Huntington Beach : Moratorium on Landfill Excavation May Be Lifted

A moratorium on excavation or development of the Ascon landfill will be lifted if the City Council approves a proposed change in a city law covering such actions.

The code amendment would make any excavation subject to a conditional use permit hearing. The developer would have to submit specific plans and an analysis of the chemical content in addition to putting up a bond to ensure completion of the job, said city planner Howard Zelefsky.

“Two years ago, there was nothing in the code” to cover such actions, he said, noting that the Ascon, located near Magnolia Street and Hamilton Avenue, is one of two landfills in Huntington Beach. A city landfill is located at Talbert Avenue and Gothard Street.

The City Council imposed a moratorium in October, 1983. The owners of the 38-acre site, which was a dumping ground for oil-drilling wastes in the 1940s, have indicated that they would like to develop residences on the site although no plans have been submitted, Zelefsky said.

The council will also consider an amendment to its ordinance regulating adult entertainment businesses. A proposed change would require any sale of such a business to come before the City Council for approval.