Southeast : Long Beach Swaps Marsh for Landfill
Call it marshes for trash.
The Port of Long Beach puts up $31 million to buy and preserve a big piece of Orange County wetlands--a parcel of land on which developers wanted to build 800 homes. In return, the port gets to conduct a major landfill project in Long Beach Harbor.
The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners on Monday approved the complicated swap that would preserve and restore the Bolsa Chica Wetlands in Huntington Beach.
Four federal environmental agencies have approved it as well, and three state agencies are expected to sign on this week. The Port of Los Angeles today is scheduled to consider putting up another $31 million.
Even the developer likes it. Koll Real Estate Group had planned to build 3,300 homes on 1,200 acres but would reduce the total to 2,500. The purchase would preserve 930 acres.
For the expansion-minded Long Beach port, the deal could mean up to 300 acres of landfill in the area of the former Long Beach Naval Station. “There are numerous customers who are interested in [the landfill] for a new container terminal,” said port spokeswoman Yvonne Avila.
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