The Huntington Beach Planning Commission held a study session (4:30 PM) and regular meeting (6:00 PM) on September 14, 2021, in Council Chambers. The study session introduced the proposed Gisler Residential project (13.9 acres, 85 single-family homes) at the former Gisler School site. The regular meeting included a public hearing on the Killarney's Rooftop Dining project (Entitlement Plan Amendment No. 2021-001), continued from August 10, 2021, as well as approval of meeting minutes and staff updates.
The project proposes a General Plan Amendment, Zoning Map Amendment, Tentative Tract Map, Conditional Use Permit, and Mitigated Negative Declaration to convert the former Gisler School site (21141 Strathmoor Lane) into 85 single-family residential lots as a planned unit development (PDU). Key features:
Commissioner questions focused on:
The item was for study only; a formal public hearing is scheduled for September 28, 2021.
The request: Amend Conditional Use Permit No. 99-021 to convert an existing rooftop to a 1,936 sq. ft. outdoor dining area with alcohol sales (Type 47 license). The proposal includes:
Staff recommendation: Approve with conditions, including 12 AM rooftop close.
Police Department data (2017–2021) for nearby second-floor establishments showed DUIs, noise complaints, and entertainment permit violations. Killarney's had three DUIs (2017), two (2018), one with three warnings and a 15-day suspension (2019), and none since 2020.
Debate:
Motion: Commissioner Rodriguez moved to approve the project with a condition that rooftop dining cease operations at 10 PM (instead of midnight). Seconded by Commissioner Acosta-Galvan. The motion passed 3-2, with Chair Ray and Commissioner Mandic voting no. The decision is appealable to City Council within 10 calendar days.
And stay right here. Okay. Okay, I'd like to call the September 14th, 2021 Planning Commission meeting to order. May we have roll call. Commissioner Acosta Galvan. Commissioner Mandick. Here. Chair Ray. Here. Commissioner Scandura. Here. Commissioner Rodriguez. Here. Commission Vice Chair Perkins is absent. We have a quorum. Thank you. Do we have anyone signed up for study session public comments? Yes, we do. We have one speaker, Anne McCarthy. Okay. She there, here she comes. Great. Good afternoon. My name is Ann McCarthy. I'm the current regional commissioner for AYSO Region 56. I'm here in regards to the Geisler Residential Project, the sale of Geisler Middle School, and the development being planned by Brookfield. I've spoken previously regarding AYSO 56. We serve from 1400 to 2,000 Huntington Beach kids a year with over 400 volunteers. We're an all-volunteer nonprofit organization. Over the last few years, we have seen Geisler go up for sale and the closure of Perry, as well as discussion on other schools. While we understand there's no current plan to sell Perry, we are very concerned about this trend. Many neighborhoods in Southeast Huntington Beach rely on the school properties to provide park and field space. It seems as though these spaces were designed as dual use, as there are no other youth sports fields in any Southeast neighborhoods. There are five AYSO regions that serve different parts of Huntington Beach. This is partly why our program is so successful. Kids are playing in their neighborhoods with kids from their schools. No one wants to drive a seven-year-old 30 minutes to practice on a school night. The City of Huntington Beach Park and Recs Master Plan, done in February of 2016, speaks directly to this problem. It references a 2007 surplus school property purchasing plan that notes that all school sites are utilized by youth sports groups and that alternate park space is problematic. The Parks and Recreation Master Plan notes that programs in need include those for 13 to 14-year-olds, lit fields, and that lit fields are in high demand due to a shortage. It further shows that the city's parks can only provide about 16% of the needed youth soccer fields. 84% of the needed fields are provided on school sites. The loss of geezer will mean the loss of the only field in Southeast Huntington Beach able to fit a full-size U 14, 16, and 19 soccer field serving kids 12 to 18 years old. It is our only lit field and our largest youth sports field space. All problematic items, the parks and recreation master plan note as being in demand and short supply in the city. The loss of this field will be detrimental to our program, affecting up to two-thirds of our teams by losing our only lit field and our only full-size field available for them to practice and to hold league and all-star games on. Community-based programs, including AYSO, Little League, Friday Night Lights, and others that are run on these fields, make up the fabric of a cohesive and desirable community. Without these fields, these programs will not exist in our neighborhoods. Thank you. Can I not finish?