Poseidon vote among possibilities for new year

Will the California Coastal Commission approve Poseidon Water’s proposed desalination project? How will the new senior center be received by residents? Will the restrictions placed on Rainbow Environmental Services’ facility make a difference in the Oak View neighborhood?

These are some of the issues to look out for in 2016:

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Poseidon closes in on second Coastal Commission hearing

After studying the feasibility of subsurface intakes for the highly debated proposed desalination facility in Huntington Beach, Poseidon Water is ready to pitch its project to the California Coastal Commission a second time.

The studies were needed for Poseidon to resubmit its application to the Coastal Commission, which in 2013 allowed the company to pull its application and perform the studies.

Poseidon resubmitted its application in September. It needs approval from the Coastal Commission to begin construction on its $1-billion project, which aims to provide about 50 million gallons a day of potable water.

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Update to the Beach and Edinger Corridors Specific Plan

The Huntington Beach City Council listened to residents and approved changes to the Beach and Edinger Corridors Specific Plan in an effort to slow housing developments along Beach Boulevard and Edinger Avenue.

However, the changes resulted in the city being sued by the nonprofit Kennedy Commission, which claimed that the amendments to the plan made it noncompliant with state housing law because it made it impossible for the city to meet its state requirements for accommodating low-income housing.

In November, Los Angeles County Judge James Chalfant ruled in favor of the Kennedy Commission and declared the changes void.

City officials now have to determine and identify additional areas to zone for affordable housing to comply with the law. The Planning Commission will review the locations during its Jan. 26 meeting.

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New senior center to open in Central Park

It had been nine years since Huntington Beach voters decided in November 2006 that Central Park would be the location for a new senior center.

Residents will only have to wait until late summer or fall to set foot in the new 37,563-square-foot facility, which is replacing the current Michael E. Rodgers Seniors’ Center at Orange Avenue and 17th Street.

Hoag Hospital donated $3.775 million to the new facility, with $2 million going toward construction. The remaining donation will go toward senior services and programs.

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Huntington Beach implements its first coyote management plan

Dozens of Huntington Beach residents lost pets to coyotes in 2015 and prompted the City Council to take action.

In December, council members approved a coyote management plan, which features a three-pronged strategy that focuses on educating residents how to haze and coexist with the feral canines.

Should attacks on pets become more frequent or if a human is attacked, the city may resort to trapping and euthanizing the coyotes responsible.

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Air quality officials to check on Rainbow site

An independent hearing board for the South Coast Air Quality Management District called the changes and restrictions it approved for Rainbow Environmental Services’ facility the most comprehensive plan implemented on a waste site.

Per its agreement with Rainbow, the hearing board will meet with company officials April 13 to check on the status of the changes.

The biggest change to Rainbow’s 17.6-acre facility is that the areas where it collects and sorts solid waste, green waste, recyclables and construction and demolition debris need to be enclosed by Dec. 1, 2017.

Should Rainbow fail to meet its deadline, it would be subjected to a $250,000 fine.

The changes were imposed in an effort to reduce odor and dust nuisances emanating from Rainbow’s facility.

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Pasea Hotel and Spa to open

The first phase of Pacific City, its retail portion, finally opened its doors to residents and tourists in November after lengthy lawsuits tied up development.

By the second quarter of 2016, the 250-room Pasea Hotel and Spa should be up and running for residents and tourists to enjoy. Developer R.D. Olson is constructing the hotel.

Developer UDR is in charge of the final phase, a 516-unit apartment complex, that is slated to be completed by 2017.

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2016 election

Two incumbents were voted out of their seats during the 2014 election, which brought in a wave of first-time council members.

There will be three seats available during the November election. Mayor Jim Katapodis, Mayor Pro Tem Dave Sullivan and Councilwoman Jill Hardy are up for reelection, with Sullivan already filing his papers to defend his spot on the dais.

Former Mayor Joe Carchio, Planning Commissioners Patrick Brenden and Lyn Semeta and residents Amory Hanson and Karen Leighton have also filed to run.