HUNTINGTON BEACH CITY COUNCIL PREVIEW

Here are a few items the council will consider Monday:

PACIFIC CITY AMENDMENT

The council will hold a public hearing to approve a plan amendment for the Pacific City project regarding affordable housing and park-fund fees. The 31-acre Pacific City project is under construction near the pier in downtown Huntington Beach. The 191,000-square-foot project includes a 165-room luxury boutique hotel, retail and restaurant space, about 516 condominiums and a two-acre park.

WHAT TO EXPECT

The council plans to hear public comments on this item and will likely approve the amendment, excepting Councilwomen Jill Hardy and Debbie Cook.

The amendment allows real estate developer Makar Properties to make changes to its affordable housing and park fees requirements.

This item will be voted on in conjunction with another agreement that the city plans to sign with Makar. The contract with Pacific City developers, titled Owner Participation Agreement, will pave the way for Makar to build the new senior center if Measure T is approved in the November elections.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING PACT

The City Council will vote on approving $400,000 in funds from home investment partnership funds for an affordable housing project with Jamboree Housing Corp.

WHAT TO EXPECT

The city and Jamboree Housing Corp. plan to start work on acquiring or building affordable housing in the next six months to meet a Housing Urban Development requirement. The project will be funded by about $360,000 from the 2004-05 home investment partnership program and another $42,000 from the 2005-06 partnership funds. The item was submitted by Economic Development Director Stanley Smalewitz.

SENIOR CENTER CONTRACT

Council members hope to approve an agreement with Makar’s Makallon Atlanta Huntington Beach LLC, who will build a new senior center at the Central Park site if it’s approved by voters in November in exchange for the park fees that they would have to pay to the city in lieu of not building parks at Pacific City.

WHAT TO EXPECT

The item will likely pass, with Cook and Hardy voting against it. Under the agreement, Makar will give $5.5 million to the city to build an urban runoff system and to extend Pacific View Drive. The city will repay that loan over 20 years from taxes generated by the commercial and hotel portions of the Pacific City project. Makar has also agreed to pay about $20 million in housing fees.

The developer will design and build the senior center in exchange for paying about $25 million in park fees to the city. They will also pay for furniture, lighting fixtures and equipment for the proposed center.

— Compiled by Purnima Mudnal