SEAL BEACH : Surfside Moves Ahead With Utility Project

Residents of the city’s private Surfside community are moving forward with plans to take utility lines underground and to construct a new water system to eliminate what they say is an extreme fire hazard.

At the first of two public hearings, residents of the 258-home gated community packed council chambers Monday night for discussion of the $1.6-million proposal.

With a jumble of overhead lines running through the community, residents say, heavy ocean winds create the potential for a fire that could be hard to extinguish because of a limited number of fire hydrants as well as low water pressure.

The project would be funded through the creation of an assessment district and the sale of bonds estimated to cost homeowners $9,000 for each residential parcel. If the plan is approved, the city will create the assessment district but will not be responsible for any costs.

Last July, 69% of Surfside property owners signed a petition in favor of the project. A $600 water hookup charge already planned will now be included in the assessment district cost. The second public hearing is scheduled for June 12, when council members will vote on the creation of the assessment district.