Council decides on Bolsa Chica recommendations

Eron Ben-Yehuda

HUNTINGTON BEACH -- To protect the Bolsa Chica from the effects of a

proposed development on the mesa, the City Council will recommend

increasing the buffer zones, diverting storm drain runoff and preserving

archeologically significant sites.

Developer Hearthside Homes plans to build 1,200 homes on the prime

coastal property found in the unincorporated part of the county. Before

the county gives its final approval, the plans must be approved by the

Coastal Commission, which is tentatively scheduled to hold a hearing in

mid-February in San Diego.

Many believe the hearing will be the last time the plans will be

scrutinized, so the council’s recommendations aim to address the concerns

of environmentalists “before it’s too late,” City Councilman Ralph Bauer

said.

Although the council members stood united against the problem of runoff,

how to address the other issues kept them divided.

By a 4-3 vote, the council recommended to preserve at least a portion of

the most significant archeological sites, some of which have been written

off without adequate testing, the majority concluded. Some groups

consider the mesa a sacred burial ground for American Indians. Mayor Dave

Garofalo, City Councilman Peter Green and City Councilwoman Pam Julien

objected.

Green said he preferred to defer to other government agencies because the

city has no archeological experts.

The developer, formerly known as the Koll Real Estate Group, already

plans to set aside 50-foot buffers between the homes and environmentally

sensitive areas such as the bluffs. The council also voted 4-3 to

recommend expanding the buffers to 100 meters, or about 330 feet.

Garofalo, Green and Julien again objected, saying the city doesn’t have

the expertise to make the call.

But everyone agreed on the danger posed by allowing urban runoff to flow

into the Outer Bolsa Bay. The council concluded that during storms, the

velocity of the waste water released could destroy parts of the wetlands,

and the contaminants in the runoff would affect the wetlands’ water

quality. In addition, the pipes would stick out like “cannon barrels,”

creating a “terrific visual blight,” City Councilman Tom Harman said.