City Hall's paid consultants presented their recommendations (after inviting public input over several months) on updating and rewriting the Southeast Area Development and Improvement Plan (SEADIP), the 1977 zoning document governing land use and development in a key portion of SE Long Beach (map below).

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Current SEADIP zoning map

The meeting, held on a Wednesday evening at the Golden Sails Hotel on PCH within the SEADIP-covered area, drew roughly 20 audience members; several of the 22 advisory committee members didn't attend.

The lead consultants from the Orange County based design and planning firm PlaceWorks offered three major draft concepts: Community Structure; Financial Feasibility Analysis/Findings; and Preliminary Land Use Concepts.

The most contentious discussion came during the consultants' presentation on "Traffic," which included a traffic analysis study of extending Studebaker Rd. south of 2nd Street across current oil land designated for use as wetlands. The consultants noted that the current SEADIP PD refers to a Studebaker Rd. extension and consultants' analysis stated: "...Studebaker Extension is currently shown in the existing SEADIP PD and must be studied to understand how eliminating would affect traffic with the proposed land use mix."

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Unlike the October Advisory Committee meeting at which traffic consultant Jason Pack conceded there was no "silver bullet" for traffic impact, the consultants' December presentation included "internalization" statistics that envision with "amenities" in new developments, people would be less likely to use cars and thus make fewer trips in and out of the area...and made no reference to the October-cited statistics on traffic impacts of those developments. This change in focus was noted by three Advisory Committee members and acknowledged by facilitator Lewis Michaelson.

The statistics cited in October indicated that the SEADIP area currently produces 119,394 daily driving trips into and out of the area, a number that doesn't include trips that pass through the SEADIP area or currently proposed projects in the area. Mr. Pack's October report showed that each Scenario One development in the area would add 2% more daily trips to the current total; each Scenario Two mixed-use development in the area would add 1% more total trips; every Scenario Three project built would add 3% more daily trips; and every Scenario Four project built would add 5% to the current 119,934 daily trips.

During the presentation of Financial Feasibility, the consultants applied financial formula projections to their four proposed development scenarios (first presented in October) and offered their interpretation of the financial feasibility of each scenario.

The consultants said Scenario 1 (Shop only, 1 story) and Scenario 2 (Shop + Live, 1-3 stories) weren't economically feasible, saying both didn't contribute additional "community benefit".

The consultants described Scenario 1 as "Not feasible if land were purchased today at current market value" and "Because project is only feasible under special circumstances, it is unlikely to contribute to additional community benefits" . Likewise, Scenario 2 was presented as "Not economically feasible, even for longer term property owners" and "Townhouses are more expensive to build than one-story retail" and "Does not generate sufficiently high revenues to fully cover costs plus land."

The consultants said Scenario 3 (Shop+Live+Stay, 1-5 stories) and Scenario 4 (Shop+Live+Stay, 4-7 stories) are both feasible, concluding that "For mixed-use development to occur, greater intensities than currently allowed are needed to achieve development feasibility." The current SEADIP height limit is 35 feet.

The consultants' definition of "usable open space" (within the "Live" portion of the two scenarios they deemed "feasible") prompted a back-and-forth between Advisory Committee members and the consultants. The consultants defined "usable open space" as including private open space for residential purposes. Some Advisory Committee members insisted that private usable open space isn't "public usable open space". The consultants countered that their definition of "usable open space" (which included both private and public areas) was more realistic than current open space descriptions that may include open space not considered usable by humans (such as street medians).

For both Scenario 3 and 4 the consultants said the "Hotel component is not financially feasible on its own" but "...higher intensity mixed-use scenarios can feasibly include a hotel because of other land use components."

Supporting the consultants' views on increased density was Advisory Committee member Raymond Lin whose firm Taki-Sun owns the 11 acre-Seaport Marina Hotel property (at PCH/2nd St.) Mr. Lin commented during the meeting that density was the only way to attract upscale retail. "Density is the answer" Lin stated in comments during the presentation. Lin's firm had proposed a 2nd/PCH development on his property that included a proposed 12 story 150 foot building along with retail, residential and a hotel...and said during the meeting that he'd been in talks to bring an Apple Store to the proposed 2nd/PCH development. That development was approved by the Planning Commission, but voted down (3-5) by the Long Beach City Council in December 2011. (The "yes" votes were now-Mayor Garcia and now-exited Councilmembers DeLong and Gabelich.)

In the Preliminary Land Use Concepts section, the consultants indicated their intention was to apply current commercial and residential zoning that most closely matches existing spaces in the current SEADIP "Open Space; Residential; and "Neighborhood Retail" areas. However, a close reading of new zoning standards proposed in the "Mixed Use Community Core" as part of the consultants' "Preliminary Land Use Concepts" appears to make them applicable to areas including the Marina Pacifica development; the MarketPlace development; Seaport Marina Hotel property; the Mimi's/Whole Oats center commercial property; the United Artists/office complex property and the "pumpkin patch.". The new standards would presumably apply to any redevelopment of those areas. The consultants' presentation indicated that new "Mixed-Use Community Core" zoning standards are proposed to include "Buildings up to 7 stories may be considered if a project can demonstrate it provides an exceptional level of additional benefits"

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One stated purpose of the Financial Feasibility section was "To determine whether a project can support additional community benefits". The presentation frequently referenced "community benefits" and listed those benefits (also described as "community amenities") as including "Open space, wetlands restoration; Cultural or visitor-serving uses (recreation, hotel); Public parking or wetlands access; streetscape improvements; and pedestrian and bicycle facilities." Developers could also negotiate for additional "benefits" including variances for additional building heights above the allowable base building heights presented in the scenarios.

After the Dec. 10 meeting concluded, advisory Committee member and Los Cerritos Land Trust Executive Director Elizabeth Lambe told LBREPORT.com that she was happy to be part of the process but she still had concerns over the preservation of the wetlands:

"I was glad to be involved and happy to see the diversity of people representing different interests within the SEADIP planning, but it is still very early in the process on where it is all going to end up." When asked by LBREPORT.com about any concerns in the process, Ms. Lambe added "Well I always have concerns because flat undeveloped coastal open space is always at risk. So my concerns are that an important resource, our coastal wetlands, be preserved by the city and of course us."

Lambe later added her thoughts on the consultants' revealing the traffic analysis study of the Studebaker Extension:

"Although I am happy with how inclusive the SEADIP updating process has been I am disappointed that at the end of tonight's meeting it was revealed that the extension of Studebaker Road through Los Cerritos Wetlands will be "studied" as part of the updating process. To even study the extension of Studebaker implies there is a chance that road could be built and it can’t. With the vast majority of Southern California wetlands lost forever, to even consider extending Studebaker Road is bad policy and would go against what the SEADIP Community Advisory Committee said time and time again which is that our local wetlands should be protected and restored. Furthermore such an extension would harm fragile habitat".

The next steps in the specific plan timeline include the following for Spring 2015: initiate preparation of the Draft Specific Plan; a scoping meeting for the Projected EIR and technical studies for the EIR; and community workshops similar to the first outreach meetings. Planning for the Summer of 2015 includes: Completing the Specific Draft Plan and EIR; attaining Certification of the Local Coastal Program amendments; Planning Commission Hearings and Coastal Commission Hearings.