Pragmatic Move on Bolsa Chica

Early this week, a divided Huntington Beach City Council voted to begin annexing the Bolsa Chica wetlands, the longtime focus of community concern about preservation and development.

Many are unhappy, but in making this decision the city has taken a pragmatic approach. Plans for development are far along after 30 years of debate, but at least the city can reserve for itself some authority over what happens at the site, which is in an unincorporated county area. That authority ought to count for something.

Also, in a city that prides itself on quality of life but is hard-pressed to find new sources of tax revenue, it helps that some $2 million in one-time permit and other fees potentially can be realized by acting now. An annexation at a later date would put the city in a position of paying more in new services than it would get back in taxes from the residential development.

The Bolsa Chica story is a long-running tale of incremental steps. The decision by the council will set off a new round of discussion, because now there will have to be intensive negotiations over the blueprint for the 200-acre mesa.

It is important to remember that the wetlands themselves were taken off the table in February 1997, when the state bought 880 acres. This was a substantial achievement. For the many people in Huntington Beach who would prefer no development at all at Bolsa Chica, this was a victory of sorts. There previously were plans for houses in the wetlands area. The project is now reduced considerably from its size of a decade ago, when 6,000 homes were proposed. After years of wrangling, the developer has an agreement with the county to build 1,235 homes on the mesa.

In annexing the site, the city ensures itself some leverage. It will provide water to new homes and have room for negotiation on a buffer for the wetlands, fewer homes and more park space. Nevertheless, there are many who hold out hope that the mesa can be purchased and preserved. Environmentalists continue to have concerns that building on the mesa will damage the ecosystem.

Voting now for annexation no doubt is seen by some as throwing in the towel. But Councilwoman Shirley S. Dettloff expressed a sensible ordering of priorities in favoring annexation. She said that the city needs to be positioned to have some say over a development plan that is moving forward quickly.