At his final Planning Commission meeting on Monday, Nov.1, Interim Community Development Director Barry Curtis brought up the matter of height limits in the trailer park.
Most of Seal Beach has a residential height limit of 25 feet, or two stories.
The trailer park, now known as Seal Beach Shores, is located in District Three.
Curtis said that about 12 or 13 years ago, the issue of height limits became a contentious issue in town. According to Curtis, staff would not recommend creating a separate height limit for the trailer park.
District Three Commissioner Michael Thomas said he agreed that the Planning Commission would not want to increase the height limit everywhere.
However, he argued that trailer homes could be built above the 25-foot height limit and that the subject warrants a deeper look.
The Assistant City Attorney Amy Greyson said there might be a possibility of state law preempting city action on mobile home parks.
Commissioner Thomas requested something written.
Greyson suggested he could request an agenda item for a future Planning Commission meeting.
Thomas said he would like that. He said some of his constituents have asked to build higher.
Greyson suggested no further discussion of the matter, as the issue wasn’t on the agenda.
Greyson said he would like a future agenda item.
District Two Commissioner Ronde Winkler said this was not an agendåized item.
She said she was puzzled as to why they were spending so much time discussing it.
In November 2008, an overwhelming majority of Seal Beach voters voted to limit Old Town houses to 25 feet, or two stories.
The citywide vote concluded a lengthy political fight over residential height limits in Old Town that lead to an urgency ordinance, a petition drive to repeal the ordinance, and ultimately a decision to put the matter before Seal Beach voters.
After the election, it turned out that the city code still allows three story houses on the so-called Gold Coast, provided the third story may only be seen from the beach.
