SEAL BEACH : Officials to Discuss Wetlands Project

City officials will present their critique of the Koll Co.’s Bolsa Chica development plan at a meeting tonight.

The city has long expressed concerns about the 4,286-home development near Huntington Beach, fearing it will increase traffic and noise in nearby Seal Beach neighborhoods.

The city’s environmental quality control board will discuss the project’s recently released environmental impact report and focus on what the development would mean to traffic along Pacific Coast Highway, Seal Beach Boulevard and other major roads.

The meeting also will give the public an opportunity to comment on the proposal.

The city plans to send a detailed letter to the Koll Co. and county planners outlining the Seal Beach’s concerns about the impact report.

The letter, written by Seal Beach’s planning staff, questions the report’s assertion that traffic congestion will be eased by the widening of Pacific Coast Highway from four to six lanes through Sunset Beach and Seal Beach.

City officials said it is possible the road will never be widened and that planners should take that into account when calculating how the Bolsa Chica development will affect traffic patterns.

“If the (widening) is not going to occur, we don’t think it should be considered,” Planning Director Lee Whittenberg said.

The Koll Co. seeks to build the homes on 400 acres of unincorporated land near Warner Avenue and Pacific Coast Highway.

Residents in Huntington Beach are divided over the project. More than 500 people attended a public meeting on the issue last week.

The Seal Beach hearing begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Council Chambers.