An appeal challenging Los Alamitos Planning Commission’s approval of the Village 605 project will come before Los Al’s City Council in a special meeting on Jan. 30 at 6 p.m. at City Hall. Los Al’s City Clerk Windmera Quintanar confirmed the date on Jan. 5 to the News Enterprise.
The appeal, filed on Dec. 6 by Seal Beach resident Nathan Pinson, questions the Commission’s traffic analysis and its approval of a height variance allowing the construction of a 120-foot freeway pylon sign.
An appeal challenging Los Alamitos Planning Commission’s approval of the Village 605 project will come before Los Al’s City Council in a special meeting on Jan. 30 at 6 p.m. at City Hall. Los Al’s City Clerk Windmera Quintanar confirmed the date on Jan. 5 to the News Enterprise.
The appeal, filed on Dec. 6 by Seal Beach resident Nathan Pinson, questions the Commission’s traffic analysis and its approval of a height variance allowing the construction of a 120-foot freeway pylon sign.
Pinson claims “the location of the westernmost driveway was not adequately analyzed” and creates a dangerous “trap lane,” according to a letter included with the appeal written by Pinson’s attorney Brandon C. Roesler, who filed the appeal on behalf of his client.
In the letter, Roesler, arguing on Pinson’s behalf, goes on to say the project should not be approved “unless and until the traffic study for the [Village 605] Project is revised to include a weaving analysis that addresses the dangerous condition created by the westernmost driveway.”
Pinson also says the Commission has “no basis for granting the [height] variance” for the Freeway Pylon Sign and cites the only justifiable reason a height variance should be granted is to account for a 50-foot tall hill that would block the sign.
The Village 605 project was originally approved back in November. It was submitted by Parke Miller, who’s Senior Vice President at Lincoln Property Company. LPC is the parent company of Katella Property Owner, LLC., the company listed under the applicant section of the project.
The original project application sought/was granted approval for 1.) site plan review, vesting map, and a sign program for a 105,800 square-foot shopping center at 3131 Katella Ave., 2.) six conditional use permits, 3.) a height variance for a 120-foot tall, 3,050 square-foot freeway sign, and 4.) an Environmental Impact Report.
Los Al’s Mayor Shelly Hasselbrink said the appeal hearing is an opportunity to clear up “a lot things swirling around” the project, when asked to comment on Jan. 9.
Hasselbrink said the project shouldn’t be a surprise as the property was zoned to retail two years ago. And although she believes the council won’t “scrap the project altogether,” Hasselbrink said the final plans for the shopping center “is still open for discussion.”
Residents can direct their questions or comments about the project to Los Al’s Development Services Department at 562-431-3538 ext. 300. Written and oral testimony is invited.