Neighbors Unite to Back Seal Beach Measure

The controversy is an old one that occurs regularly in cities around the country.

It pits developers against environmentalists, residents versus capitalists. And the issues are usually settled by referendum. But this one has a twist because many residents affected by a local land battle can’t vote on it.

So a sizable number of Rossmoor and Los Alamitos residents have joined forces again with a Seal Beach group called Citizens Against Excessive Traffic to help stop commercial development of a large parcel of land. Measure M, which will be on the March 7 ballot, is for Seal Beach residents only.

If Measure M fails, the property across the street from the Rossmoor Shopping Center on Seal Beach Boulevard and Lampson Avenue will be the site of the proposed Bixby Towne Center and about 75 homes.

The Bixby Co. owns the 220-acre property, one of the last remnants of a huge cattle ranch that spanned 14,000 acres across Orange County. Currently it is zoned for commercial, residential and public land use. If the measure does pass, the zoning would revert to primarily recreational and golf usage.

“The people that are the closest to the project are the ones that feel the strongest because they would be the most affected by it in a negative way,” said Erwin Anisman, a Rossmoor resident and president of the Rossmoor Homeowners Assn.

The development, he said, would flank his neighborhood to the west. College Park East, a Seal Beach neighborhood, would be affected by it on the east.

Anisman and the Measure M supporters cite the environmental impact report, which indicates traffic in the immediate areas would increase by at least 13,500 cars a day.

Their grass-roots campaign, with headquarters at the Rossmoor Shopping Center on Seal Beach Boulevard, is relying heavily on donations and volunteer support from residents in Los Alamitos and Rossmoor.

The city of Los Alamitos is in the process of appealing a court decision that would allow the project to go through with some minor revisions in the plan. But if the measure passes, the issue is moot, said City Manager Robert Dominguez. If it doesn’t, they will be in court in 30 to 60 days.

Dawn Coleman, president of the Rossmoor Community Services District, said one way or another, the measure will affect those who live nearby.

“The residents of Rossmoor do feel that however this ends up, it will directly impact our community. There doesn’t seem to be an advantage to doing this other than it being another place to shop.”

Ana Cholo-Tipton can be reached at (714) 966-5890

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The Bixby Controversy

Although Rossmoor and Los Alamitos residents can’t vote on Measure M, they still want to have a voice in the decision.