Part two of two.
As reported last week, the appeal of a controversial solar panel project will be on the Seal Beach City Council agenda on Feb. 9. The following is a look at highlights from the City Council discussion of the issue on Dec. 8, 2025, the last council meeting of the year.
Background
Hellman Properties has proposed a solar panel project at the Hellman Ranch Oil and Gas Production facility in Seal Beach. The project would place three solar arrays, made up of 56 tables, on the Hellman property. The Oil and Gas Production facility is near the Los Cerritos Wetlands. During the Dec. 8 public hearing, a representative of Hellman Properties indicated they would be open to scaling down the project.
Many critics of the project have called for an environmental impact report on the proposal. Others have called on the city to consider alternatives to the project.
The Seal Beach Planning Commission approved the project in a 2-1 vote in September 2025. The Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust filed an appeal of the Planning Commission’s decision that was received on Oct. 8.
On Dec. 8, District Two Councilman Ben Wong made a motion to approve the staff resolution denying the appeal. However, the vote ended in a 2-2 tie with District One Councilman Joe Kalmick abstaining. Kalmick abstained because the site was “pretty barren” and also because of as his position as vice chair of the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority.
Discussion
The city received 22 emails, all opposed to the project in its current form.
“With the analysis set forth in the Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration, and the mitigation measures from the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program incorporated into the Project, all potential impacts have been reduced to a level of less than significant,” wrote Interim Community Development Director Shaun Temple in his staff report.
(Note: A Mitigated Negative Declaration means the city officially determines that the environmental impact of a project can be minimized if approved steps are taken by the project developer.)
Elizabeth Lambe, executive director of the Los Cerritos Wetlands Trust, said she there are now only 500 acres left of Los Cerritos Wetlands .
Lambe said the Wetlands Trust had no objection to the Hellman property, but the trust objected to more infrastructure on the land.
She said the Trust feared the solar panels would interfere with the effort to bring back vital species in the wetlands.
Lambe called on the city to deny the project. She also requested an environmental impact report. Attorney Douglas Carstens of Carstens, Black & Minteer, asked the council to reject the project or require an EIR. Carstens’ firm represented the Wetlands Trust.
Devon Shay, general manager for Hellman Properties, said the project started more than four years ago. She said the intent was to offset Hellman Properties’ need for electricity from the grid and to return any excess electricity for free to the grid. She said Southern California Edison had asked Hellman Properties to fund a quarter million dollars in infrastructure upgrades that would benefit Hellman, the Seal Beach Police, Public Works, and anyone on that line.
“It seems like it covers a lot of ground when I’m looking at this overhead view right here,” said District Five Councilman Nathan Steele. He asked if they could live with half that much.
Shay said Hellman Properties doesn’t necessarily need the amount that is on the grid.
District Three Councilwoman/Mayor Lisa Landau asked about the cost of an EIR.
Shay did not have the figure.
Temple said the city’s recent EIR (apparently referring to the one required for the citywide Zoning Code update) cost about $470,000.
Thirteen individuals spoke against the project during the public hearing. No one spoke in favor of the project.
District One Council Member Joe Kalmick asked how long would an EIR delay the project.
According to Temple, at least another year.
Following the public hearing, at which all the speakers called for either an EIR or alternatives to the project, the council discussed the issue.
City Attorney Nicholas Ghirelli said if the council believes there is substantial evidence showing that there is a significant environmental impact from the project, then an EIR would be prepared.
District One Council Member Joe Kalmick said the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority is taking no position on the project. (Note: The Wetlands Authority is a separate entity from the Wetlands Land Trust. The Trust was incorporated in 2001, according to the Land Trust website. The Wetlands Authority is a government entity created in 2006, according to the Wetlands Authority website.) Kalmick said the Wetlands Authority’s executive director feels the solar project is parallel to but separate from the wetlands restoration project.
Senecal said the council needed to continue the conversation (about the solar panel project). She said she spent at least 10 hours reading the project document.
“If I was going to vote right now, I would probably say let the lawyers take it over,” said Councilman Steele.
He opposed having the Hellman Properties pay for an EIR, delaying the decision for months and then having lawyers involved.
Kalmick said he recognized the environmental concerns that have been raised. “What do you suspect an EIR is going to tell us that we really don’t know now?” Kalmick asked.
“If you could find a way to downsize this, I would really appreciate that because the way it looks right now with that last red block that comes right up underneath Heron Point,” Steele said.
District Two Councilman Ben Wong said the 56 solar tables was what Hellman Properties was asking for. Wong did not see how the solar panels took away from the aesthetics.
Ultimately, the council voted to continue the hearing to next year. The council discussed two dates in January. However, Devon Shay, general manager for Hellman Properties, said she was not available on Jan. 26.
