Council approves new occupancy ordinance

Tariq Malik

HUNTINGTON BEACH -- City officials have put the finishing touches on

an ordinance governing low-income housing projects that have drawn the

ire of residents in the past.

The City Council unanimously approved changes to the city’s

single-residence occupancy ordinance that regulates development projects,

such as developer Amwest Environmental Group Inc.’s 107-unit apartment

complex planned at 8102 Ellis Ave. The ordinance will not apply to

Amwest’s project, which was approved by the council in November, but will

streamline the process for future developers, city officials said.

“This is our chance to support a certain population, a hidden

population, that can’t afford to live in larger homes,” said Councilwoman

Shirley Dettloff in the April 2 meeting.

Council members, then amended the ordinance, setting a minimum

apartment size of 250 square feet for each single-person apartment unit

and 400 square feet for two-person dwellings, which should comprise 25%

of the development.

The ordinance amendment stemmed from Amwest’s project, which many

residents protested, calling the studio-type complex a safety risk.

Former Councilman Dave Sullivan supported the 250-square-foot minimum,

as opposed to a smaller 200-square-foot limit set by the Planning

Commission in February.

“This isn’t a tiny hotel room where people will stay one night and

move on,” he said, adding that a bathroom, closet, kitchen area and

living space in the smaller size units would fit in the semicircular area

in front of the council dais. “This is where they live.”

The commission also restricted the ordinance to one-person units,

though concern rose about married couples looking for a home. That same

concern popped up before the council, when resident Joey Racano pointed

out the restriction’s effect on young families.

“What happens if a woman gets pregnant while living here,” he asked.

“She’ll get thrown out because of that rule.”

City officials said that residents whose annual income is about

$47,800 are eligible to live in the Amwest complex.

“I’m glad we have one coming into Huntington Beach,” Dettloff said of

the low-income development. “I think it will be good for the community.”