City continues plan for nature center’s restoration

Tariq Malik

HUNTINGTON BEACH -- City officials and environmentalists have a

renewed sense of hope for restoring a wetlands habitat at the Donald G.

Shipley Nature Center, just weeks after losing the half-million dollars

slated to fund the project.

The Robert Mayer Corp., developers of the Waterfront Hilton Beach

Resort expansion, have agreed to contribute restoration plans intended

for the Central Park nature center whenever the city decides to plow

ahead with the project.

“We’ll be using those plans as a foundation when we work on any grants

to pay for the restoration,” said Councilwoman Shirley Dettloff, who has

been working with an informal Shipley Nature Center Committee on the

project. “Right now, we hope to take a look at where we’re at, and

hopefully bring the item to the council in February.”

Mayer spent three years with environmental consultants and $150,000 to

draw up the restoration plans, and had set aside $500,000 to pay for the

project in order to proceed with an expansion of the Waterfront Hilton.

The developer originally intended to fill in a small pocket of wetlands

measuring seven-tenths of an acre to build condominiums and townhouses.

“We had a 4 to 1 ratio of wetlands remediation to fill in those

wetlands, meaning that we could restore 2.8 acres at Central Park,” said

Steve Bone, president and CEO of the Mayer Corp.

But in a closed Nov. 20 meeting, council members decide to issue a

deed restriction prohibiting development at Little Shell after the

California Coastal Commission revoked building permits for the area.

That deed restriction also freed Mayer of any obligation to pay for

the project at the nature center, city officials said.

“Shipley still needs to be restored though,” Bone said. “The plans for

that area were great plans, and they’re no less great now that we’re

required to do something other than our intended project.”

Bone added that while Mayer has agreed to revamp the land at the

nature center, the city need not stay within that area.

Another possible target for restoration is 18 acres of wetlands

between Edwards and Goldenwest streets, which has fallen into a state of

disarray, said Jean Nagy, a member of the city’s Environmental Board.

Federal grants and state bonds slated for nature restoration projects

could provide some of the funds necessary to improve the Shipley

wetlands, and with a prefabricated plan, it will be easier to apply for

the funds.

“Having the plans is a start since it will give us a sense of

direction,” Nagy said. “Also, it helps the grant process because you

can’t just ask for money unless you can show what you intend to do with

it.”