Highrose decision on hold until 9/6/22
Highrose decision on hold
Council will take it up again on September 6th.
It was standing room only at the City Council meeting on August 16. People were overflowing into the hall and over 100 people were on Zoom participating in the discussion over the highly contested housing project proposed to be built in North MB.
During the 6-hour meeting on Highrose:
34 residents argued 2 min each AGAINST the project and 18 residents argued FOR it
5 appellants spent 5 min. each arguing AGAINST
The developers took 45 minutes to argue FOR their project
MB Staff gave an hour-long presentation arguing how the project complies with the State density laws and recommended its approval. They did not present the ways this project circumvents our local zoning laws.
And hundreds of letters were emailed to Council over the last few months
Council did not make a motion to vote on the project, rather they voted to wait until the next meeting on September 6th to make a decision.
OUR OPINION: Do not allow the State to override our local zoning laws.
City Council should deny the developer's current building permit application that uses privileges afforded by State legislation that circumvents City zoning and planning laws.
Council should encourage the developer to resubmit his application without utilizing state legislation and to abide by our City zoning laws.
Council should be transparent and fully inform the residents about how the current building plans conflict with MB's carefully thought through zoning laws.
It is clear that a comprehensive environmental STUDY is needed to assure everyone that digging down 45' deep on this property to add a parking structure is not going to cause an environmental disaster, like releasing toxic fumes into the air, causing oil deposits to flow into the groundwater or the nearby ocean water and beaches. The developer’s use of an outdated and very limited environment "assessment" does not comply with our local zoning requirements.
If the City is sued by the developer, Council needs to have the same resolve to stand up for our laws as they did some years ago when the City was sued over our ordinance banning plastic bags. The City stood by its decision to ban plastic bags and took the case to the highest court in CA and won. The Courts are where we stand up for our City, lest we be swallowed up by the State or County.
Unless the City takes a stand now against the overreach by State legislation, developers will swarm MB with similar plans. Approving Highrose is approving State legislation and all future similar projects circumventing our local laws.
Email city council here: citycouncil@manhattanbeach.gov
Or email individual City Council Members [Here].
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