SEAL BEACH : Wetlands Plan May Be OKd This Time

Mola Development Corp.’s updated plan for the restoration of 41.4 acres of wetlands in northwest Seal Beach was submitted to the city and the California Coastal Commission for review this week.

Though the plan is very similar to the one rejected by the commission’s staff in January, commission analyst Larry Simon said this proposal will be recommended for approval at the board’s March 15 meeting.

The previous plan included too much open water and proposed slopes that were too steep, the commission staff said. But now that the state Department of Fish and Game has approved a larger portion of water for the wetlands, the staff is prepared to approve a new plan calling for 47% of the area to be open water, Simon said, adding:

“The commission staff feels at this point that the plan is a fairly good one.”

Simon said the staff is no longer concerned about the steepness of the slopes because improved illustrations provided by Mola show the slopes are more gradual than they first appeared.

The wetlands restoration is part of Mola’s 355-unit residential project slated for the Old Hellman Ranch property. Plans call for the wetlands to be fully functional within five years, at which time the land will be dedicated to a state environmental agency.