HUNTINGTON BEACH : City to Re-Examine Contested Condos

Stung by continued criticism of a multimillion-dollar condo complex allegedly built over an active earthquake fault in Huntington Harbour, city officials this week pledged to make a thorough review of the controversial development.

The results of the review will be publicly presented to the City Council, said City Administrator Michael T. Uberuaga, who announced his plans for reviewing the condo project Monday night after a Huntington Harbour resident again criticized the development.

The resident, Barbara Devlin, presented several documents to the City Council which she said reveal that the condo project was built on state-owned land without the state’s permission.

Devlin is a plaintiff in a lawsuit before the state Court of Appeal that challenges the legality of the Huntington Harbour Bay Club condominiums at 4165-67 Warner Ave. Among other things, the suit asserts that the condos were illegally built over part of the Newport-Inglewood earthquake fault, in violation of state law.

In her presentation Monday night, Devlin said officials of both the State Lands Commission and the state attorney general’s office have questioned how and why Huntington Beach officials allowed the condominiums to be built.

“I (am) asking the mayor and City Council . . . that we receive a full explanation of how and why all these errors occurred, and what you will do to make sure it never occurs again,” Devlin said.

In response, Uberuaga said city staff would study the condo issue and subsequently send a “comprehensive response” to the council and the public.

Councilwoman Grace Winchell, who opposed the condo project, said Monday that the issue needs a thorough airing.

“I feel very strongly that this needs to be addressed and reported on by the (city) staff,” Winchell said. “If we erred, then we need to clarify that error.”