Bolsa Chica Project Still Is in Limbo

A local developer this week failed to convince an appeals court to immediately take up the question of whether a state panel incorrectly approved a 1,235-home development next to the fragile Bolsa Chica wetlands near Huntington Beach.

A Superior Court judge earlier ruled that the state Coastal Commission improperly approved the development, which could delay the project for as much as a year or more.

In response, landowner Koll Real Estate Group had petitioned the appeals court to correct what the developer termed “a clear legal error” in Judge Judith McConnell’s ruling, which sent the development back to the Coastal Commission.

The 4th District Court of Appeal denied Koll’s petition Monday but said that appeals in the case will be expedited, an action praised by Koll officials. Koll is appealing McConnell’s ruling.

The Bolsa Chica project has produced several tangled court challenges and appeals, with environmentalists contending that the housing development will damage the adjoining wetlands.

News that the court appeals will be speeded up was praised by Lucy Dunn, spokeswoman for landowner Koll Real Estate Group, now known as Coastal Community Builders. “We think it was a wise decision by the court,” Dunn said.

And Paul Horgan, attorney for the Bolsa Chica Land Trust that brought the suit, called the appeals court decision a victory for environmentalists. As for the speeded-up appeals, he said: “I just think it’s appropriate that the court addresses issues in a timely manner.”