Coastal Commission vote: Where Poseidon desal plant failed, the Doheny proposal succeeded
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Good morning. It’s Friday, Oct. 14. I’m Carol Cormaci, bringing you today’s TimesOC newsletter with the latest roundup of news and events.
The California Coastal Commission on Thursday gave unanimous approval to the Doheny Ocean Desalination Plant, which will convert seawater to drinking water and be operated by the South Coast Water District, according to coverage of the commission’s meeting by L.A. Times reporter Hayley Smith.
The approval of the Dana Point project came with several conditions, but its acceptance is in stark contrast to the Coastal Commission’s full-throated rejection in May of the larger Poseidon desalination plant that had been proposed for Huntington Beach.
Kate Huckelbridge, the Coastal Commission’s senior deputy director, told Smith in an interview before the meeting that the Dana Point proposal cleared many of the hurdles that come with desalination and “represents an easier pathway to an approvable project.
“We have really significant water problems in the state, and so I think we’re in a situation where we need to be really serious about investigating all of the options,” Hucklebridge said.
The Doheny Plant will be built near Pacific Coast Highway and San Juan Creek.
The South Coast Water District serves about 40,000 residents and 2 million visitors each year, Smith reports, and gets most of its water from two dwindling sources, the State Water Project and the Colorado River.
There are also five fault lines between the district and its supply which could jeopardize water deliveries in the event of an earthquake, Rick Shintaku, general manager of the water district, told the reporter.
“That is a huge threat for us, if one of those fault lines were to rupture the feeders or the plant up there,” he said. “Our regional planning agency has told us to plan for 60 days’ supply in an emergency. We have 11 right now.”
Doheny’s added cost to ratepayers will depend on a partnership structure. If the water district goes it alone, the $140-million project would add about $7 a month to an average household bill, Shintaku said. If other water districts sign on, that cost would drop to $2.38.
MORE NEWS
— Federal prosecutors are seeking 17½ years in federal prison for disgraced former Newport Beach attorney Michael Avenatti for his wire and tax fraud scheme in Southern California while the defendant argued for six years, according to legal briefs filed this week. Prosecutors argued their proposed sentence should be tacked on to the five years Avenatti is serving for convictions in New York. Avenatti argued that the six years he is recommending should run concurrent with the punishment he is already serving for the New York cases.
— Following a six-year federal investigation, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division found Orange County prosecutors and sheriff’s deputies systematically violated the constitution by using jailhouse snitches to get incriminating statements from other inmates, according to a 63-page report issued Thursday. Our L.A. Times colleagues Salavdor Hernandez, Gabriel San Román and Richard Winton took an in-depth look at the report and offer context to it here.
— As mentioned in Wednesday’s edition of this newsletter, President Joe Biden will be in Orange County today as part of a Western midterm election swing. So if you spot a motorcade in your neighborhood this afternoon, it may well be POTUS. We’ve learned he will be speaking at 3:10 p.m. at Irvine Valley College on Irvine Center Drive.
— All Orange County bus services could be suspended Monday after maintenance workers voted this week to strike. The strike is expected to begin at 12:01 a.m. Monday, according to a news release from Local 952, which represents about 9,500 members. The union said it voted to strike Wednesday, after the Orange County Transportation Authority “refused to address key health and welfare issues” and offered a “substandard final contract offer.”
— Bloomberg reported Thursday that Kroger Co., which owns the Ralphs supermarket chain, is in talks about a tie-up with rival Albertsons Cos. in a deal that would create a U.S. grocery giant. Both chains currently operate about 20 locations within Orange County. “This is the type of transaction that really looks good on paper, but the actual practicality of achieving regulatory approval by the FTC could be difficult,” Jennifer Bartashus, a Bloomberg analyst, said. “If you think about the store bases of the two respective entities, there is a lot of overlap in very competitive markets.”
LIFE & LEISURE
— Working with Hope 4 Kids International, Gene and Elaine Toth of Huntington Beach started Walk 4 Water events, which raise money to build fresh water wells in Uganda. The 13th annual Orange County event, held Saturday at Mile Square Park in Fountain Valley, brought in more than $40,000. Orange County-based Walk 4 Water events have resulted in the construction of 39 wells to date.
— Prices are rising again at Disneyland and California Adventure Park by as much as 9% for single-day tickets and 11% for preferred parking. The Anaheim resort has also increased prices by up to 25% — starting Tuesday — for the new Genie+ service, which allows visitors to skip long lines on some of the most popular attractions. Tickets to Disneyland’s Oogie Boogie Bash this Halloween season range from $129 to $179, up from $114 to $169 last year.
SPORTS
— The Los Angeles Times reported Thursday that Patricia Ann Meyers, matriarch of one of SoCal’s most prolific sports families, died late last month in her Laguna Niguel home at the age of 96. “Patricia Ann did a lot of cheering over the years,” writes staff writer Ben Bolch. “Her son Mark went to UC Berkeley on a football scholarship. Her son Dave won a national championship with coach John Wooden’s final UCLA team before spending five years in the NBA. Her daughter Patty, whom Ann called probably the best athlete in the family, won a national basketball title at Cal State Fullerton before going on to play professional softball.” In addition to supporting her offsprings’ efforts, Meyers was a lifelong volunteer who was recognized by the city of La Habra in 2015 for her more than 50 years of enriching others’ lives. Services will be held at Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Habra on Nov. 11.
— In NHL action, Troy Terry scored his second goal 55 seconds into overtime and the Anaheim Ducks overcame a two-goal deficit to beat the Seattle Kraken 5-4 on Wednesday night at Honda Center in the season opener for both teams.
CALENDAR THIS
— For the family: The city-sponsored Scarecrow Festival returns to Costa Mesa this Saturday, from 2 to 6 p.m. at Lions Park, 1845 Park Ave. The free event features scarecrows that have been entered for judging by individuals or groups, game booths, a costume parade, trick-or-treating, a live deejay, inflatable corn maze, stilt walkers and a Princess Pumpkin Patch where kids can pose for photos with Disney Princesses Belle and Aurora in a fall-themed display.
— Also on Saturday, the Huntington Beach Fire Department will cap fire prevention week with an open house from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m., at Fire Station 1, 18311 Gothard St., with firefighting demonstrations scheduled at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Free hot dogs, fire station tours, CPR education and tips on how to prevent or survive a fire in your home. Children are invited to take photos with Sparky the Fire Dog and participate in “Little Biddle,” a scaled-down version of a firefighter agility test for children.
KEEP IN TOUCH
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I’d appreciate your help in making this the best newsletter it can be. Please send news tips, your memory of life in O.C., or comments to carol.cormaci@latimes.com.
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