Sunset, neighbors need to file for annexation

Sunset Beach, the community slated for possible annexation by the city of Huntington Beach, will remain an independent entity unless the community or either of its neighboring cities files an application to the county, an official with the Orange County Local Agency Formation Commission said.

Earlier this month, the commission voted to place Sunset Beach under Huntington’s sphere of influence, which is a prerequisite for a city annexing a community. However, according to Carolyn Emery, the commission’s senior project manager, the process of annexation can’t begin unless Huntington, Sunset Beach or Seal Beach makes the first move.

During a town hall meeting last week, about 200 Sunset Beach residents voted overwhelmingly in favor of becoming part of Seal Beach if they had to be annexed, citing the city’s small population and the fear that becoming part of Huntington Beach would destroy the community’s small-town vibe. The commission, Emery said, placed the seaside community under Huntington’s sphere of influence for three main reasons: the fact that the area is mostly surrounded by Huntington, the water services that Huntington already provides to Sunset Beach, and the large number of children from Sunset Beach who attend Huntington schools.

“From a staffing perspective, as well as the commission’s determination, it was determined there was really no geographical connection from the community of Sunset Beach to the city of Seal Beach,” Emery said.

She noted, though, that the annexation process can’t begin until one of the parties files an application, something none of them has done yet. Huntington Beach Mayor Keith Bohr said the city is doing a cost analysis of the possible annexation, and that he and City Administrator Fred Wilson plan to meet Tuesday with members of the Sunset Beach Community Assn. to discuss the issue.

“That will be the first time we’ve engaged in any conversation at all,” Bohr said. “So we will see what they have to say.”

If more than one party applies for annexation, the commission will consider them as competing applications, Emery said. If only one party files, the commission can either approve, reject or amend the application, and Sunset Beach will remain independent until an application is approved.

Huntington Beach, Bohr said, is the logical home for Sunset Beach due to the services the city provides the community. In addition to water, he said, Huntington also provides backup police and fire services to Sunset Beach.

“If anybody’s going to annex them, we believe it should be us,” Bohr said.

When a city proposes to annex an area, Emery said, it must tell the public what its plans are for land use. For the first two years after annexation, she said, the city is locked into those guidelines, and any subsequent changes must be approved by the Planning Commission. She noted that due to Sunset Beach’s location, the California Coastal Commission would also have to approve any changes there.

“The city really has to make the case for why they would want to change anything,” Emery said.

Bohr, though, said he doesn’t foresee any sweeping renovations to Sunset Beach if the community falls under Huntington’s wing.

“If they didn’t read about it in the paper, I don’t think they would know the difference from one day to the next,” he said. “They’ll still have the same address. They’ll still be called Sunset Beach. They’ll still go to the same post office.”

City Editor MICHAEL MILLER can be reached at (714) 966-4617 or at michael.miller@latimes.com .