News & Events
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
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Join us at our Next General Meeting:
July 29, 2008
GENERAL MEETINGS - LOS CERRITOS WETLANDS LAND TRUST
When: last Tuesday every other month
Time: 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Where: Belmont Shores Mobile Estates Community Center
Directions: Loynes Drive between PCH and Studebaker Ave. Map. . .
Details: Tell the Security Guard you are there for the Wetlands Land Trust Meeting
Future general meetings:
July 29, 2008
September 30, 2008
NATURE/BIRD WALKS - GUM GROVE PARK
(rain cancels)
[photo credit: Tim Anderson]
When: July: Saturday, 7/12/08
August: Saturday, 8/9/08
Time: 8 a.m.
Where: Gum Grove Park, Seal Beach
Directions: from Long Beach, take PCH south to Mar Vista; left on Mar Vista; left on Coastline; right on Catalina; left on Avalon. Avalon dead ends into the park.
Details: Join us for a relaxing and informative bird and nature walk this summer. On this casual walk, we hope to see the usual resident birds. At a distance, along the bike path, one can see some of the 66 acres purchased by the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority (LCWA) in 2006. Closer to the park (just on the other side of the fence) is property that the LCWA hopes to purchase and restore.
“This morning, I grabbed by coat and my binoculars. . .and drove over to Gum Grove. Now I’ve been there dozens and dozens of times, but what a wonderful display. The white crowned sparrows weren’t just flying, they were playing wildly, and I figured out the reason shortly. On the ground, by the hundreds, were red worms that had been washed out of their homes by the rain. The sparrows all looked similar – fat with worms. For the fifth time this week, I saw two red-shouldered hawks screaming and flying together, apparently a courtship behavior. The frogs were as loud as I’ve ever heard them, and were calling to others some distance way. They were all croaking like madmen.”
--Beth Taormina, member (the morning of 1/24/08)
KAYAK TOURS - LOS CERRITOS WETLANDS
[photo credit: Lisa Rinaldi]
When: next kayak tour to be announced
Time: 9 a.m. - noon
Where: Los Cerritos Wetlands
Details: 16 yrs. and older; hat and sunscreen; limited to 20 participants
Sign-up: call (562) 596-9237 or (562) 981-9024
NEWS
2007-2008
HOME DEPOT DESIGN CENTER, RETAIL AND RESTAURANT
An approximately 155,000 sq. ft. development at the intersection of Studebaker Rd. and Loynes Dr. was approved in October 2006. This Big Box Retail project is across the street from the Los Cerritos Wetlands. Project design includes utilization of 50 metal halide light poles, 40 feet in height, in an area that is currently dark. Traffic will increase by up to 8,000 cars, increasing noise and air pollution. Trash and runoff from the development will likely end up in the wetlands.
***CURRENT STATUS***
There are actions on two fronts: (1) a lawsuit against the City of Long Beach under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA); (2) an appeal to the California Coastal Commission.
(1) Judge John Torribio's tentative ruling on 12/10/07 became FINAL on February 21, 2008. He granted our petition in the lawsuit. Read all about it in the Los Angeles Times and Press Telegram (see links on the Web Links page), as well as a thoroughly in-depth report at Long Beach Report: www.lbreport.com/news/feb08/homdepru.htm. At this writing, we are waiting to see if the defendants appeal the judge's ruling. That deadline is in mid-June, 2008.
(2) Former Coastal Commissioner and practicing attorney, Mel Nutter, has been retained to represent our appeal with the California Coastal Commission. The appeal was scheduled as agenda item #14a on the Coastal Commission calendar at its public hearing on October 10, 2007. However, on October 4, Home Depot withdrew from the hearing (they have a right to request one continuance). See story in Press-Telegram at www.presstelegram.com/search/ci_7088825. The Coastal Commission Staff Report dated 9/20/07 recommends denial of the coastal development permit for the proposed Home Depot project. See the staff's report at: www.coastal.ca.gov/mtgcurr.html; click on "prevoius meetings" and click on October 2007 meeting; scroll down to agenda item #14a; click on that link. It is up to Home Depot to request another hearing. As of this writing, a new hearing date has not been scheduled.
***WHAT YOU CAN DO***
We need to raise money for our legal fund! Tax-deductible donations payable to the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust graciously accepted. Please write “Legal Fund” on the check memo line.
We need support at the Coastal Commission! We encourage you to write each coastal commissioner and Commission staff. Addresses can be found at http://www.coastal.ca.gov/roster.html.
For more information, please email info@lcwlandtrust.org.
On 12/4/07, Lennar announced that it has pulled out of this project and sold its interest to the current owner, Taki-Sun.
***CURRENT STATUS***
Taki-Sun intends to submit its own plans for a mixed-use development, which remain to be seen. See article at www.lbreport.com/news/dec07/lennar.htm. Attendees at the 3rd Council District Neighborhood meeting on 6/19/08 at 11:45 a.m. at the Long Beach Yacht Club saw a presentation by Taki-Sun's architects. "SeaPort Marina Plan Still In Concept Stage: www.gazettes.com/.
***WHAT YOU CAN DO***
We will monitor the progress of this project and keep you posted. Below are the email addresses of the mayor and all Long Beach council members.
Bonnie Lowenthal: district1@longbeach.gov
Suja Lowenthal: district2@longbeach.gov
Gary DeLong: district3@longbeach.gov
Patrick O’Donnell: district4@longbeach.gov
Gerrie Schipske: district5@longbeach.gov
Dee Andrews: district6@longbeach.gov
Tonia Reyes Uranga: district7@longbeach.gov
Rae Gabelich: district8@longbeach.gov
Val Lerch: district9@longbeach.gov
Mayor Bob Foster: mayor@longbeach.gov
For more information, please email info@lcwlandtrust.org.
SHOPKEEPER ROAD EXTENSION
In June 1991, the Long Beach Planning Department approved a 6-lot subdivision. The extension of Shopkeeper Road was listed as a mitigation measure. Though the subdivision was built, the mitigation was never enforced and the road was never extended.
Sixteen years later, the City wants to enforce this mitigation and has sent it to the California Coastal Commission for approval. Roadway extension, however, includes the filling of 0.58 acres of wetlands! The City-issued permit did not acknowledge the existence of wetlands, nor did it analyze the impacts to wetlands or sensitive habitat.
Coastal Commissioners Sara Wan and Dr. William A. Burke appealed the extension. At the Coastal Commission meeting in November 2006, the commissioners unanimously found that a “substantial issue exists” with the City’s approval of this project and temporarily voided the City-issued permit.
***CURRENT STATUS***
Former Coastal Commissioner and practicing attorney, Mel Nutter, has been retained to represent us through the California Coastal Commission process. The date of the hearing has not been determined. We anticipate that this hearing will be scheduled in 2008.
***WHAT YOU CAN DO***
We need to raise money for our Legal Fund! Tax-deductible donations payable to the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust graciously accepted. Please write “Legal Fund” on the check memo line.
Email the Long Beach City Council members and Mayor, telling them you oppose any wetlands destruction!
Bonnie Lowenthal: district1@longbeach.gov
Suja Lowenthal: district2@longbeach.gov
Gary DeLong: district3@longbeach.gov
Patrick O’Donnell: district4@longbeach.gov
Gerrie Schipske: district5@longbeach.gov
Dee Andrews: district6@longbeach.gov
Tonia Reyes Uranga: district7@longbeach.gov
Rae Gabelich: district8@longbeach.gov
Val Lerch: district9@longbeach.gov
Mayor Bob Foster: mayor@longbeach.gov
SEADIP REVISION
SEADIP (Southeast Area Development and Improvement Plan) was adopted by the Long Beach City Council in 1977. The plan was carefully crafted by citizens, developers, landowners, homeowners, environmentalists and science teachers in a process that took over two years to complete. The meetings were open to the public. The plan went to the California Coastal Commission for approval and SEADIP was established as a part of Long Beach’s Local Coastal Program (“LCP”).
In the spring of 2007, Third District Council member Gary DeLong spearheaded a small committee (less than ten individuals) to review SEADIP and submit suggestions for revision to the Planning Commission. The meetings of this committee were not open to the public and requests by members of the public to attend were denied. After numerous complaints, two meetings were added for the general public. A few months after its inception, on June 5, 2007, the committee’s proposed SEADIP revisions were put on the City Council’s agenda for referral to the Planning Commission. The Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust’s concerns about proposed revisions to SEADIP, voiced during the private and public process of this committee and at City Council, have remained the same. They include: exclusion of stakeholders of all city districts and the public from the revision process; proposed increased height limits for over 1/3 of new construction from 30/35 feet to 60 feet; increased traffic; additional roads proposed through Seaport Marina, Albertson’s and the Marketplace; development of wetlands for public roads and mixed use development; proposed re-zoning of open space; a need for an independent assessment and delineation of the wetlands before any revision of SEADIP; the necessity of even revising SEADIP.
***CURRENT STATUS***
City of Long Beach Development Services (formerly the Planning Dept.) began its public outreach in late January, 2008. Mark Hungerford, Angela Reynolds and Ira Brown made presentations to local groups and handed out survey forms. A great deal of public comment about the survey form resulted in changes to the form. The survey was also posted on the City's web site. The comment period closed on 3/31/08. Development Services has compiled the surveys (both written and online) and submitted its Survey Summary Report to the City Manager. To see the report, go to: www.longbeach.gov/civica/filebank/blobdload.asp?BlobID=18997. The matter will be put on the City Council's agenda in the near future. Our members and donors have recently received a mail alert from us on this subject.
***WHAT YOU CAN DO***
Keep abreast of this process and participate.
TIRE DUMPING ON "PA'S PUMPKIN PATCH"
In June 2007, hundreds of large tires were dumped on the site known as “Pa’s Pumpkin Patch” (also the “Snowy Pines” Christmas tree lot). After several telephone calls from Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust to city officials, it was confirmed by Parks & Recreation, Planning and the Third District Council member that the tires were those used at the Grand Prix. While the pumpkin and Christmas tree concessions use this area as if it were a vacant lot and routinely spray herbicides on the natural wetlands vegetation and “hard pack” the dirt for parking, this is a former Least Tern nesting site and is part of the Los Cerritos Wetlands.
***CURRENT STATUS***
We did not learn the identity of whoever dumped the tires, but after our telephone calls, the tires were removed.
WETLANDS DRAINING
The Marketplace Pond was 5.38 acres of biologically productive wetland pond which supported a year-round population that included the last breeding pair of American Bitterns in southeast Los Angeles County, a dozen breeding pairs of Marsh Wrens along with Mallards, Teal, Redwing Blackbirds, Herons and Egrets, all dining on the minnows, frogs and crawfish that lived there. Today, it is but a remnant of its former glory and the remaining birds hang on in a much diminished home. First the habitat was attacked with floating weed-whacking bulldozers (see http://home.earthlink.net/~earthcorps/cattails.asx). The nests of many birds were destroyed on a single day. Then, the inflows were redirected north of Second Street causing the pond to dry up. Yet another wetland appeared there and several of the displaced species relocated their nests in the cattails and bulrushes that sprang from the hydric soils there proving that these are wetlands. Just add water and watch what grows! After the habitat destruction south of Second Street, Bixby Ranch Co. resumed habitat destruction when it put dozer and pump to work and drained the ponds and sloughs north of Second Street, as well!
***WHAT WE HAVE DONE***
The Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust reported these violations to: the California Coastal Commission enforcement branch for violations of the California Coastal Act; the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for violations of the Migratory Bird Act and Treaty; and the CA. Dept. of Fish and Game for violations of the California Fish and Game Code, Sec. 1600-1603. The Los Angeles Times reported, on July 11, 2007, that the Coastal Commission “has ordered Bixby Ranch Co. to halt a construction project that altered and filled a piece of the Los Cerritos Wetlands in Long Beach, calling the work a violation of the state Coastal Act. The commission staff is also investigating two other alleged violations. . . . A pond estimated at five acres has dried up on Bixby land just east of the Trader Joe’s off 2nd Street.”
2006
Trashing The Wetlands - See the video and read Don May's letter to Fish & Game Commissioner Bob Hattoy