LOCAL ELECTIONS: SEAL BEACH CITY COUNCIL : Hastings, Forsythe Win Seats in Runoff
Marilyn Bruce Hastings and Gwen Forsythe defeated their opponents in a runoff election Tuesday for two open seats on the Seal Beach City Council.
According to Hastings and other local leaders, many of whom have viewed the election as a referendum on the proposed $200-million Mola Development Corp. project, Hasting’s victory over Planning Commissioner Joe Rullo reflects an anti-Mola sentiment in the city’s District 1.
“I think this indicates that the people want to strike a better deal with Mola or consider other uses for that land,” Hastings said. “I would think that now maybe it won’t be quite so easy for all this significant development to come in here.”
Forsythe, who conditionally supports the proposed development on the Hellman Ranch property, said her victory over Galen Ambrose in the District 3 race means district residents “want sensible growth in Seal Beach.”
Overall, it is difficult to determine residents’ attitudes on the development based on the election, Forsythe said.
Tuesday’s election replaces outgoing Mayor Victor S. Grgas and Councilwoman Joyce Risner, both of whom supported the development. Both have reached their two-term limit.
The controversial Mola project was approved by the City Council last fall. The plan called for 329 single-family homes on about 70 acres, 26 acres of parks and 41 acres of restored wetlands.
However, in March, a Superior Court decision invalidated the city’s approvals and sent the project back to the City Council for reconsideration.
Until this week, it was thought that the new council would decide the fate of the Mola project, but the council decided Monday night to attempt to approve the project before the new council members are seated next Tuesday.
The council voted 4 to 1, with Councilman Frank Laslo dissenting, to hold special meetings on Thursday and next Tuesday to vote on the project. According to state law, the council must approve this proposal twice at public meetings at least five days apart.
ELECTION RETURNS
Seal Beach City Council
District 1 100% Precincts Reporting Votes % Marilyn Bruce Hastings 542 57.0 Joe Rullo 409 43.0
District 2 100% Precincts Reporting Votes % Gwen Forsythe 939 60.5 Galen F. Ambrose 613 39.5 Turnout 39.6%
* Incumbent
Elected candidates are in bold type.
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