GIRLSLEAD LEADERSHIP ACADEMY - OCT 7

3rd District GirlsLead Academy

Uniting Girls. Growing Leaders. Making a Difference.

with Councilwoman Suzie Price  

3rd District Neighborhood and Association Meetings

COLORADO LAGOON RESTROOM RENOVATION & MARINE STADIUM JUDGING STAND REHABILITATION

On August 7th, two highly anticipated projects broke ground in the Third District and we are very excited to see these projects progress.

Unfortunately, the severity of the water damage prevents the project team from being able to preserve the murals on the walls of the original restroom. The team made extensive efforts to salvage the murals but due to several contributing factors, their efforts were not successful. The project team is reviewing several alternatives, including creating replicas of the murals. The project is expected to be completed by the end of this month!  

Just down the road at Marine Stadium, the Marine Stadium Judging Stand Rehabilitation is also under way! The project team did run into some complications with the soils below the 10 foot depth. These complications required an alternative approach for installation of the foundation. The team quickly ordered additional materials for the alternative installation and the work continued this week! This project is expected to be completed in mid-November.

We are looking forward to the completion of both of these projects. We are also proud of the project teams for the quick response to these various unanticipated hitches!

 

- By Nina Moussavi

3rd District, District Office Director

LEEWAY SAILING CENTER PARKING LOT

 There has recently been a series of projects at and around the Leeway Sailing Center with more expected to be on the way. First, the building exterior was improved with new windows and paint, then a road repair project was completed on Ocean Blvd to address some pavement needs, now we see a project to improve the parking lot that has been in need for some time. The lot will be expanded and made more efficient creating greater safety for those using the facility who no longer need to run across the street when the small parking lot fills up.

 

Aquatics is a big part of the Third District, and with the improvements to the Leeway Sailing Center building that were recently completed, along with the coming pier, dock, and shed rebuilds we will have safer and more functional facilities for aquatic activities. That's a long way of saying we are happy to see this project moving forward as this is a well-used public resource that will really benefit from this work.

- Jack Cunningham

Chief of Staff, Councilwoman Price

--By Jeff Hoffman

3rd District Resident

GO INWARD

CITY COUNCIL UPDATES

 

City Council Meetings are held every Tuesday evening, with the exception of the last Tuesday of the month when council is "dark."  Meetings are held in City Hall - Council Chambers (333 W. Ocean Blvd.) at approximately 5pm.  Times do change, so please check with our office or website for exact times. City Council meetings are open to the public and we encourage your attendance, especially if there is an important topic up for discussion.

 

Charter (channel 3) and FIOS Verizon (channel 21) subscribers can view the City Council Meetings on their televisions or you can live stream the video through LBTV.com,  View City Council Meeting.  

 

Agenda items change on a weekly basis so please check the city website for the most current agenda.  The City Clerk is required to post the City Council Agenda the Monday, a week prior, to the Tuesday of City Council Meeting.   View agenda items  

BIKE CHOP SHOP AGENDA ITEM

Bike theft is an ongoing issue throughout the the city as well as the Third District. This is certainly a complicated problem because many people do not register their bikes or do not report them when they are stolen. Additionally, bike thefts often fuel illegal drug purchases and are used as a form of currency. Recently the Councilwoman brought an item to council looking at how a free, city run bike registration program could be operated through an app to help reduce bike thefts, and help get stolen bikes returned to their owners. With bike thefts still in mind,  there is an additional item related to bike thefts that she will be bringing before council this month. It is focused on reducing bike chop shops that take stolen bikes, and dismantle them, then rebuild with different parts making them harder for police to track, or sell the parts individually. Addressing this crime and making it more difficult for thieves to sell stolen goods is meant to have a direct impact on criminal activity throughout the city.

However, the city can do more to address this highly visible problem 

- Jack Cunningham

Chief of Staff, Councilwoman Price

OPIOID AGENDA ITEM

Opioid abuse, addiction, overdose, and deaths are a major epidemic spreading through the US over the past several years, and unfortunately Long Beach is not immune to this problem. This serious public health and safety problem has reached epidemic levels over the past few years. The number of opioid overdose  deaths nationwide have been growing rapidly surpassing the number of deaths experienced at its peak by the H.I.V. crisis in 1995, the peak number of gun deaths in 1993, and peak car crash deaths in 1972. Opioid overdose deaths have surpassed 60,000 annual deaths. 

 

Opioids include heroin and prescription pain-killers like morphine, codeine, oxycodone, methadone, fentanyl, Percocet, Demerol, and Vicodin. These prescribed pain-killers are a serious source of addiction. Since 2010 Long Beach is consistently seeing rates higher than Los Angeles County in prescription opioid related emergency room visits, hospitalization, mortality, and need for treatment. While illegal drug use is a pressing concern, prescription opioids are a significant factor in beginning and maintaining addictions.

 

This issue cannot just be addressed on the back-end with rehabilitation, and assistance to those who have become addicted, but must also be confronted at the front-end from legal medical prescriptions. Drug overdose is the leading cause of accidental death in the US. People who become addicted to opioids are often first exposed as a result of prescriptions they received legally for an injury, or chronic pain.

 

This problem can begin to be addressed by implementing health detailing programs that allow local health departments to conduct brief one-on-one educational visits with doctors on options for limiting their prescription of opioids, reducing individual dosages and number of pills prescribed, as well as identifying addiction. A number of cities, states and counties throughout the country have had great results with similar programs and Long Beach can do the same to address our growing problem. On October 10th Councilwoman Price will be bringing an item to the City Council requesting the city look at adapting a program for Long Beach that is similar to those that have been successful in many other places in reducing opioid addiction and the negative consequences to addiction in our communities.

- Jack Cunningham

Chief of Staff, Councilwoman Price

SEADIP to SEASP HISTORY AND RECAP

Last month my council colleagues and I voted to approve the Southeast Area Specific Plan (SEASP). This vote sets up the most stringent development standards in the state, protects the Los Cerritos Wetlands from ever being developed on, and requires any future developers to create major view corridors, real public space improvements with parks and art, new roads to minimize traffic impacts at 2nd and PCH, commitments to continue improving the surrounding wetlands, and accommodations for bird and wildlife safety in the wetlands.

This plan is an important step in setting standards and responsible limits on development in Southeast Long Beach for the next 40 years.

For most people, this area is commonly thought of as the stretch of PCH between Loynes and the Seal Beach border. This plan was approved after more than three years of community meetings, workshops, planning commission study sessions, and one-on-one constituent meetings between residents and me personally whenever anyone requested.

 

Because this was a long and complicated process, I wanted to share a bit more for those who aren't familiar with the history or those who are interested in why a city would opt for a "specific" plan in certain parts of town. This is an area of urban planning that is fascinating, so let me walk through the process with you.

The particular area we are talking about with SEASP has been subject to a Specific Land Use Plan since 1977.  Most of the city is under a General Land Use Plan but there are some areas, where due to their proximity to sensitive habitat or their unique multi-use serving amenities, that the creation of a specific plan is warranted. Specific plans set consistent standards for future building and development that are more detailed than General Plans. The advantage of this policy is that rather than taking project and development applications one by one as is done with General Plans, and making decisions regarding height and density on a case by case basis, specific plans set a firm maximum in terms of height and density. Specific planning is meant to ensure consistent and fair application of community values for development. Rather than basing agreements on different owners, or stronger lobbyists, or long negotiations, instead of all that variability, a specific plan sets all the requirements before anyone proposes a project. And those requirements are based on the specific wishes of the community that have been expressed through community driven visioning processes, public meetings, public comment, and resident outreach over a number of years. This plan allows everyone to have an expectation of what is feasible in the area as we look toward the future, and sets up major requirements developers must follow that directly benefit the community.

Without a strong Specific Plan like we have now, variances could be given and exceptions could be made for projects that otherwise were not allowed. Prior to being elected, there was a proposal to build a 12-story hotel at the Seaport Marina Hotel site.  This proposal was very controversial, and the City Council at the time was extremely divided and the proposed project ultimately failed. In that case, multiple special interest groups were advocating for the project, including competing land owners and developers (on both sides of the proposal), labor organizations, environmental advocates and of course residents. The issue was heated, required many community meetings, and inflamed the passions of many. When it ultimately failed, some felt it was a win, others felt it was a loss, but no progress was made on improving the site, and any new development proposal would have to go through the same process with no limits regarding what a new project could look like. That reality made the city very susceptible to outside and special interest influence on development projects. However, the new plan sets standards and requirements that are based on and reflect the community needs and desires for the area, and developers know what they can and cannot build will in advance - eliminating variability and ensuring the public benefit.

 

As a result of the failed 12 story hotel, the Council at that time set into motion the creation of a new specific plan in order to ensure that the community vision and concerns are represented in all future developments. This is where I got involved in 2014 when I started my active involvement in what is now SEASP. The process involved stakeholder meetings wherein it was made abundantly clear to me what future development my residents would and would not be comfortable with. As a Councilmember I was precluded from taking an official position on the SEASP proposal, however, as proposals came about I made it very clear what I would and would not support. I would not accept increased heights over five stories from the three we have now. Ultimately the plan approved a three to five story limit for all future development at all affected commercial sites (everything else remains unchanged). However, this limit could go up to seven stories on a maximum of 15% of a building at two specific properties if they complete a number of stringent requirements. Those requirements would include even greater public amenities than would already be required for development (think public art, open space, view corridors, public parks, investment in the wetlands and many other mitigation efforts), if they were approved by planning commission, and if the property accommodates the development of a hotel.

The plan also reduced density by 30% from the staff's initial proposal. Again, this proposal was no coincidence.  I made my density limits very clear and our city staff listened, not just to me, but at my request they met with and listened to the many community members and all of their concerns, and the resultant plan reflects that.

 

Finally, in my opinion, the best part of the plan is that the preservation of the Los Cerritos Wetlands, which are truly unique given the type of species the area attracts due to tidal exposure and salt water flow. The 1977 specific plan did not preserve the wetlands, and in fact would have allowed significant development. Preservation of this area was simply not a priority at the time, that is evidenced by the fact that at least two developments have been built on the wetlands since 1977 and they should have NEVER been allowed to build on that space. Additionally, over the years the community has had to rally in earnest to prevent the development of a Home Depot and other uses on various parcels of the now protected land.

 

The new SEASP plan establishes a Wetlands Mitigation and Restoration Fund that all developers will have to pay in order to build in this area. This is truly a unique arrangement. Further, by way of an amendment that I made on Tuesday night, the City will have to get approval and participation from the Los Cerritos Westland Authority (LCWA) on how that money will be used further ensuring the benefits to out beautiful natural environment. I chair that committee and along with my colleague, Councilman Uranga, will ensure that we finally take Wetlands mitigation and restoration seriously. We will have a funding source and we will continue acquiring more of the privately owned wetlands and ensure they are protected forever and restored.

 

I am very proud of this plan and even though no actual development will occur for many years (up to 10-15 years at some of the site) I look forward to many decades of responsible growth and development. In the end this growth is tied to benefits we will all feel in ecological preservation (bird safe treatments, wetlands funding, investments in sustainability, and native plant species) and residential life (traffic mitigation, height limits, open spaces, public benefits and reinvestment in our community). All these benefits will come slowly and in 40 years I am confident this decision will have us on the right track with prudent investments made in our future.

SEASP- APPROVED

GENERAL PLAN ENGAGEMENT 

COMMUNITY OPEN HOUSE

General Plan engagement events (community open houses) to gain stakeholder feedback.

The General Plan community open houses are scheduled as follows:
* Saturday, September 30, 3-5 p.m. at Veterans Park Community Center
* Wednesday, October 4, 6-8 p.m. at Whaley Park Community Center
* Saturday, October 14, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at Best Western Golden Sails Hotel
* Wednesday, October 18, 6-8 p.m. at Expo Center in Bixby Knolls

In support of the community open houses, the Department has developed two collateral documents:

* Frequently Asked Questions
* Misconceptions and Concerns

Both documents will be available for viewing and download by the public on the City's
General Plan website:   Land Use & Urban Design Elements. Documents will also be available to community workshop attendees.

The Department has received inquiries regarding the format of the meetings. The open
house meeting style was specifically selected as an outreach method to provide staff with the maximum input from a diversity of voices. A typical town hall format does not allow that to occur, and can be intimidating to some constituent groups who don't feel comfortable participating in more formal types of meetings. All four meetings will be handled in the same format, with the same opportunities to engage, to ensure that all information is disseminated in the same manner. The opportunity for a typical presentation format will still exist at the Planning Commission and City Council meetings.

If you have any questions regarding this matter, please call Amy Bodek, Director of
Development Services, at (562) 570-6428.

By Amy Bodek

City Of Long Beach Director of Development Services

COMMUNITY COYOTE SEMINAR

By Marie Knight,

Director of Parks, Recreation and Marine

HAPPY HALLOWEEN - OCT 31

 

Calling all ghosts, goblins, princesses and superheroes! Grab a bag and come show off your costumes in return for some serious candy loot! Walk the streets of Belmont Shore and trick or treat in participating businesses.

LONG BEACH PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION

BOOKS AND BREWS YOUNG PROFESSIONALS MIXER - October 5

Join this event to support the Long Beach Public Library Foundation

WOMEN SHELTER OF LONG BEACH - October 6

The WomenShelter of Long presents    L 

O  V  E  

is ....   

This is an annual free community Domestic Violence Awareness Month Event to honor and remember those who have been affected by domestic violence.  Joint us for an evening of art, activities, resources, music, light refreshments and giveaways.

FLYER

Belmont Heights Artists' Association (BHAA) Exhibition 

 

 

 

LONG BEACH OPEN STUDIO TOUR - October 14 & 15

 

Assistance League of Long Beach