Water Plan for Bolsa Chica Mesa Project Clears Hurdle

The California Public Utilities Commission signed off Thursday on an environmental impact report needed before a water pipeline for a proposed Bolsa Chica mesa development can be laid.

The commission also approved the Southern California Water Co.’s request to provide water and sewer service to the proposed 1,235-home development adjacent to the Bolsa Chica wetlands.

The approval Thursday will mean nothing if the Coastal Commission rejects the proposal by developer Hearthside Homes. But if the commission approves the project, it would mean one less hurdle for the developer before construction.

The Coastal Commission may review the plan at its Nov. 14 session.

SoCal Water proposed laying an 18-inch, 6.7-mile pipeline to the site from its facilities in Cypress, through Seal Beach, Westminster and Huntington Beach.

The environmental report prepared by California Public Utilities Commission with help from Aspen Environmental Group, prefers that Huntington Beach provide the pipeline because that would have less impact compared to SoCal Water’s main proposal, spokesman Kyle DeVine said.

But Huntington Beach is unwilling to provide service unless the developer makes the development part of the city. The land is currently in unincorporated Orange County, DeVine said.

Certification of an environmental plan is one of many approvals the developer needs to build homes. Orange County certified such a plan in 1996 for the development, which assumed that Huntington Beach would provide the water service.

But since an agreement between the city and the developer has not been reached, SoCal Water proposed building the pipeline, necessitating another plan, DeVine said.