The council on Dec. 8 discussed an appeal of a recent Planning Commission decision to approve a permit for a solar panel project. Citing environmental concerns, the Los Cerritos Wetlands Trust appealed the decision to the council.
The project would put 56 solar table structures on oil facility land near, but not in, Los Cerritos Wetlands.
The council voted 4-1 to continue the appeal hearing, which will return to the council on Feb. 9.
Due to space limits, the Sun will look at the discussion in detail next week. The hearing came near the end of a roughly four-hour council meeting. The hearing went on for so long that the council had to vote on whether to continue the council meeting that night. The council kept going.
Thirteen members of the public spoke out against the proposed solar panel project, which would be located near the Los Cerritos Wetlands. Most of them called for an environmental impact report on the project.
The city received 22 emails, all opposed to the project in its current form. Most of the emails called for an environmental impact report.
District Five Councilman Nathan Steele said he did not want to hand Hellman Properties a bill for $400,000 and then have lawyers file lawsuits.
Staff had prepared a resolution to deny the appeal, which would allow the project to move forward.
District Two Councilman Ben Wong moved to approve the staff resolution denying the appeal. Had the resolution passed, it would have upheld the Planning Commission’s vote to grant a minor use permit for the project
Steele seconded Wong’s motion. Wong and Steele voted yes.
District Three Councilwoman/Mayor Lisa Landau and District Four Councilwoman Patty Senecal voted not.
District One Council Member Joe Kalmick abstained.
The motion was defeated.
Council members then discussed continuing the appeal hearing.
