Amid Cheers and Jeers, Seal Beach Scraps Affordable Housing Plan

By John Crandall

In yet another chapter of Seal Beach’s affordable housing saga, a rare tie vote shut down a proposal to build at least 90 homes near a gated community in the city.

The 2-2 vote — with one council member abstaining — came amid an emotionally charged night that included boos, a standing ovation and shouts from attendees in the packed City Hall.

If it had been approved, the city would have rezoned land owned by Accurate Storage at 1011 Seal Beach Blvd., changing the property's classification from light industrial to high-density residential. 

According to city staffers, the move would help Seal Beach comply with state law that requires at least 21 more homes zoned to be compatible with high density housing. 

During public comments, a number of residents argued the decision would increase traffic, interfere with the Seal Beach Animal Care Center and undercut property values, especially for the nearby gated community Heron Pointe. Supporters of the rezone argued there aren’t many other options and the spot would be compatible with surrounding uses.

Bill Irke, attorney and spokesman for the Accurate Storage property owner, asked the council to approve the item.

“We did not seek this zoning change,” Irke said. “We were asked by the city if we would be willing, and we said, ‘Yes we’re willing to work with you.’ … We do think there’s a potential win-win situation here, where the city can meet its potential state obligation and get it done tonight.”

In contrast, Heron Pointe resident Dale Mendez said the whole thing was a bad idea and would bring an extra 200 or 300 walking through his neighborhood.

“It’s terrible, just terrible,” Mendez said. “I heard ‘Win-win’ from this lawyer. The only ones, I believe, that are winning are the attorney and the property owner.”

Seal Beach has been searching for a spot to fulfill its affordable housing requirement for a few years. Last year the City Council decided against using a plot in the Shops at Rossmoor as a potential site, and on Monday night a number of speakers suggested the spot again.

Councilman David Sloan, who voted in favor of rezoning the Accurate Storage site, disagreed with revisiting the Shops at Rossmoor because, he said, it would affect the Seal Beach residents who lived in the nearby townhouses and because the city had already decided not to use the site.

“We need to stick to our word,” Sloan said. “It’d be a tragedy to put those 21 houses there in Rossmoor.”

According to the City Attorney Quinn Barrow, if Seal Beach did not zone an area of high-density housing by the state deadline, Oct. 15, the city would open itself up to civil lawsuits. Barrow said that it had happened to the city in 1990: someone sued the city, and the court ruled Seal Beach could not issue building permits until they were in compliance.

Councilman Mike Levitt, who abstained from voting, said the city needed to come up with a location for the homes soon, but, he said, the city had a definite lack of places of possible sites

“Where are you going to put 21 units right now?” Levitt said. “I don’t know where we are going to. And that’s why I abstained from that vote: Because I didn’t think the vote was correct either way.”

Among the five member council, a 2-2-1 vote is a rarity. Sloan’s motion to rezone the property, seconded by Mayor Gary Miller, failed to pass because of the tie.

City Clerk Linda Devine, who has worked for Seal Beach for about 10 years, said she’d never seen a 2-2-1 vote. A number of councilmembers and attendees said it was unheard of.

One of those attendees was Cheryl Laven, a six year-resident of Heron Pointe.

“Certainly it (the vote) worked in our favor for right now,” said Laven, who opposed rezoning the Accurate Storage site. “I don’t think it’s a done deal. I think that this issue will continue to be discussed, and we’ll have to stay vigilant.”

The crowd was a lively one, with attendees booing when a public speaker went beyond a 5-minute speaking limit, giving a standing ovation after the final 2-2-1 vote and someone yelling “Mike Levitt, Thank You”  after the decision.

After the vote, the City Council asked city staff to look into possibly using the Marina Park expansion site along 1st Street as a site for the affordable housing zone.

Councilman Gordon Shanks, who voted against the rezone, said he could have voted either way.

“Seal Beach has so little open land,” Shanks said. “It’s a big problem. I mean this thing has been going on forever. Now it’s going to continue to go on.”

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