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Advocates Pro/Con Gearing Up For Feb. 20 Meeting Of Belmont Shore Parking/Biz Improvement Advisory Comm'n Re Purchasing House on La Verne Near 2nd St. for Parking Lot; Action Would Be Advisory Only; Council Will Make Final Decision




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(Feb. 19, 2014, 12:30 p.m.) -- Advocates pro and con are gearing up for the Feb. 20 meeting of the Belmont Shore Parking and Business Improvement Area Advisory Commission (9 a.m., Bay Shore Library) for an agenda item proposing that the Commission support finalizing City purchase of a house at 205 La Verne Ave, just north of 2nd St., to build a roughly eight-space parking lot. The Feb. 20 action would be advisory only; the City Council, which voted in a Nov. 5 closed session to make an offer on the property (subsequently accepted by the seller with contingencies) will make the final call in a publicly open session.

A November 5, 2013 closed City Council session listed the property address for negotiation of price and terms but without prior public discussion of the proposed parking lot. Last week, a neighborhood resident's email voiced alarm and concerns surfaced at the Belmont Shore Residents Association.

On Feb. 14, a city staff memo accompanying the BSPBIAAC Feb. 20 agenda item disclosed that the City's purchase offer had been accepted by the seller subject to contingencies. City staff and the City Attorney's office have both said that in order to proceed to close the deal, the City Council would have to approve the action with a vote in an open session.

Last night (Feb. 18), an LBREPORT.com reader captured this sight in the immediate area:


Photo via an LBREPORT.com reader

Meanwhile, in a mass emailing received yesterday (Feb. 18), the Belmont Shore Business Association notes that one of the agenda items on tomorrow's advisory Commission meeting is "Support the City of Long Beach's purchase of the property located at 205 La Verne Ave." and urges its email recipients to attend tomorrow's advisory Commission meeting "to find out more about the proposed parking lot on La Verne."


Email screen save

As LBREPORT.com learned and reported this morning (Feb. 19), the Council vote in the closed session was 9-0 to make the purchase offer (whose acceptance is subject to contingencies); proceeding to close the transaction would require a public Council vote.

Tomorrow's (Feb. 20) advisory Commission meeting is the first public discussion of the transaction at any City Hall constituted body. An unsigned city staff memo on the letterhead of the Public Works Department and accompanying the advisory Commission meeting recommends support for the purchase.

The chair of the Belmont Shore Park and Business Improvement Area Advisory Commission, Bill Lorbeer, first brought the potential property purchase to city staff's attention and city staff then brought the matter to the City Council in its Nov. 5, 2013 closed session. On Feb. 15, advisory Commission chair Lorbeer met (along with two city staffers) with a number of La Verne Ave. area neighbors (also attended by other Shore area residents) to discuss the transaction. A number of La Verne area residents at the meeting voiced concerns over impacts; some criticized the process (inviting public input after the deal has already progressed), others expressing outright opposition; one speaker said he supported the purchase.

City staff and chair Lorbeer both said the process was appropriate, with details not publicly discussed during negotiations and with a final Council vote ultimately required.

In response to a question shouted at Councilman DeLong near the end of the meeting -- "Do you support this?" -- DeLong replied, "Time will tell."

The advisory Parking Commission meeting will take place Thursday Feb. 20 at 9:00 a.m. at Bay Shore Library, 195 Bay Shore Ave.

A vote by the BSPBIAAC is advisory to the Council. The Council itself makes the final call.

Developing...with further to follow on LBREPORT.com.



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