The great American pastime is bashing lawyers. Seldom do we hear any plaudits about their great accomplishments for their clients. The attorney for the Bay City Partners deserves such accolades.
His efforts obtained the following for his clients:
A nonrefundable $900,000 payment from the city for a limited lease of a driveway to the city parking lot, a bike trail, and a sewer outlet.
The city cedes any claim to Ocean Avenue extension, the city street, which bordered the south side of the DWP generating plant.
The city changes the zoning of the DWP property from commercial to residential.
The city abandons the 70-30 requirements between commercial and park and open space zoning.
The city and its employees agree to promote Bay City’s proposal.
The city waives any claim for Quimby Act park improvement fees and for any affordable housing requirement.
The city agrees to dismiss its condemnation lawsuit against Bay City Partners and pay up to $10,000 in their court costs.
The city agrees to process Bay City’s proposal for half price.
As the ads on TV state, “But wait, there’s more!”
The city will give the Bay City Partners 7,000 square feet of city land at the corner of Marina and First Street.
The city will pay for and build a fence between the residents and the undeveloped park land/open space.
The city agrees the Bay City Partners may grade the park land/open space.
And what does the city derive from this agreement?
It has the right to buy the park/open space left over from the housing tract for $1,100,000.
I don’t know who the attorney was who represented Bay City Partners, but he surely got his clients a windfall.
The city’s attorney once again got suckered.
Bruce Stark is a longtime resident of Seal Beach and an attorney who has argued cases successfully in front of the United States Supreme Court.
