Huntington Beach Happenings
by: Chris MacDonald
Published: September 9, 2024
HUNTINGTON BEACH...Mark your calendars for Wednesday September 18th from 2pm to 10pm. You can get a Big Cheese Burger for just $4 at Farmer Boys at 6962 Edinger Avenue in Huntington Beach. Questions Call: (714) 274-7006.
Huntington Beach Assistant City Clerk Juan Esquivel provided a link to the action agenda of the previous Huntington Beach City Council Meeting on Tuesday September 3rd, 2024.
Huntington Beach Planning Commissioner Tracy Pellman Said: Tuesday, September 10, 2024 Civic Center, Council Chambers 2000 Main Street Huntington Beach, CA 92648 Regular Meeting - 6:00 PM.
CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT NO. 23-007 (MIDWAY CONCEPTS MIXED USE PROJECT) REQUEST: CUP: To permit the construction of a four-story mixed-use project consisting of ground floor podium parking and 1,000 sq. ft. of commercial space, and 15 residential units on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th floors in the Neighborhood Boulevard Segment of the Beach and Edinger Corridors Specific Plan (SP14), with reduced front yard setbacks along the Beach Blvd. and Speer Drive frontages. LOCATION: 7942 Speer Drive, 92647 (Southwest corner of Beach Boulevard at Speer Drive)
Recommended Action: That the Planning Commission take the following actions: A) Find the proposed project exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15182 of the CEQA Guidelines and Government Code 65457. B) Approve Conditional Use Permit No. 23-007 with findings and conditions of approval.
REVISED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT NO. 21-004, GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT NO. 21-004, ZONING MAP AMENDMENT NO. 21-003, ZONING TEXT AMENDMENT NO. 22-005, CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT NO. 21-024 (BOLSA CHICA SENIOR CARE COMMUNITY) REQUEST: REVISED EIR: To analyze the potential environmental impacts associated with the revised project; GPA: Revise the General Plan Land Use Map designation from Commercial General (CG) to Mixed Use (MU) with a Specific Plan Overlay; ZMA: To amend the zoning designation from Commercial General (CG) to Specific Plan 19 (SP-19); ZTA: To establish the Bolsa Chica Senior Care Community Specific Plan including development standards for height, open space, and convalescent uses on the subject site; CUP: To demolish 50,000 sq. ft. of existing commercial space and construct a new four-story 215,000 sq. ft. convalescent facility with on-site alcohol sales and consumption at a maximum overall height of 49.5 ft., consisting of 159 total units, a subterranean parking garage, and associated hardscape and landscape improvements on a property with a grade differential above three feet. LOCATION: 4952 & 4972 Warner Avenue, 92649 (Southwest corner of Bolsa Chica Street and Warner Avenue)
Recommended Action: The Planning Commission has discretionary purview only over the Conditional Use Permit portion of the project request. The City Council has discretionary purview over the revised EIR, General Plan Amendment, Zoning Map Amendment, and Zoning Text Amendment. Therefore, the Planning Commission may take the following actions: A) Recommend certification of Environmental Impact Report No. 21-004 as adequate and complete in accordance with CEQA requirements by approving draft City Council Resolution No. 24-XX and forward to the City Council for adoption (Attachment No. 2); and Recommend approval of General Plan Amendment No. 21-004 by approving draft City Council Resolution No. 24-XX (Attachment No. 3), Zoning Map Amendment No. 21-003with findings (Attachment No. 1) by approving draft City Council Ordinance No. XXXX (Attachment No. 4), and Zoning Text Amendment No. 22-005 with findings (Attachment No. 1) by approving draft City Council Resolution No. 24-XX (Attachment No. 5); and Approve Conditional Use Permit No. 21-024with findings and conditions of approval (Attachment No. 1). B) Deny General Plan Amendment No. 21-004/Zoning Map Amendment No. 21- 003/Zoning Text Amendment No. 22-005/Conditional Use Permit No. 21- 024/Environmental Impact Report No. 21-004. C) Continue Environmental Impact Report No. 21-004, General Plan Amendment No. 21-004, Zoning Map Amendment No. 21-003, Zoning Text Amendment No. 22-005, and Conditional Use Permit No. 21-024 and direct staff accordingly.
The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Huntington Beach Planning Commission is Tuesday, September 24, 2024, at 6:00 PM in Council Chambers, Civic Center, 2000 Main Street, Huntington Beach, California.
Huntington Beach City Historian Jerry Person presents Remember When
Reservoir Hill Remembered
This week we are going to remember a small piece of land just east of Goldenwest Street and Summit that at one time formed the northern boundary of Huntington Beach. Long time resident knew this patch of land as Reservoir Hill and even some of its colorful history.
When the township of Huntington Beach was laid out early in the last century, the area originally was earmarked as the town's cemetery.
From about 1904 to 1907 approximately 12 people were buried there. The city in 1907 needed more water pressure to supply its residents and Reservoir Hill was selected. The hill still has a pumping station there.
Forget about that old adage about eternal rest as the 12 were dug up and reburied in a cemetery on Magnolia, north of Garden Grove Blvd. in Garden Grove. So much for spending eternity in beautiful Huntington Beach by the Sea.
Pioneer resident Gordie Higgins once told me that when the dug up the graves, in one man's grave was found a metal box buried with his bones. He said that it was reburied with him and what was in it is still a mystery today.
The Huntington Beach Company who owned the hill then leased it to Standard Oil in 1919 and was known as the "A" lease. Mr. S. Howell Gester of Standard's Geological Department pointed out in a report to his company that there was a good possibility of oil in this area and on December 1919 drilling began at Well No.1 this well became known to the world as Huntington A-1.
On May 24, 1920 the 2199 foot well came in at 45 barrels a day and starting Huntington Beach on its long road of oil production history. On Saturday, September 10, 1960, the city, Standard Oil and the Petroleum Production Pioneers commemorated the site of the first well with a stone marker fitted with a bronze plaque.
Over 250 oil men, civic leaders and politicians attended including State Senator John A. Murdy Jr., State Assemblyman Richard Hanna, Orange Co. Supervisor C.M. Featherly and H.B. Mayor Ernie Gisler.
When I spoke to a member of the Petroleum Pioneers years ago during the dedication of the park on May 24, 2002, I was told they safeguarded the marker and was later placed at Discovery Well Park west side of Goldenwest Street, a short distance from the original location of Well A-1 on top of the hill.