Agreement Reached on Bolsa Chica : Coalition Adopts Plan to Restore 1,000 Acres of Coastal Wetlands

In a move that may end the 15-year battle over the Bolsa Chica wetlands, a coalition of preservationists, developers and local officials Monday adopted a broad plan that will restore at least 1,000 acres of wetlands and significantly limit development on the scenic coastal strip near Huntington Beach.

The agreement, seen as a major environmental victory, will eventually provide Orange County with one of the largest restored wetland preserves in the state.

Members of the Bolsa Chica Planning Coalition, formed only 6 months ago by Supervisor Harriett M. Wieder, hailed the plan as a breakthrough and said its passage through various federal, state and local agencies for final approval was virtually assured.

“I feel that this plan is, above all, sensitive to the needs and desires of the community,” said Wieder. “It reflects a commitment to develop a workable solution to environmental concerns.”

Said coalition member Shirley Dettloff, president of Amigos de Bolsa Chica, an environmental group that has fought to preserve the wetlands: “The coalition has done what many thought to be impossible. (The wetlands) is an area that the citizens of this community can enjoy now and (is) a gift to future generations.”

While the coalition must still grapple with specific components to be included in the new plan, Monday’s agreement includes significant concessions on the part of the principal landowner and developer, Signal Landmark Corp.

When the company bought the property in 1970, it envisioned developing a huge waterfront community with homes, a 1,400-slip marina, restaurants and hotels and a channel to the ocean that would be wide and deep enough for boats to navigate.

The new plan scales back many of the original development proposals, eliminating the bitterly contested navigable channel, the marina, and all commercial development. Residential development would be limited to 412 acres, although the total number of homes is still to be determined.

Signal has also agreed to contribute nearly 51 acres of property for use as parkland.

“This was one of the most politically complicated development projects I’ve ever been involved with,” said Signal President Peter Denniston. “It’s not a win for the developer, it’s a win for the community.”

The 1,600-acre strip of coastal property along the Pacific Coast Highway south of Warner Avenue is one of the last remaining saltwater marshes on the Southern California coastline. It is surrounded by the city of Huntington Beach but is unincorporated land administered by the County Board of Supervisors.

Even though a broad concept of restoring the Bolsa Chica has garnered support, the new plan still faces a few hurdles, among them finding a third party to purchase and restore portions of the wetlands, which is required under the agreement.

The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, which are required by federal law to replace wetlands they have destroyed elsewhere, have expressed interest but have not committed.

“We are looking into the merits of it, the amount of mitigation credit we would receive and the costs, but we aren’t close to a decision yet “ said Ralph G. Appy, a spokesman for the Port of Los Angeles.

However, Denniston said that Signal has contacted other potential buyers who might step in if the ports back away from the project and that the requirement will not hinder progress of the plan.

The California Department of Fish and Game has already indicated an interest in managing the restored wetlands, a spokeswoman for that agency said.

The plan must be approved also by a battery of state, federal and local agencies, including the Board of Supervisors and the California Coastal Commission. The board must withdraw the original development plan, approved by the county in 1984, and adopt the new one, while the Coastal Commission must review any new plan for compliance with coastal regulations.

All five voting members of the coalition--the city of Huntington Beach, the county, Signal Landmark Corp., Amigos de Bolsa Chica, and the State Lands Commission, which owns 200 acres of restored wetlands in the marsh--agreed on the final plan.

The coalition has agreed to continue meeting regularly to iron out details of the agreement and to shepherd the plan through the approval process.

Wieder said the group plans to have a detailed plan ready to submit to the Board of Supervisors that it hopes will be approved within a year.

WETLANDS COMPROMISE

A coalition of developers, environmentalists and officials have, for the first time, agreed on a plan to develop the controversial Bolsa Chica wetlands. Under the plan, housing will be limited to 412 acres and there will be no marina, navigable ocean channel or commercial development.

Acreage Summary

Wetlands / ESHA / Open Space 1,104.9 Residential 412.3 Roadways 53.7 Linear Park / ESHA 50.9 Flood Control Channel 13.2 Total 1,635