Monday night, against a chorus of complaints from packed City Council Chambers, the city of Seal Beach decided to send a draft housing plan to Sacramento for the state’s comments. The plan sets aside, over public objection, a portion of the Shoppes of Rossmoor back lot for “low/moderate income housing.”
So many public speakers lined up to express opposition to placing the lower income housing at Shoppes of Rossmoor, that the joint Planning Commission/City Council meeting ran overtime by 45 minutes. In the face of clear bias in public opinion against the plan, Mayor Michael Levitt said the plan would not be submitted with the Rossmoor component.
But moments later, in a move which seemed to stun the audience, he said unless a majority of the Council objected, he would direct staff to submit the plan as presented. Only Councilmembers Miller and Sloan opposed the idea, but the other three Council members – Shanks, Levitt, and Deaton – supported sending the draft plan to the state. Thus ended the meeting.
This move, of course, does not mean condos will break ground tomorrow – or ever. But, if eventually implemented, the plan will restrict one acre of the Rossmoor center back parking lot for “high density” housing.
Housing density is the proxy used by the state for income. So, in the view of California state law, higher density zoning equates to lower income housing. The new zoning will change the parking lot’s existing commercial zoning into residential housing, but the density on the new section will actually be lower than the condos currently there.
The existing density is 46 units per acre. The new proposed density is only 33 units per acre. Both zoning ordinances will have a three- story height limit. In addition to fewer units per acre, the new zoning requires more open space per unit.
With new construction to updated code, more open space, and lower density, it seems safe to assume the new condos, if ever built, would sell for considerably more than the existing units. But, 33 more condos on the market could have a depressing impact on the value of the existing units.
With an extensive array of public hearings, drafts, and proposals still to come, actual zoning ordinance change is probably about two years in the future. In the mean time, the parking lot remains zoned for commercial use. Thus, if the owners decide tomorrow to put up a commercial building, and it meets all existing requirements, the city would approve it. In this case, Seal Beach would be required to find other available space to meet the state mandate for high density housing.
Once the new zoning is in place, future construction would be restricted to the housing plan and no longer available for commercial development. But, even after residential zoning is implemented, it still does not mean 33 new condos will be built at the Rossmoor center. Any decision to build is up to the owners.
While the existing real estate market does not appear to be robust enough to support new residential construction and, since the plan will probably not be fully implemented for two years, a different housing market could exist at that time. Seal Beach Director of Development Services, Mark Persico, AICP, reported potential owners (the center is for sale) have expressed interest in developing the condos. But, OC180NEWS was told that there are no plans at present for such development, and the owners did not take a position on the housing plan.
In addition to the possibility of new condos, many other changes are coming to Shoppes of Rossmoor. Stats will be close at the end of their lease. The center is considering dividing the space and bringing in a PETSMART, Staples, and a third portion for perhaps a small shoe store.
Remediation work on the site of the previous Chevron gas station continues. Although a lease is not yet signed, the corner is intended for an upscale Rite Aid.
Marie Calendar’s remains open for business, despite the bankruptcy filing of the parent company. Some locations closed as a result of the court filing, but as the restaurant at the Shoppes of Rossmoor is a franchise, it is unaffected by the filing.
In-N-Out Burger is expected to open early next year. The landlord will turn over the site to the tenant in about a week. After that, it is up to the tenant to do the construction.
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