Part of Magnolia Tank Farm redevelopment goes to Huntington council today

Plans to redevelop the Magnolia Tank Farm in Huntington Beach could move forward Monday when the City Council considers contracting with a firm for the project’s environmental impact report.

The council will be considering a three-year, $510,213 agreement with consulting engineering firm Psomas to prepare the report.

As part of the item, the city would be reimbursed by the owner of the parcel, Shopoff Realty Investments.

The property, about 400 yards from Huntington State Beach, was an oil storage and pumping facility. The site also contains three 500,000-barrel tanks that would be removed for the proposed project.

Shopoff has proposed two development scenarios.

One would include a 211,000-square-foot hotel, 19,000 square feet of retail and 250 residences, with some land remaining open space, according to a report submitted by City Manager Fred Wilson. Another would develop the land as solely residential with 250 homes.

The projects would require several entitlements, including amending the general plan and rezoning. These decisions will eventually be acted on by the council, Planning Commission and Coastal Commission.

The EIR will determine any environmental issues that would arise from the projects.

Eight firms applied for the environmental analysis but staff chose Psomas for a variety of reasons, including its track record working on similar projects in Irvine and Newport Beach, the report says.

Other Shopoff projects have included Uptown Newport Village, a mixed-use development near John Wayne Airport in Newport Beach, and the Bayside Square office development in Corona del Mar.

List of downtown repairs is completed

Also at the meeting, city staff will present the council with a list of areas that need repair in the downtown area.

Councilman Patrick Brenden and Mayor Pro Tem Mike Posey brought the proposal to the dais on May 15, requesting a compilation of needed repairs in an area of downtown bounded by First and Sixth streets, Pacific Coast Highway and Pecan Avenue. The analysis also includes the pier, Pierside Pavilion and the beach boardwalk.

Brenden said at the previous meeting that the area needs to be renovated because it’s the gateway to the city and represents its values and standards.

City staff conducted several inspections of the area over the last month and compiled their findings in a spreadsheet with photos, a city manager’s report says.

The list labels items based on their priority. The “immediate fixes” include skate stops, sticker and graffiti removal, weed removal and washing poles.

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