HUNTINGTON BEACH : Council Urged to Ask for Bolsa Chica Delay

Because the likely costs to the city have not yet been determined, the City Council tonight will consider asking Orange County supervisors to delay approval of a development plan for the Bolsa Chica housing project.

City staff is recommending that the council send a letter to the supervisors requesting a continuance until language can be added to the agreement between the county and Koll Real Estate Group, developer of the 3,300-home project, that addresses the city’s fiscal concerns.

For the past few months, city officials and staff have been meeting with county officials and Koll representatives about the costs of police, fire and library services.

“We haven’t reached any agreements, but I think we can be proud we’ve made some progress,” Mayor Victor Leipzig said.

The city has been negotiating with county fire officials for money to cover the city’s operation and maintenance costs for serving Bolsa Chica residents.

City officials said that a proposed contract with the county to provide police service is not favored by the county Sheriff’s Department. However, the city has not yet received a formal response from Sheriff Brad Gates.

Leipzig said the development agreement between the county and Koll is a “capstone of the planning procedure” and that the fiscal issues “should be dealt with before it is signed.”

“That’s a really important document,” Leipzig said. “It’s a contract, and you don’t sign a contract until it’s right.”

Councilman David Sullivan called the progress on resolving the financial issues disappointing. “I would hope that we would ask for a continuance of the Board of Supervisors until those concerns have been addressed,” he said.

The council is to meet at 6:30 p.m. today in the City Council Chambers at City Hall, 2000 Main St.