Magnolia Tank Farm project gains rare unanimous approval from Huntington Beach City Council

A plan to build 250 residential units alongside a hotel and retail space on the site of a former oil pumping and storage facility on Pacific Coast Highway gained final approval from the Huntington Beach City Council Tuesday.

The Magnolia Tank Farm project was proposed by Irvine-based developer Shopoff Realty Investments and received unanimous approval from Huntington Beach’s frequently divided council members. It also won support from housing advocates, real estate professionals, The HBPD Police Officer’s Assn., the Huntington Beach Wetlands Conservancy and others.

Police Officer Assn. President Mark Wersching said the proposed development would help reduce crime by breathing life into a “stagnant piece of property,” between Newland Street and Brookhurst Street. And Conservancy Executive Director John Villa praised Shopoff for addressing the environmental group’s concerns over how light, sound, water drainage and other details associated with their project might affect adjacent wildlife habitats.

“We’ve had many discussions with Shopoff,” Villa said. “Everything they’ve done, they’ve accepted. We have that as a contractual commitment, so that means it goes forward with the property. It can’t be changed.”

Opponents of the project have taken issue over the potential of traffic congestion, the height of the proposed three- to four-story hotel, and the fact that it’s not technically in what’s considered the hotel district. Others have noted the site is prone to flooding that could be a concern to future residents and businesses there.

During Tuesday’s meeting, Councilman Casey McKeon said the fact that the space is undeveloped is part of the reason flooding is so severe there. He also noted that the hotel at the 29-acre site would be less than 2 miles away from the Hyatt Regency, and the new business wouldn’t always be at full occupancy. So, traffic may not be impacted as badly as some suggest.

“This is not a rubber stamp [vote],” Councilman Tony Strickland noted. “This has been going on, I believe, 7 or 8 years.”

Strickland has described Huntignton Beach as “built out.” He has also received criticism for living in an affordable housing development despite being among a conservative majority on the City Council that has staunchly opposed state mandates to greatly expand the availability of homes across California. On Tuesday he reiterated that he wanted to preserve Huntington Beach’s “coastal community feel” and was in favor of retaining local control over development, but not against new housing development per se.

“These folks did it right,” Strickland said. “They knew we wanted to keep our suburban coastal community here in Huntington Beach. They did not want to urbanize, and this project fits exactly the kind of project I can get behind.”