[Price Oct. 18, 8:19 a.m. statement]
Dear Neighbor,
The City of Long Beach Planning Department is in the process of updating its Land Use Elements (LUE). This process has been underway for several years. And has recently caused concern from a number of communities. So, I wish to assure my residents that I will not be supporting the plans as they are currently presented. I view the Third District as a collection of neighborhoods that feel more like a small suburban town rather than the East side of the 7th largest city in California, and so downtown level heights and densities would not be appropriate. I have made that position clear long before I was elected to the city Council.
Throughout my time in office an update to the LUE has been discussed, and whenever this topic has been presented to the community or individual neighborhood groups my office and I have been in attendance. Through these meetings and the input gathered, specific Third District resident concerns have already been heard by planning staff and have resulted in modifications to the draft, although more is needed. I want this to be absolutely clear, all proposals that exist at this point are just that, proposals that can and will still be changed.
I am glad many residents have decided to participate in the recent community meetings over the past month. Your input is important and I encourage your continued involvement along with the many residents who have been engaged with this topic for years and have attended community meetings throughout the district over the past several years.
Population growth is inevitable, not just because people are moving to the city, but because families in our city continue to grow. That is a reality. So, we must plan for this change responsibly and take resident concerns into account. I would have preferred that the citywide meetings would have occurred sooner, but I am pleased that they are happening now, so that the Planning Commission will have the benefit of this information when making recommendations in the future.
This conversation is important for our city to have as we look to create smart plans that protect our communities while looking ahead to address significant housing needs for students, for our local workforce, our seniors, as well as our younger residents looking for their first home.
Unfortunately, some of the discussions that are occurring at the public meetings are not the type of conversations that can have positive impacts on this or any topic and result in real changes that are better for the community. We need to look honestly at what is needed and appropriate in Long Beach. We need to refrain from these unfortunate shouting matches at community meetings that could make many people, including elected officials, choose to simply say "no" to everything and anything and not have this important conversation about our future.
We can't make these decisions through press releases and broad statements. We need to actually listen to the community, talk about what the specific communities will look like, where changes would make sense, or not, and expect our planning staff to respond to those discussions with proposals that are reflective of the community conversation.
I will continue to be engaged on this topic as there are concerns and changes that I think would make this project more reflective of the small-town feel loved by residents in the Third District, and will encourage this important conversation to occur in order to protect communities throughout our city while looking forward to what is needed.
Finally, I want to reiterate that I am committed to preserving the character and quality of our neighborhoods throughout the Third District, which is why I oppose the current LUE proposals. Difficult issues must always be confronted. Those of us lucky enough to serve our community understand that we have a duty to help lead this city forward and improve the lives for residents today and tomorrow, and I know my colleagues will seek to ensure this plan meets the needs of their districts and neighborhoods as well. I will support them just like I know they will support me in advocating for the best interests of 3rd district residents. We are one GREAT city and we need to have these conversations with that perspective in mind. Whether you are living on the East side or the West side, we all want to see our neighborhoods improved, and this means something different for every neighborhood as we must be realistic about the future of Long Beach and the needs we will have in future years, decades, and generations. I know some may not agree with me, but this community engagement has made one thing very clear to me, city staff need to slow this down and listen, listen, listen...
