms, and a new park and recreation facilities. The developer is Shopoff Realty Investments.
Because the California Coastal Commission had to sign off on it, the council’s approval did not come with an automatic green light. Shopoff’s plans were placed in a years-long holding pattern.
Then, a year ago this month, the Coastal Commission was poised to approve or deny the Magnolia Tank Farm but ended up pushing off a required land-use amendment for the controversial project to an unspecified date.
Shopoff and city officials maintained at the time the project would set aside land for coastal conservation and promote ecotourism, both of which the commission endorses. But the Coastal Commission staff last year worried that because the property is low-lying, it could face risks of flooding, as already occurs in other parts of the city during rains or particularly high tides. There were also some concerns about the proximity to the Ascon landfill, which could potentially put residents of the development too close to a source of pollution.
Throughout that 2023 hearing, commissioners spoke in favor of adding affordable housing to the coast but noted they did not have enough information to comfortably decide whether or not they should approve the zoning changes. And so, the Magnolia Tank Farm project remained on the drawing board, with the developer tasked with working with commission staff to mitigate concerns.
Last week, Bill Shopoff got some good news. The Coastal Commission approved the necessary land use amendment. But it didn’t come easily; environmentalists and nearby residents have continued to object to the project for some of the same reasons the proposal was tabled last year — that the site is hazardous and that construction would be disruptive to local wildlife.
In a statement he issued following the commission’s decision, Shopoff said, “We believe this innovative program is vitally important to the success of this project, as it will allow workers to live in the city where they are employed, and avoid lengthy daily commutes.”
Cynthia Gomez, who represents Unite Here Local 2, said the union was supportive of the development, as it would provide housing, green space, transportation and jobs for its members who work in the hospitality sector.
“This is exactly the kind of development we need in coastal California, and working families should be able to benefit from it now,” Gomez said.
Although the Magnolia Tank Farm project will not make much of a dent in the state’s requirement that the city has to zone to allow for at least 13,368 housing units in the next decade, bringing 250 new homes to the equation does at least represent some progress.
It’s worth noting here that the four individuals who comprise the current conservative City Council majority have fought that housing assessment every step of the way, saying it is state overreach. It’s fair to say it’s been an ugly fight so far.
But that’s an entirely different story.
MORE NEWS
• In another Huntington Beach saga that will seemingly never end, last week City Atty. Michael Gates followed a judge’s orders and provided what he had previously been shielding from public view, the complete settlement document between the city and Code Four. You may remember that the company, piloted by Kevin Elliott, operates the Pacific Airshow and brought suit against the city for canceling the final day of the 2021 presentation due to an offshore oil spill. Read our story in the Daily Pilot for the complete lowdown, where you’ll learn the lawsuit’s settlement agreement was a more lucrative deal for Code Four than Gates had previously reported. Was it a gift of public funds to a for-profit business? State authorities have been asked to look into it. If you’d like to read it and judge for yourself, the nine-page settlement document can be found here.
• Since 2009, the city of Stanton has sought to raze and replace its decaying Tina-Pacific neighborhood, which has met with resistance from some of the stakeholders, according to this explanatory piece by my colleague Gabriel San Román. He reports on an ongoing lawsuit that was filed last year on behalf of the Tina-Pacific Neighborhood Assn., evicted tenants and the Kennedy Commission. In their suit, they argue the city has violated state laws requiring advance relocation planning and assistance for displaced residents.
• The first mosquitoes positive for West Nile virus in Orange County this year were found in Huntington Beach, according to vector control authorities. So far, the county has not recorded any human cases of West Nile virus but did record seven in 2023, along with one equine infection. In a campaign called “Mosquitos Suck! Fight Back OC!” officials urge residents to drain and scrub water-filled containers weekly, keep all unscreened doors closed and wear light-colored long-sleeved shirts and pants when possible.
• Frank Kim, who served for nine years as the chief executive officer of Orange County, finished his tenure in the position last Thursday, following through on an announcement he’d made last November that he would be retiring. The O.C. Board of Supervisors has not yet found his permanent replacement but in the meantime has placed the county’s chief financial officer, Michelle Aguirre, in the role on an interim basis.
PUBLIC SAFETY & COURTS
• Fullerton police said Monday that Lorenzo Roger Hills III of Brea, the 27-year-old they killed last month, appeared to provoke the incident in an effort to die. On June 15, police said they responded to a 911 call urging the department to send multiple officers to deal with a man who threatened the caller and others with knives on Imperial Highway. According to The Times report on the incident, officers told Hills to drop the weapons, but instead he ran at them with the knives in hand, prompting officers to fatally shoot him.
• Seventy firearms were stolen Saturday from Fowler Gun Room in Orange, the most recent in a string of burglaries around the Southland during which a ring allegedly netted more than 300 guns. Yesterday, the U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles announced six men allegedly involved in the thefts have been charged with conspiracy to steal firearms from the premises of a federal firearms licensee.
• The Times also reported that Leroy Ernest McCrary, one of the three men accused of killing the New Zealand woman at Fashion Island in Newport Beach July 2 had avoided prison two years ago in a plea agreement for stealing a Rolex at gunpoint in Santa Monica. In that case he received a three-year suspended sentence. McCrary, 26, now faces a special circumstances murder charge that could carry the death penalty.
• A woman who allegedly eluded a Laguna Beach police and the CHP in a June 30 pursuit was found and arrested last Wednesday at an auto repair shop in Costa Mesa, authorities said. Melissa Haley, whose city of residence was not announced, was arrested on suspicion of felony evading and taken to Orange County Jail.
• A former youth minister at Vineyard Church in Anaheim was convicted last Wednesday of molesting four girls and possessing child pornography. Todd Christian Hartman was found guilty of eight felony counts related to sexual assaults on four girls as well as one felony count of possession of child pornography. He is scheduled to be sentenced July 31.
• Aaron Raya, 28, of Santa Ana, was arrested Sunday at his home on “a sex-related charge,” according to police. Raya had sent inappropriate messages to a girl he had coached and tried to meet with her after she graduated this year. Raya is a substitute teacher at Godinez High School where he serves as the head track and field coach.
• A pair of O.C. crime briefs culled from City News Service reports:
— The trial of Christopher Martin Flores, accused of molesting a student he coached got underway Monday. Flores was a co-owner of STARS Prep Academy, which moved from Anaheim to the campus of Calvary Chapel High School in Santa Ana when the girl said she was first allegedly attacked in January 2021. Flores was acquitted of rape, kidnapping and sodomy in Pasadena in 2009, but jurors will not hear that evidence in this trial.
— A federal judge in Santa Ana on Tuesday granted a request from reputed Orange County Mexican Mafia boss Johnny Martinez to represent himself as his own attorney in a racketeering case against the defendant and the gang.
SPORTS
• The Angels on Monday agreed to a $275-million settlement with the city of Anaheim on Monday related to the failed sale of Angels Stadium, The Times reports. Readers may recall that sale fell apart in a 2022 corruption scandal. As part of this week’s agreement, the city has the right to build a fire station on the Angel Stadium property.
• O.C. girls are invited to take part in free camps hosted by Leaders4LAX, a nonprofit founded by Newport Beach resident Grace Burke that aims to level the playing field for girls’ lacrosse in the county. This summer the organization is hosting the camps on July 31 and Aug. 1 at Stonefield Park in San Juan Capistrano from 9 a.m. to noon. Each participant will receive a free lacrosse stick, goggles, mouthguard, T-shirt, stickers and workbook. Burke told my colleague Sarah Mosqueda, who wrote this feature about Leaders4LAX, that she encourages girls to bring a friend to the camp.
LIFE & LEISURE
• “À La Mode: The Art of Fashion” opened last week at the Irvine Bowl in Laguna Beach, with an array of high fashion-inspired clothing that has given the Pageant of the Masters’ longtime costume designer Reagan Foy some interesting challenges. “Foy said she typically has a few seasonal staff members in her department, along with about 25 volunteers helping out with the headpiece and wardrobe departments. Given the theme this season, more staff were needed, including an additional stitcher,” writes my colleague Andrew Turner in this feature story on this year’s extravaganza.
• Pirates Dinner Adventure in Buena Park has recently switched its interactive theater show from “Secrets of the Deep,” to nightly performances of “In Search of Neptune’s Treasure,” according to this feature story by Sarah Mosqueda. She interviewed show manager Toby Pruett, who also wears the hat of Capt. Sebastian the Black, the Pirate King in the musical production. “Each night we have the opportunity to have the best show ever, and that is exactly what we strive to do for our audiences,” Pruett told the reporter.
CALENDAR THIS
• “The Greatest Show on Surf,” aka the 46th annual San Clemente Ocean Festival, is set for July 20 and 21. Both days will start at 7 a.m. with a pancake breakfast served up behind Marine Safety Headquarters, 620 Avenida del Mar, and will include a vintage Woody show and an art show. A family beach party and concert will be held Saturday night, a sand-sculpting competition will take place Sunday from 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., and the festival will wrap up at 3:30 p.m. Sunday with the Great Rubber Duck Race. In conjunction with the festival are a host of athletic activities for all ages. More info about those can be found here.
• Inspired by the Hasbro board game of the same name and based on the 1985 comedy film, the North American tour of “Clue” will be staged at Segerstrom Hall in Costa Mesa July 23 through 28. In the lobby you’ll find a donation bin for Miracles for Kids, which is hoping to collect hand sanitizers, tissues and travel wipes. Tickets start at $55.37 and can be purchased here.
• I mentioned this a couple of weeks ago but thought some might like a reminder that the Orange County Fair opens Friday, and tickets must be bought in advance. All the details you’ll need can be found here.
Until next Wednesday,
Carol
KEEP IN TOUCH
I appreciate your help in making this the best newsletter it can be. Please send news tips, your memory of life in O.C. (photos welcome!) or comments to carol.cormaci@latimes.com.
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