Editor’s note: If you have a question about a city issue—or a suggestion for filing a Public Records Act request—email Associate Editor Charles M. Kelly at editor2@sunnews.org.
Lions food drive
In case you missed last week’s article about the Seal Beach Lions Club food drive, on Saturday, Feb. 13, and Saturday, Feb. 27. The drive thru food drive will be held at Baytown Realty from 9 to 11:30 a.m. The Lions are looking for non-perishable food.
Collection boxes are also available at Finbars Italian Kitchen, 1041 PCH, and at the Mary Wilson Library at 707 Electric Ave.
Some Bridgeport residents oppose PCH gas station
The city is still looking at the proposed construction of a new gas station at Pacific Coast Highway and Fifth Street. The project would include a convenience store. The project won’t move forward until a Planning Commission hearing his held. City staff doesn’t know when that will take place.
Meanwhile, the Sun has received a copy of a petition signed by 39 Bridgeport neighborhood residents who advocate a scaled-down version of the project. The petition also calls for an environmental impact report on the proposal.
The Environmental Quality Control Board recently approved a document called a mitigated negative declaration, which means the city officials believe the project’s potential environmental impact would be minimized by approved steps that the developer would take.
A resident emailed a copy of the petition to the Sun.
The Sun is waiting for the city to respond to a Public Records request about the project.
No hearing date
The Planning Commission was originally set to hold a public hearing on Feb. 1. A legal notice that included the commission hearing date was published in November 2020. (Legal notices are published in the back pages of the Sun.) The Sun reported on the gas station proposal on the front page in late November 2020. But the Feb. 1 Planning Commission meeting was canceled.
Community Development Director Les Johnson provided an update in an email sent, Monday, Feb. 8.
“To date, a 30-day comment period was provided for public review of the project’s environmental documents and the Environmental Quality Control Board (EQCB) met on December 9, 2020 to consider these documents,” Johnson wrote.
Some members of the public apparently didn’t know about the project until after the 30-day comment period had ended. Susan Perrell of Bridgeport was among those who were disappointed they had missed the comment period. She told the Sun this week that they—the people who signed the petition—had not heard back from the Planning Department.
Perrell said they did get a good response from Planning Commission a member and from two council members.
“Though a tentative date of February 1, 2021 was previously identified for the Planning Commission to consider this item, the project is not yet ready for their consideration,” Johnson wrote.
“The applicant is currently reviewing comments received and has requested that the project not proceed any further at this time. The applicant recently informed city staff that they intend to meet with neighboring property owners and discuss the project before having it scheduled to go before the Planning Commission. As a result, we do not have a date identified for this item to go before the Planning Commission,” Johnson wrote.
The proposal
“The project proposes to construct a new gas station with a convenience store on a 26,793 square foot parcel (or a .62 acre site),” according to the notice published in the Sun last fall.
“The project proposes to construct a new gas station with a convenience store on a 26,793 square foot parcel (or a .62 acre site),” according to the notice.
As reported in November, the city received an application for a conditional use permit (the notice doesn’t say when) to install a 16-pump gas station and convenience store where the old ARCO used to be.
About the site
In mid-2009, the public learned that the soil in the Bridgeport neighborhood near the gas station had been contaminated with gasoline vapors.
At least four Bridgeport area homes were evacuated in December 2009 because of the environmental issue.
In 2011, the ARCO gas station that used to be located at 490 Pacific Coast Highway was bulldozed to make way for the “dig and haul” decontamination of the site.
Susan Perrell told the Sun on Feb. 8, 2021 that the residents had been dealing with the issue for 10 years. She said Bridgeport residents hadn’t heard anything about the property in a couple of years.
About the petition
The Bridgeport petition calls for, among other things:
• Reducing the operating and delivery hours to 7 a.m to 9 p.m.
• Limit the pumps to four; fuel dispensers to 8
• Limit the parking spaces to six
• Limit the size of the convenience store to 1,200 feet
• Require monthly inspection for pests
• Require a sound wall at least 10 feet high
Johnson said the city has shared the petition with the applicant.
Tables in the park
The city is looking at bringing outdoor dining tables back to the park. They could come back next month. The Sun sought confirmation from Community Development Director Les Johnson.
“I believe you’re referring to the Al Fresco Dining that the City was offering on Fridays and Saturdays at Eisenhower Park,” Johnson wrote in a 6:43 a.m., Monday, Feb. 8, email.
“It has yet to be determined as to when this activity will start back up. Depending upon weather and resources available, we hope to be able to offer this dining opportunity once again in March,” he wrote.
Lions to give away reading glasses at Sidewalk Sale this weekend
The Seal Beach Lions Club will give away free Foster Grant glasses at the Chamber of Commerce Old Town Sidewalk Sale this weekend. The sale will be held from 10 a.m.-to 6 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 13, and Sunday, Feb. 14, on Main Street.
“Their booth is on Main Street at the entrance to the Municipal lot next to California Cottage (118 Main),” according to Scott Newtons’s email.
All day on both days of the Sidewalk Sale. For more information about the Lions Club, email Newton at scottnewton2@hotmail.com.
Supervisor candidate forum set for Friday, Feb. 12
A virtual Candidates Forum for the four candidates seeking to replace Michelle Steel on the Orange County Board of Supervisors will be held at 9 a.m., Friday, Feb. 12, on Zoom.
To register, visit https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_EwBj8l2kQ0-ibR3OEe4paw.
Police Chief Gonshak to speak to Chamber Feb. 11
Seal Beach Police Chief Phil Gonshak will speak at the 8 a.m., Thursday, Feb. 11, Chamber of Commerce (virtual) networking breakfast.
For more information, call the Chamber at (562) 799-0179.
