CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH
CITY COUNCIL MEETING – COUNCIL MEMBER ITEMS REPORT
TO: CITY COUNCIL
FROM: CASEY MCKEON, COUNCIL MEMBER
DATE: JUNE 6, 2023
SUBJECT: DECERTIFICATION OF BEACH EDINGER CORRIDOR SPECIFIC PLAN
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
ISSUE STATEMENT
The State continues to recklessly enact legislation that purportedly requires the City to plan for and build housing that could exceed the City’s planned housing growth as detailed in the City’s General Plan.
The environmental impacts analyzed as part of the Environmental Impact (EIR) report for the Beach Edinger Corridor Specific Plan (BECSP) back in 2010 were consistent with the City’s General Plan. The environmental impacts back then were analyzed and provided to the public long before the recent aggressive State housing laws that now purportedly require an exponential increase in the amount of housing in the City. While the City is actively challenging these recent State's high-density housing mandates, because of the rash of new State housing laws, the informational value of the data provided as part of the BECSP's EIR is lost and the document obsolete. Because of this, I recommend the City Attorney and City Manager return to City Council with a plan for decertification of the BECSP EIR and vacate all associated findings.
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Direct the City Attorney and City Manager return to City Council with a plan for decertification of the BECSP EIR and vacate all associated findings.
STRATEGIC PLAN GOAL
Economic Development & Housing