May
22
Planning Commission stands by rezone to retail
Filed Under Commission Meetings, Planning & Zoning, Troy Edgar | 2 Comments
One of the chain's restaurants
A word from Dave E: Jody Schloss is a former Planning Commissioner and one of the more informed local residents I know. She was the person who tipped off the city as to the Base’s plans to house a L.A. County Sherriff’s Helicopter Base several years ago.
When she sent me some information about the ongoing dispute about the 24 Hour Fitness property rezone, I asked her if she could write the article and e-mail it to me. There’s lots of good information in it, and I hope Jody will become one of a team of regular contributors to LetsFixLosAl.
by Jody Schloss. (Los Alalmitos, May 22, 2010) Just two weeks ago the Planning Commission reconsidered a rezone they’d done earlier at the request of the City Council. The property involved was the old 24 Hour Fitness building, and the back-and-forth between the Council and Planning Commission is an interesting story, to say the least.
Many residents would probably be surprised to know Read more
May
10
Your reporting and comments on Monday’s important Planning Committee Meeting
Filed Under Commission Meetings, Planning & Zoning | 8 Comments
(5/10/2010, Los Alamitos) In view of the important items on tonight’s agenda for the Los Alamitos Planning Commission, we’re providing this space for anyone in attendance to report and comment on what they observed at the meeting.
I’m guessing that the meeting probably won’t be shown on LosAlTV3, but Read more
May
10
Is the hospital about to eat up Los Alamitos?
Filed Under 2010 Issues, Commission Meetings, Development, Planning & Zoning | 5 Comments
(Los Alamitos, 5/10/2010) Los Alamitos’ schools, neighborhoods, and location make it a great place to live, but it may well be the most poorly planned community in Orange County.
Los Al has the two busiest surface streets for miles around, but sales tax revenue from retail businesses on those streets is surprisingly low.
Due to a series of decisions made by developers and businesses more than by residents, Los Al has become a city people drive through to get to Costco, Target, Kohls, and restaurants in Seal Beach’s crazy northern dogleg and the unincorporated Rossmoor Center.
What do people drive into Los Alamitos for? Medical care, accountants, schools, Ganahl Lumber, and a handful of really good restaurants actually within the city limit.
While I thank God for our restaurants and Ganahl, and it’s nice to have doctors and schools nearby, the net result is more traffic than sales tax revenue.
My fear is that the Los Alamitos Medical Center’s new 25-year expansion plan is a step in the wrong direction. While it might make a lot of sense for the hospital’s owners, I’m having a hard time figuring out how it makes sense for the people of Los Alamitos, Rossmoor, or Seal Beach.
If you live in the area, tonight is a key night for you because Read more
May
7
3 important public hearings Monday night’s Planning Commission meeting
Filed Under Commission Meetings, Planning & Zoning | 2 Comments
5/9/2010 update/summary: If you are not able to make it to the Planning Commission Meeting Monday night, you can still make your concerns heard on the key issues discussed below, by e-mailing Los Alamitos’ Community Development Director, Steven Mendoza, SMendoza@ci.los-alamitos.ca.us.
(5/7/2010, Los Alamitos) The community gets some great opportunities to express their concerns and insights into At their 7 p.m. meeting at City Hall the Los Alamitos Planning Commission will hold public hearings on three items that could significantly impact the city for decades to come:
- An initial “scoping” meeting in advance of the Environmental Impact Report for the proposed 25-year plan for the expansion of the Los Alamitos Medical Center (more on that below).
- A request by the City Council for the planning commission to consider changing the land use designations and concurrent zoning districts on the Katella parcel that was once planned to house an upscale Melting Pot restaurant. One of the options would be to return to a non-retail zone. To some this appears to be an unfortunate step that could lead to reduced sales tax income for the city.
- A request to allow motorcycle sales at the “Clock Tower” building at 10571 Los Alamitos Blvd.
The Medical center application obviously has the greatest implications long Read more
Mar
5
Planning Commission Meeting 3/8/10
Filed Under 2010 Issues, Commission Meetings, Planning & Zoning | Leave a Comment
[Ed Note: JM - Still. Yeah I wish Dave were back doing this too...]
7:00 PM at the City Council Chambers.
On the agenda, 2 Public Hearings
1) 5122 Katella Avenue – Roof mounted wireless facility Recommendation: Continue the public hearing to the April 12, 2010 meeting of the Planning Commission (Ed Note: This is the same building that Councilman Edgar had issues with regarding signage)
2) a request to allow non-medical office uses in specific units not to exceed thirty (30) percent of the total units of the Los Alamitos Business Park (Cerritos and Los Al – where the Sizzler is). Recommendation: Adopt Resolution No. 09-18 (approval)
Then there are 2 community development reports.
1) Commissioners Andrade and Commissioner Grose will summarize the February 8 hearing regarding LAFCO Boundary Report
2) SCAG Compass Blueprint Update powerpoint presentation by staff
There is nothing on the agenda relating to the decision from last Monday regarding the zoning on Katella.
Feb
5
Time to move part of O.C. to Long Beach? Public Hearing this Monday, 2/8
Filed Under Commission Meetings, Planning & Zoning | 4 Comments
(2/5/2010, Los Alamitos) In response to recommendations by Orange County and by the City of Long Beach, a Public Hearing will be held Monday night at Los Alamitos City Hall about moving parts of El Dorado Park Estates Imperial Estates and other border areas from Los Al to Long Beach or vice versa.
The intent is to straighten out a border that predated the current route of the Coyote “Creek” flood control channel. The current boundary certainly appears to be Read more
Feb
1
Feb 1: YOUR reporting on tonight’s 2 Los Al Council Meetings
Filed Under 2010 Issues, City Council Meetings, Commission Meetings, Planning & Zoning, The Base | 5 Comments
(2/1/2010, Los Alamitos): Once again it’s your turn to be the reporter on our City Council meetings. Tonight is interesting because it features Read more
Jan
15
Resigned Los Al Mayor’s wife to interview for Planning Commission
Filed Under City Council Meetings, Commission Meetings, Dean Grose, Planning & Zoning | 5 Comments
(Los Alamitos, 1/15/2010) Wendy Grose, wife of former Los Alamitos Council Member and Mayor Dean Grose, will be interviewed for a seat on the city’s Planning Commission at a Special Council Meeting this coming Tuesday, January 19th at 5:30 p.m.
Ms. Grose is one of five applicants for three open positions, including the one created several months ago when the Council removed former P.C. Chairman Art DeBolt from the Commission. The other four applicants all have Read more
Jan
10
Los Al P. C. to consider new county boundary line Monday, Jan 11
Filed Under Commission Meetings, Planning & Zoning | 8 Comments
Monday, 1/11/2010 update: Today’s Planning Commission agenda is now available online. There’s not much on the agenda other than the county line adjustments described below. Staff is recommending a public hearing be scheduled on that item on 2/8/2010. Also on tonight’s agenda is signage for the new Drug Store going in to office building being remodeled at 3401 Katella, across from Blockbuster.
Click here for the complete agenda.
(1/10/2010, Los Alamitos) If you look at a map, you’ll notice that the County Line between OC and L.A. that supposedly follows Coyote “Creek” doesn’t match the current flood control channel we euphemistically call a creek.
There are 3 specific areas along the Los Al border where the County line is on the wrong side Read more
Dec
13
Winery, pool equipment on Planning Commission Agenda for Monday, 12/14
Filed Under Commission Meetings, Planning & Zoning | Leave a Comment
(12/13/2009, Los Alamitos, CA) The agenda for this month’s regular meeting of the Los Alamitos Planning Commission is fairly light, but does have a couple of interesting items.
Dr. Michael Dawson of the Seal Beach Winery, LLC, has applied Read more
Nov
23
Planning Commission meets Tuesday on housing plan
Filed Under Commission Meetings, Planning & Zoning, Traffic | 2 Comments
(11/23/2009, Los Alamitos) The Los Alamitos Planning Commission is meeting in Special Session at City Hall on Tuesday at 7 p.m. primarily to hold a public hearing on Read more
Sep
14
Fill ‘er up & grab a six-pack on the way to the 605?
Filed Under Commission Meetings, Decency, Planning & Zoning | 10 Comments
Scene last April in Fullerton where DUI cost 3 innocent young lives including Angels ace rookie Nick Adenhart. Too high a price for a little extra revenue?
(9/14/09, by Dave Emerson) Los Alamitos city staff is apparently recommending approval of the request for a license to sell beer and wine for off-site consumption by the Shell gas station on Katella at Los Alamitos Bl. I’m not so sure they got that right.
Initially, I was conflicted on this one, but the more I thought about it the clearer the choices became and the stronger my Read more
Sep
14
Commission reorganization, Shell station liquor license, solar panels, on tonight’s Planning Commission Agenda
Filed Under Commission Meetings, Planning & Zoning | 3 Comments
(9/14/09, Los Alamitos) If it’s the second Monday of the month, it’s time for the Los Alamitos
Planning Commission’s monthly Regular Meeting at 7 p.m. in the City Council Chambers.
Since the Commission did not have a quorum for their regular August meeting, and since at least one item was deferred from the July meeting, the agenda is fairly full. (Contrary to Council Member Poe’s statement at last week’s City Council meeting, Read more
Sep
12
More details and Council opinions on DeBolt ouster from P.C.
Filed Under City Council, Commission Meetings, Planning & Zoning | 10 Comments
(9/12/09, Los Alamitos) Even though her editors had her covering the Huntington Beach Council meeting last Tuesday night, Jaime Lynn Fletcher, the Register’s Los Alamitos reporter still managed to get an 800+ word online article on our Council’s recent actions by Friday. A shortened version appeared on Local page 12 in today’s (Saturday) Register.
Fletcher had good quotes from both sides of the dispute. Her subtitle seems to present a fairly accurate summary of the dispute: Read more
Sep
4
Planning & Parks Commissions, General Plan on Tuesday City Council Agenda
Filed Under City Council Meetings, Commission Meetings, Planning & Zoning | 71 Comments
(9/4/09, Los Alamitos) Several potentially interesting items are included on a rather lengthy agenda for the Los Alamitos City Council’s September 8th Regular Meeting, which was pushed back to 7 p.m. Tuesday by the Labor Day Holiday.
I hope to post details on the General Plan discussion over the weekend. The complete agenda is Read more
