HUNTINGTON BEACH : City Criticizes County Over Wetlands Plan

City Council members this week criticized county officials for refusing to hold a public hearing on an environmental impact report dealing with development of the Bolsa Chica wetlands.

Councilman Ralph Bauer told county representatives that the proposed Bolsa Chica project of more than 4,000 homes may be the most important ever in the city and that it is “outrageous” not to accept public comments.

He also claimed the county “reneged” on a commitment to hold a hearing in the city so that residents could voice their opinions about the environmental document.

Tom Matthews, Orange County’s director of planning, said the county made no pledge to hold a public comment meeting in the city. He also said the county is meeting a standard policy of requiring written, not verbal, comments, so that officials can respond thoroughly and can keep records of their replies for legal purposes.

Matthews briefed the City Council and Planning Commission on Tuesday night on the environmental impact report process and timetables for future developments of the plan that appear headed to the Orange County Planning Commission at midyear.

Local residents can make written comments until the deadline of Feb. 18. Copies of the report are available at the Central Library and in the city clerk’s office at City Hall.

Several other controversies over the Bolsa Chica environmental report surfaced at Tuesday’s City Council meeting.

Some residents challenged council members agreeing to spend more than $130,000 earlier in the month for legal help and technical consultants to study the environmental report.

Resident Charles S. Barbara said “it is totally ridiculous” for the city to use the money for an outside consultant while being hit by budget shortfalls.

But resident Connie Boardman said the hiring of a consultant is a sound business decision because the city lacks experts to determine the adequacy of the environmental report.

Councilman David Sullivan said the consultants are needed in the areas of tidal hydrology, archeology, wetlands biology and liquefaction because there are no qualified experts on the city staff.

Also Tuesday night, the City Council in a closed session weighed the possibility of litigation to block the environmental report, should its consultant find problems in the document.

Mayor Linda Moulton-Patterson said Wednesday officials reached no decision but must be prepared to take legal action.

Councilman Earle Robitaille and Jim Silva boycotted the meeting.

Moulton-Patterson said the City Council will hold a special public hearing on Jan. 31 at 6 p.m. to give residents an opportunity to make their comments, at least to city officials.

The comments may be recorded and submitted in written form to the county, she said.

“It should be the county’s obligation to listen to the people who are most affected by development in the Bolsa Chica,” she said.

The Koll Real Estate Group seeks to build 4,286 homes on 400 acres inland of Pacific Coast Highway and surrounded by Huntington Beach city limits. For the right to build the homes, the company would spend about $48 million to restore 1,100 acres of wetlands by constructing a tidal inlet to the ocean to reintroduce a natural marsh.