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Change Is In The Wind.........

10/12/2015

 
This site is not only to keep Long Beach residents advised about LGB activities, but to present projects that could have impacts throughout our city.

There are two proposed Long Beach projects that you may be interested in casting your opinion on during this next month.

  The first is this coming Thursday, October 15th at 5:00 p.m. in the council chambers located at 333 Ocean Blvd.  The Planning Commission will be hearing the request to build a new 131 single family home community where the Will J. Reid Boy Scout park was located. 

New single family housing for our city sounds good, until you examine the details provided.  The city has created a new zoning for this project.  It will allow these homes to be built on a 10 acre plot of land.  Each lot size is 2400 square feet with the homes being 2 or 3 stories.  How large is your home?  Compare the average 2000 sq.ft home and now imagine building a home within these boundaries, with a garage and a yard.  Tight quarters for sure!  So my question remains, will this result in another lesson learned like the "cracker box" buildings that were allowed in the 80's?  Those projects scattered throughout the city, proved to be a disaster for the communities and a drain on public resources as they turned to decayed properties laden with crime.

To approve this project the zoning must be changed from Open Space (park land) to RP-13 that will allow 13 homes per acre.  Why would the city allow such density in an already challenged area of our city?  Why would the city give up valuable park land that this area of Long Beach could benefit from? 

The Boy Scouts abandoned this camp years ago for what they claimed was a financial decision to reinvest in other Boy Scout properties and programs.  They had that right, but we were firm that the zoning changes would not be allowed.  Today, that change is on the table for approval. 

The agreement includes that the builder, Integral Communities, will complete the Oregon Park soccer fields located at Oregon and Del Amo Blvd.  This property was purchased by RDA around 2008-9 with the intent to provide the community with another recreational source that would include 2-3 soccer fields and a small playground area.  Instead, the allocated funding was then used to complete building of the new eastside police sub-station. 

Two concerns here are:

1.  Is it wise to hand over 10 acres of much needed open space land that could be incorporated into the Dominguez Gap wetlands area?  The answer will be there is no money to acquire the property.  One day, there will be.

2.  If approval is given and the soccer fields are built by Integral Communities what will the composition of the artificial turf be?  There is much controversy over some of the materials being used even though the EPA has not taken a defensive stand.  Visit SynTurf.org to gather more information on this subject. 

Then take the time to write your council office with a cc to all district offices and the office of the mayor.  Come down on October 15th and support a neighborhood community! 

Stay Involved!

Item #2 can be viewed through the Hot Topics site.  More to come on that next time.
Debbie Flynn
10/13/2015 01:03:19 pm

Illegal dumping needs to be addressed in North Long Beach. I am tired of having to use my two free pickups from the city for the illegal dumping. I will not spend another dime on having a private company to come out and pick it up. Councilman Rex Richardson doesnt seem to care about it but I do because its started to stink up the neighborhood.

Joe Weinstein
10/15/2015 12:29:31 pm

Unfortunately neither your blog nor city planning department nor planning commission provide any website materials that precisely specify the details on Will Reid that you speak of. It's now less than 5 hours to the Commission meeting and the city's Legistar doesn't even have an agenda for the meeting, let alone mention the Will Reid project as being on such an agenda, let alone offer materials on the Will Reid project.

It is impossible to comment definitively on an unspecified project.
And for that matter, neither your blog nor the city planning department say how and by when and to where to submit written or e- comment for the record.

The entire planning commission process - and even your well-intended attempt to influence it - seem both to be farcical in this case - even more than in cases past that I have witnessed. I do not have leisure to show up at long meetings, let alone comment responsibly on undefined and or skimpily revealed material concerning which decisions are to be made at the meeting.

So far as I can tell, the Will Reid proposal is intended to create a 10-acre urban slum. If sufficient definitive details emerge I may be able to show up to support others' appeal to the Council. Sorry, absent further info and reference support I can't do more now.


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