Huntington Beach City Council to consider annexing Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve

The Huntington Beach City Council on Tuesday night could take the first steps in reconsidering a possible annexation of the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve.

Councilman Dan Kalmick’s agenda item seeks to direct city staff to update an annexation feasibility study that was first prepared in 2009, updated in 2013 and last discussed in 2015.

At the time, the Council decided that it wouldn’t be annexing the 1,200-acre Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, several saying they were concerned about the added liability involved with such a move.

Kalmick is now reopening the discussion. He said Friday that annexing Bolsa Chica, which runs between Warner Avenue and Seapoint Street off Pacific Coast Highway, would complete the corporate government boundary of the city while removing the county as another entity that operates within Huntington Beach.

“Council got wrapped around the axle a little bit last time they went through this, because folks thought that ownership was going to change down there,” Kalmick said. “It’s really just that the governing rules are no longer the county’s rules, they’re the city’s rules, and there’s very little variation between the two. The Coastal Commission still controls any land use development that would go out there, and the conservation easements are all still in place.”

He added that another benefit would be having a county park, the four-acre Harriett M. Wieder Regional Park, within the city’s boundaries. And having an ecological reserve within city limits could also help with securing grants.

“We could also use it for marketing purposes, instead of having to have the caveat that it’s technically in the area but it’s not part of the city,” Kalmick said.

Tuesday night’s meeting will reopen to the public for in-person attendance, with masks optional for those who are fully vaccinated with booster shots. The meeting, which begins at 6 p.m., also remains virtually accessible, and can be watched on channel HBTV-3 or online at huntingtonbeach.legistar.com.

Communications received by 2 p.m. Tuesday will be distributed to the council prior to consideration of agenda-related items.

Residents are encouraged to speak in Council chambers during public comment, or submit comments during the meeting via Zoom. The Webinar ID is 971 5413 0528 and can be reached via the Zoom app or by calling (669) 900-6833 and entering the ID. Individuals will be placed in a holding queue and prompted to speak when the city clerk announces their name or the last three digits of their phone number.

Time for remarks is limited to three minutes.

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