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Home My WebLink AboutCC AG PKT 2001-08-27 Supplemental Info - Letter to Mayor Doane from Seal Beach Blvd. Business Association SEAL BEACH BLVD. BUSINESS ASSOCIATION Seal Beach City Council August 27, 2001 Seal Beach, CA 90740 Honorable Mayor Doane, and Esteemed Members of the City Council: [My name is Jonathan Grossgold and I am the Property Manager of 239 and 241 Seal Beach Boulevard, and I been asked to read this letter on behalf of the newly formed Seal Beach Boulevard Business Association.] First of all, we wish to thank you for your continued attention to the stretch of Seal Beach Boulevard between PCH and Electric Ave. The truth is, the business and property owners on Seal Beach Blvd have looked forward to the re-paving and re-landscaping project for a number of years, dating back to the predecessors of this Council, and we are thrilled that the beautification project has finally come our way. Although the scope of the street's new footprint was largely unexpected, the reality is that the curbs are dry and the islands stand where they are. The best that we can do now is to take stock of the space that is left, and to make the best of it -- keeping in mind that changes have come now, as they will continue to come in the future. And so we have come together as group this evening, to request from the City Council, an official statement with regards to the future of our businesses on Seal Beach Blvd. With the "Residential Overlay" being considered by the city, we wish to be assured that our properties will continue to have the "Benefits and Rights of Ownership" that we enjoy today — in perpetuity. There have been some rumors alluding to onerous limits being placed on our properties, going so far as to claim that we will be required to raze our commercial buildings by a certain date, or be prohibited from re-renting a vacancy to a business differing from that business which has moved out, thus requiring a new or existing owner to ONLY allow the identical type of business to occupy the space. Under the present LC zoning, there are already limitations imposed as to the type and size of allowed commercial uses... we just want to know if the "Residential Overlay" being proposed will add more limitations than are currently imposed on our properties and businesses. To this end, we would like to initiate a dialogue with Lee Whittenberg and concerned council members, and we will invite you to meet with us sometime soon so that these concerns can be discussed. The second major point we want to bring to the record tonight are recommendations for safety, and our urging that a thorough safety assessment be conducted on the new Seal Beach Boulevard as soon as possible. It is our position that the south-end of Seal Beach Boulevard was ill executed with regards to safety. The narrowness poses inherent dangers to cyclists, drivers, potentially anyone in the east side of Old Town who may need Emergency Response, and handicapped access. Moreover, the street's pitch now appears to slope completely in the direction of the developed west side of the street, and poses a hazard to all of the residents and clients on the west side. Given this situation, we have tried to come up with some very basic safety suggestions. We urge you to incorporate large reflective signs in the landscape, and to paint reflective yellow stripes on the island curbs where they might be imperceptible to nighttime drivers. Again, please conduct a thorough safety assessment, so that needless accidents might be avoided. If you need a group of citizen volunteers to work with the police and fire departments to come up with an extensive list of preventative measures, we would happily rise to the occasion. Finally, one quick but very important point: it seems that a lot of the problems and heated emotions in these past few weeks could have been avoided by some very basic proactive communication. Sure, consensus is far more easily built in the hands of few, than in many. But transparent and inclusive processes are fundamental tenants of democracy, not to mention small-town government. recognize esee changes in t pe futbrley as citizens to stay in touch with city issues s o that we will foresee that will affect us. Towards this end we have come together and organized the Seal Beach Boulevard Business Association. One of the primary functions of our group is to assure communication. As sole proprietors, most of us keep long hours and cannot attend most of the City meetings. As a group however, we will have our ears and voices in different sectors of the community, and we will attempt to keep each other informed, and to represent our interests elsewhere, as we are doing tonight, in a constructive way. But just as the construction project highlighted our own need for better communication and involvement, it also brought to light an embarrassing lack of communication from the designers, the planners, and the city officials themselves. The same question asked of different people brought disparate responses, and plans as they were explained by authorities did not always translate into plans as they were executed —the pitch of the street being one outstanding example, the bg° would be pother; the pavement has been laid in such a way that the only `meanderi accomplished by painting "wavy" lines on the pavement. In the future, we strongly urge that public hearings take place, not only as new plans hat arise, but also when previously disclosed plans have been substantially altered, community issues can be thought out. We urge that these hearings be publicized in good faith, and that affected residents & property owners be directly notified of hearings, as was not the case with Seal Beach Boulevard. Small gestures of courtesy and foresight could save a lot of extra work and expense, not to mention hard feelings. A simple survey could have determined,o keep their driveways,ewaysaand not have them existing ep aced by driveways might have wanted p continuous curbs. These issues were not discussed until literally moments before the concrete was to be poured. Again, many of these issues, while initially frustrating, do presently appear to be set in concrete. The bottom line is: we have an obligation, as community, and Council Members together, to protect the long-term viability re ident and visitors,our and o promote in our power to make the streets safe for our dialogue, so that mistakes aren't repeated in the future. We thank you for your consideration. Respectfully Submitted, The Seal Beach Blvd Business Association (Roster Attached) SEAL BEACH BLVD. BUSINESS OWNERS - ROSTER *** All Addresses are Seal Beach Blvd, Seal Beach, CA 90740 *** updated: August 27, 2001 Jim Sawnlands (562) 431-7772 Copier Rentals (Business Owner) 215 (Property Owner) Seretta Fielding (562) 430-2434 233 (Property Owner) Growing Tree (Business Owner) Walt Miller (562) 594-6130 231 (Property Owner) Walt Miller CPA (Business Owner) Greg Miller (562) 594-6130 Sandpiper Bike Shop (Business Owner) Kent Troller (562) 594-6130 Sandcastles Unlimited (Business Owner) 231 — Upstairs Richard Grossgold (805) 966-9394 239-241 (Property Owner) Jonathan Grossgold (562) 430-8051 G&G Enterprises (Business Owner) 244 17th Street (Resident) Stephen Bruce (562) 594-4834 Bruce Tax & Financial Services (Business Owner) 239-A Patty Shackeroff (562) 795-5545 239-B Beachside Travel (Business Owner) (562) 795-5548 FAX Richard Mills (562) 598-0450 Richard Mills Family, Inc. (Business Owner) 239-D Linda McDonald (562) 430-1271 Body By Design (Business Owner) 241 Daniel Herman (562) 430-6929 Advanced Chiropractic Care (Business Owner) 241