Council upholds approval of 6-story, 390-unit project near PCH and Second Street

Plans for 390 apartments and more than 5,000 square feet of commercial space near Pacific Coast Highway and Second Street will move forward after the Long Beach City Council on Tuesday rejected appeals of the project’s approval.

The six-story development slated for the north side of PCH—next to the lot that annually hosts a pumpkin patch and Christmas tree sales—won approval from the Planning Commission in July, along with another project to build 600 apartments and more retail space across the highway where the Marina Shores shopping center now stands.

Environmental groups objected and appealed the decision on the northern development to the council, arguing that the 390-unit complex was not adequately analyzed and would have negative effects on traffic and air quality.

The site is adjacent to the Los Cerritos Wetlands, which was another basis of opposition.

“This massive building—it’s just one giant building—will be a wall, a barrier to coastal birds who forage in the wetlands and nest around (Alamitos) Bay,“ said Anna Christensen of the Sierra Club Los Cerritos Wetlands Task Force. “More people, more pets will burden this fragile and irreplaceable habitat with noise, light, air, traffic, pollution.”

City staff and a consultant on the project said the concerns raised in the appeals had largely been studied and addressed, and that the project meets all legal requirements. The City Council unanimously upheld the project approval.

The development will be one of three in the area with the potential to significantly increase traffic around PCH and Second Street, a major gateway to the city that already sees congestion.

Marina Shores is set to be replaced by a development with 600 apartments and 4,000 square feet of restaurant space in two five-story buildings, and the Congressional Place office building at PCH and Studebaker Road will be demolished to make way for a six-story development with 281 apartments.

Out of 1,271 apartments in the three projects, 30 will be priced for lower-income families; the remainder will lease at market rates.