Local News in Brief : Huntington Beach : Wetlands Bill Hearing Scheduled for Tonight

A public hearing on legislation that would establish a governing district for the controversial and environmentally sensitive Bolsa Chica wetlands will be held tonight in the City Council chambers.

Hundreds of people are expected to attend the 7 p.m. meeting, at which they will be able to express their views of the bill known as SB 1517, authored by state Sen. Marian Bergeson (R-Newport Beach). Side rooms to the chamber will be opened for added space and the proceedings will be televised on local cable Channel 3.

Bergeson has said the city’s stand on the bill will be given top priority. The bill is expected to go before state lawmakers again in the next few weeks.

The planned development falls within unincorporated county territory, but is surrounded by Huntington Beach, which expects to annex the project at some time.

Bergeson’s bill would establish a “Bolsa Bay Harbor and Conservation District” and its board of directors would govern early stages of a proposed residential and marina development. SB 1517 also calls for restoration of 915 acres of wetlands.

The city staff and its private consultants have recommended the City Council endorse the bill with conditions, including assurances that the city’s jurisdiction and future plans for annexation are protected.