BEER & POLITICS DEBATES SECOND+PCH PROJECT TUESDAY
By Dave Wielenga
The latest pivot point in the development of Long Beach—the proposed replacement of the tired, old SeaPort Marina Hotel with the high-rise Second+PCH hotel, residential and retail complex—will be the next topic of debate at Beer & Politics.
Developers Cliff Ratkovich and David Malmuth, who are requesting a slew of exceptions to zoning law and traffic restrictions to construct what they are calling an eastside gateway to the city, will push the advantages of the project.
Elizabeth Lambe, executive director of the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust (LCWLT), and Heather Altman, an environmental specialist and east Long Beach resident, will be enunciating the concerns of skeptics.
Judging by the length of Altman’s written response to the Second+PCH draft environmental impact report—a 29-page treatise—that’s a lot of enunciating. But she says she could have written more. “Finding flaws with this (DEIR) document was like shooting fish in a barrel,” Altman writes on her blog, EgretsNotRegrets.com—which, may we point out, doesn’t sound very environmental.
The final member of the Beer & Politics panel will be Gary DeLong, the third district councilmember who will ultimately cast a vote on the Second + PCH project.
SECOND+PCH: THE CASE FOR AND AGAINST • BEER & POLITICS @ GALLAGHER’S PUB • 2751 E BROADWAY • LONG BEACH 90803 • ALL AGES; ALCOHOL WITH ID • TUE JUNE 29 • 7PM • FREE • 2-FOR-1 BURGERS • 562.856.8000 • WWW.GALLAGHERSLONGBEACH.COM
14 Comments
Now we’re talkin’ !! No more pretty pictures, stupid marketing blurbs like “iconic gateway” or funny math about traffic and open space. Just the facts. And of course we’ll have video to finally record Malmuth/Ratkovich doing their fancy pageant walk. Not to be missed!
I would just like to know who these people think they are asking for all of these exceptions to the current zoning laws.
If they don’t like the zoning laws in place, go find somewhere else to build.
No one will deny we need a new hotel at that site. But a 12-story one? NO. Residential units? NO. Retail/restaurants? Sure. A 3-story hotel? Gladly. All the other junk they proposed? NO.
My main concern is the traffic. I live around there and it already takes too long to get across PCH. And, contrary to what Mr. Developer thinks, not everyone will think that what they have proposed will be well worth the increased traffic.
Unfortunately Mr. DeLong will go along w/whatever the developers want. I have no faith in him.
HA! Too funny Dave. You are correct. “Shooting fish in a barrel” isn’t very environmental of me. Does it help that I’m only figuratively shooting fish?
Could we have some common sense in this discussion. The corner of PCH and 2nd Street is a disgrace.
I have lived within walking distance of PCH and 2nd for over 20 years and have watched and listened to the objections for far too long.
For all of those who object to everything that is proposed for that corner, please sit down with the developer and go over the numbers. The fact is, no developer is going to build something without making money, so if your 3 story boutigue hotel doesn’t produce the income needed, it ain’t going to happen.
My suggestion is either buy the property from the developer and put a green belt area there, or stop trying to control every aspect of the development. It is not your property, and until such time it becomes yours, let the building begin.
kathy you sound like a “Bankster” if you can make money, as you put it revenue generating (if we do not give half away) –then POOH on the law. Why an earth did you work so hard to defeat the law the Mayor put on the ballot. Or better yet, are you only concerned about laws that you believe should be on the books. You sound like a “Tea Partier” to me. This project is an abomination–but not when you look at from a Bankster’s perspective–all you see is green but it won’t be grass.
I, too live within walking distance of the proposed Second+PCH.
And if this mammoth project is approved-that’s probably the only way
we can get there-by walking!
Most developers when proposing a project try to stay within the zoning
codes, land use, our LCP and our General Plan.
These developers have ignored everything and will set a precedent
with taller, (12 story) and denser structures.
The required EIR was not kind to this project–they couldn’t be.
The facts are out there–take time to read them-educate yourself-instead of buying into the developer’s fantasy spin.
Be careful what you wish for…..under SEADIP the developer can build an all-retail project. Retail is what drives traffic. An all-retail project wouldn’t have any benefits, and have MORE traffic than what is proposed! If we push the developer too far, this is what we can end up with….
Or Marshall….they might just follow Lennar’s lead and pull out!
Too much of a miracle?
Dancing Queen, you can call that blind optimism or even better….ignorance. Lennar was the developer, not the owner. The difference now is that the owner, Takisun, is developing the property themselves. They are losing money at that hotel and definitely going forward with a project, and as any company would, will only do what’s profitable. As noted in the EIR, another option would be to build an all-retail project….it would have more retail than the current project proposes and significantly more traffic. We shouldn’t be foolish. We should support this project as long as it can mitigate 90-95% of the traffic. Given the alternative, and given the economic upside of this project, we should be smart and shoot for compromise.
The #1 ISSUE is TRAFFIC…the problem is TRAFFIC…too much TRAFFIC…Orange County style TRAFFIC…just say no to more TRAFFIC…why do you want more TRAFFIC…zoing laws protect us from TRAFFIC…who is in favor of more TRAFFIC…what is their response to more TRAFFIC…we live in Long Beach to avoid the TRAFFIC of LA and OC…we HATE TRAFFIC…why add more TRAFFIC…perhaps if it is built REQUIRING the owners to LIVE at the TRAFFIC MAGNET will be a good lesson…BOYCOTT TRAFFIC
Actually Marshall,
This IS all in the family! Going back to 2003 when Taki-Sun Inc. –with limited development experience- hired RCLCO, (managing director– David Malmuth) to act as it’s represenative in the redevelopment of the Seaport Marina Hotel site. RCLCO negotiated a partnership agreement with Lennar Communities. This resulted in significant financial benefits to Taki-Sun!
After years of process, Lennar ultimately exited–because there was no traffic mitigation!
Taki-Sun repurchased Lennar’s interest and hired RCLCO, (as Malmuth knew the project intimately) as the development manager for the project.
RCLCO has full responsibility for entitlments,design, leasing and sales,
budgeting, and financing.
Since you have read the EIR, you do know that there are 5 (five) alternatives to this project–not just the one you mentioned.
Alternative # 3 is the one supported by the majority of respondents in the city-wide SEADIP survey–the Hotel Only Alternative.
As noted in the EIR, the traffic cannot be mitigated. They studied over 25 intersections and over 5 of these study locations would exceed levels of service thresholds and result in significant traffic impacts at those locations. “mitigation measures for these locations are not feasible.” (DEIR)
FYI–over 81,000 cars traverse the Second and PCH intersection (average daily basis).
I say put in a greenbelt and park….or plunk down a Klimpton Hotel and fancy restaurant…
Frankly, Long Beach is peppered with blighted areas. PCH/2nd is no exception. Traffic is horrible. Polluted wetlands and oil production areas. Uggly rusty tank farms and power generating facilities. I am sure that all of those things passed an EIR as well, ions ago.
The Seaport Marina Hotel is a $hithole – inviting the likes of 2livecrew and their choice fans. The place looks like it should charge by the hour- and probably does!! wink-wink (where else do you think all the PCH hookers turn their tricks? In the Gas Lamp parking lot?).
The bottom line is wherever business thrives, so does traffic. We owe to do it smartly. However, no one is going to take on such a project without getting some sort of return.
Let me tell you something about statistics and studies. No matter what the conclusion, there will always be another study that refutes it.
So you can all sling your ad hominems to each other and achieve nothing.
Just a high end hotel/resort and restaurant is needed. We always need another good restaurant since our city is such a culinary desert!
Marshall, just think another high rise, is that what will give you a high? If you want high, go downtown….there is more than enough there. If you want dense–that is also where you belong….I hope you purchased yourself one of those penthouses while they were around a Mill or so, or you can wait for the Mill or so ones that are they want to build on 2/pch by 2015. You could probably afford it.
Query.
After writing about the Beer and Politics debate…why was there no follow-up on the story? It turned out to be a pretty rowdy crowd–thanks to the realtors and developers. Think you should have covered it.?