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Record of Proceedings

Planning Commission Study Session on Magnolia Tank Farm Specific Plan - September 10, 2019

Planning Commission — Tuesday, September 10, 2019
BodyHuntington Beach, California
SessionPlanning Commission
DateTuesday, September 10, 2019
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Transcript — Verbatim
0:13

Planning Commission study session to order.

0:16

Roll call, please.

0:19

Commissioner Scandura?

0:20

Here.

0:21

Commissioner Ray?

0:22

Here.

0:22

Vice Chair Grant.

0:23

Here.

0:24

Chair Garcia?

0:25

Here.

0:25

Commissioner Kalmick?

0:26

Here.

0:26

Commissioner Perkins.

0:28

Here.

0:28

And Commissioner Mandick has requested permission to be absent.

0:31

We have a quorum.

0:35

Okay, do I have a motion to approve the agenda?

0:38

So move.

0:39

Whole second.

0:52

Six eyes, Commissioner Mandic absent.

0:55

Motion carries.

0:57

Okay, the first and only item, I guess, is project review, future agenda items.

1:01

Excuse me, I think I have a cold.

1:04

19-839 zoning text amendment number 17-005.

1:09

Magnolia Tank Farm.

1:11

And you have a presentation.

1:13

Yes, we'll ask Ricky Ramos, senior planner to start off the staff presentation.

1:17

Oh, and I'd like to hold uh all commissioner questions till the end of the presentation.

1:22

All right, thank you, Commissioners.

1:24

Before we begin the presentation on the specific plan itself, we have some information we wanted to provide you that's uh related to some of the topics that came up at the last steady session, and we're gonna begin with a presentation on foundations by Tim Lawson with LGC Valley.

1:40

And then Mauricio Escobar also has a uh additional information regarding uh soil conditions.

1:45

So with that, we're gonna go ahead and have Tim give his presentation.

1:53

Thank you.

1:57

Uh good evening, Commissioners.

1:59

Uh my name's Tim Lawson.

2:00

I'm a geotechnical consultant uh working on the project.

2:04

I'm a geotechnical engineer and a geologist.

2:08

Uh I was here, I think it was two weeks ago, uh, listening to concerns of neighbors, and I'm here to address two concerns that I heard.

2:18

There was only two geotechnical concerns that I heard.

2:21

Um, there was a gentleman who's concerned about the noise created by pile driving.

2:27

Um pile driving is planned for the um hotel site, and then I did hear a lady concerned about vibration from piles or construction, she didn't actually uh mention uh as it relates to the ASCON site.

2:44

So I'm here to answer those two specific concerns.

2:48

Um not sure which one moves it.

3:08

Okay, for a background.

3:11

Uh piles were planned for the hotel site.

3:15

They were driven piles.

3:17

Driven piles do create noise.

3:21

If you've ever been near Power Driving really, they do they do create noise.

3:25

Um that area of the site was the only area where uh subterranean power driving is planned, the remainder of the site uh just has traditional grading, traditional foundations, albeit post-tension slabs.

3:41

Um the sound from power driving, you would hear that.

3:48

Sound uh doesn't travel too far, but in the adjacent homes, the closest of which is about 250, the closest single house is about 250 feet away.

3:59

You would hear the power driving.

4:01

You wouldn't feel any vibration.

4:03

Vibration from PAL driving is a non-issue.

4:06

Um if you look at the the map here to my left, the red area is the hotel site.

4:22

The remainder of the site would have no deep foundations, no PAL driving.

4:33

This is a little hard to see.

4:34

I think you can read it on your uh little handout.

4:38

Uh basically it's a it's uh a technical spreadsheet explaining to you different levels of noise.

4:47

A power driving machine creates a fairly significant amount of noise.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Planning and Zoning██████████████████████████████30%
Environmental Protection█████████████████████████25%
Engineering And Infrastructure█████████████████17%
Public Safety█████5%
Public Engagement█████5%
Public Health█████5%
Procedural███3%
Public Art███3%
Parks and Recreation██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Planning Commission Study Session on Magnolia Tank Farm Specific Plan - September 10, 2019

The Huntington Beach Planning Commission held a study session on September 10, 2019, to review the proposed Magnolia Tank Farm Specific Plan (Zoning Text Amendment 17-005), which would allow mixed-use development including a 230,000 sq ft lodge, up to 250 residential units, and open space on the 29-acre site at 21845 Magnolia Street. The session focused on geotechnical, environmental, and design aspects.

Presentations and Staff Reports

  • Geotechnical Concerns (Tim Lawson, LGC Valley): Addressed noise from pile driving for the hotel site. Proposed alternatives like auger-cast piles to reduce sound impacts on adjacent homes.
  • Environmental Sampling (Mauricio Escobar, Rue Associates): Reviewed historic soil, groundwater, and soil gas sampling results from 1996 to 2019, indicating that contamination from former oil tanks is being addressed and DTSC closure is expected fall 2019.
  • Fire Department Requirements (Steve Arrows): Outlined compliance steps including DTSC closure letter, oil well abandonment, methane investigation, and fire code compliance.
  • Specific Plan Overview (Denise Ashton, William Hezmalhalch Architects): Designed the plan with four planning areas: coastal conservation, open space/park, residential (up to 250 units at 15 du/ac), and commercial visitor (lodge with 175 market-rate rooms and 40 guest house rooms). Emphasized ecotourism and community benefits.

Commissioner Discussion and Questions

  • Commissioner Kalmick questioned the adequacy of soil vapor testing and groundwater sampling, noting that vapor barriers would likely be required.
  • Commissioner Ray raised a general plan consistency issue regarding sensitive land uses adjacent to unremediated hazardous waste sites (ASCON).
  • Commissioner Scandura explored pile driving alternatives and requested current contamination data.
  • Commissioner Kalmick also asked about parking requirements in the coastal zone, stormwater retention, public art, and the vesting of permits.
  • Chair expressed frustration with schedule delays due to the development agreement and EIR consultant availability.
  • Staff suggested October 22, 2019 as a possible public hearing date, with written responses to EIR questions.

Public Comments

Several residents spoke in opposition, citing concerns about:

  • Incomplete EIR and inadequate testing for contaminants like benzo(a)pyrene.
  • Health risks from fugitive dust, PM10 levels at nearby schools, and cumulative impacts from AES and ASCON projects.
  • Noise and vibration from construction affecting Eader Elementary School.
  • Potential for cross-contamination between the tank farm and ASCON landfill.
  • Parking and traffic impacts.
  • Ethical concerns about rezoning a contaminated site.

Key Outcomes

  • No votes were taken; this was a study session only.
  • The public hearing date remains undetermined, with potential dates in October or November 2019.
  • Staff will provide written responses to commissioner questions on the EIR and schedule a public hearing once the development agreement draft is available (30 days prior).
  • Commissioners expressed desire for more data on current site contamination and a clear timeline.

Meeting Transcript

Planning Commission study session to order. Roll call, please. Commissioner Scandura? Here. Commissioner Ray? Here. Vice Chair Grant. Here. Chair Garcia? Here. Commissioner Kalmick? Here. Commissioner Perkins. Here. And Commissioner Mandick has requested permission to be absent. We have a quorum. Okay, do I have a motion to approve the agenda? So move. Whole second. Six eyes, Commissioner Mandic absent. Motion carries. Okay, the first and only item, I guess, is project review, future agenda items. Excuse me, I think I have a cold. 19-839 zoning text amendment number 17-005. Magnolia Tank Farm. And you have a presentation. Yes, we'll ask Ricky Ramos, senior planner to start off the staff presentation. Oh, and I'd like to hold uh all commissioner questions till the end of the presentation. All right, thank you, Commissioners. Before we begin the presentation on the specific plan itself, we have some information we wanted to provide you that's uh related to some of the topics that came up at the last steady session, and we're gonna begin with a presentation on foundations by Tim Lawson with LGC Valley. And then Mauricio Escobar also has a uh additional information regarding uh soil conditions. So with that, we're gonna go ahead and have Tim give his presentation. Thank you. Uh good evening, Commissioners. Uh my name's Tim Lawson. I'm a geotechnical consultant uh working on the project. I'm a geotechnical engineer and a geologist. Uh I was here, I think it was two weeks ago, uh, listening to concerns of neighbors, and I'm here to address two concerns that I heard. There was only two geotechnical concerns that I heard. Um, there was a gentleman who's concerned about the noise created by pile driving. Um pile driving is planned for the um hotel site, and then I did hear a lady concerned about vibration from piles or construction, she didn't actually uh mention uh as it relates to the ASCON site. So I'm here to answer those two specific concerns. Um not sure which one moves it. Okay, for a background. Uh piles were planned for the hotel site. They were driven piles. Driven piles do create noise. If you've ever been near Power Driving really, they do they do create noise. Um that area of the site was the only area where uh subterranean power driving is planned, the remainder of the site uh just has traditional grading, traditional foundations, albeit post-tension slabs. Um the sound from power driving, you would hear that.

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