Signal Hill : Emergency Moratorium Halts Residential Project
Signal Hill’s biggest development project--1,200 residential units on a hilltop--is on hold for at least 45 days under an emergency building moratorium enacted by the City Council this week.
The council voted unanimously to halt the development over the protests of Irvine-based Southwest Diversified Inc., which is ready to go ahead with the residential buildings on 130 acres of the city’s hilltop area.
City Manager Doug LaBelle said the moratorium will allow the council and the community to carefully study the city’s most ambitious development plan, looking at roads, the housing balance, cost and other issues.
“The bottom-line reason is to enable the council and the community a reasonable opportunity to develop a plan for this very important community resource,” LaBelle said.
The city has been negotiating with the developer since December.
The moratorium, effective immediately, could be lifted May 15, allowing building to begin under strict rules if the council so chooses, LaBelle said. Otherwise, it could be extended for up to two years, he said.
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