Redevelopment area declared amid debate

Paul Clinton

What began as a humdrum issue to City Council members became a hot

topic Monday evening as they approved declaring southeast Huntington

Beach a redevelopment area.

The City Council, acting as the Redevelopment Agency, approved the

plan on a 5-2 vote following a spirited debate.

A redevelopment plan had inspired little controversy as it passed

through community meetings and the Planning Commission, who endorsed it

April 9.

But when it came time for the City Council to decide on the issue, two

members sparked debate by rejecting the plan.

Opening the discussion of the issue, Councilwoman Connie Boardman said

she initially supported redevelopment as a way to help clean up the toxic

dump, which is one of Southern California’s most contaminated landfills.

However, since that time, the largest oil and chemical companies who

dumped their oily waste, noxious styrene and other hazardous substances

at the site came forward to review cleanup plans.

New hope has emerged that the companies would help pay for the soil

cleanup, which is estimated to cost $31.5 million.

“It should be the responsible parties who clean it up,” Boardman said.

“I’m not convinced the Redevelopment Agency is needed for the cleanup.”

Other council members disagreed with Boardman’s assessment of the

situation.

In fact, city officials in the economic development department have

said a redevelopment zone could shave five years off the expected 10-year

cleanup of the site.

“That site will not be cleaned up without the help of redevelopment

money,” Councilwoman Shirley Dettloff said. “That area is blighted and

needs help.”

Mayor Debbie Cook joined Boardman in the dissenting viewpoint, calling

the move “a wash” financially.

City leaders began holding community workshops on the issue more than

two years ago. They hope to bring more businesses to an area that hasn’t

had much economic vitality.

The move will pave the way for the city’s redevelopment leaders to

begin using property tax revenue to help spruce up an area of town that

includes both the Ascon/Nesi toxic waste dump and AES power plant.

The redevelopment zone will be bounded by Newland Street on the west,

Hamilton Avenue on the north, Magnolia Street on the east and Pacific

Coast Highway on the south.

A consultant hired by the city estimated the redevelopment agency

would receive $475,000 in non-housing revenue for the first year and

$491,000 in the second year under the plan.

Also, AES sank $240 million into the plant last summer by upgrading

two old generator units and bringing them back on line. One unit has

since been taken off line.

The agency could receive $2.4 million from that work to reinvest in

the area, officials have said.