Bidding gets fierce for 214 5th St.

In an unorthodox move that threw City Council members for a loop

Monday night, a developer dropped a last-minute offer in during the

public comment period for a 5th Street property the council was set

to decide on a buyer for.

The council, acting as the Redevelopment Agency, was scheduled to

approve one of two buyers for the city-owned parcel at 214 5th St.

Bids for the property were tied at $895,000. Staff members had

recommended that that LGB Investments, LLC, be selected as buyer

rather than developer Robert J. Koury.

But during the public comment period at Monday’s meeting, realtor

Keith Bohr, who represented a competing developer, Robert J. Koury,

offered $950,000 for the 5th Street lot, which led the council to

extend the competition to maximize the sales price.

Councilwoman Pam Julien Houchen suggested they give the two

competitors one last chance to outbid each other.

So rather than accept the $950,000, or go with staff members

original recommendation, the council unanimously agreed to extend the

bidding period and solicit final sealed bids, no less than $950,000,

due Wednesday at 5 p.m.

“If someone’s going to pay $1-million for it, they’re going to

[bid] their maximum price,” she said.

Councilwoman Connie Boardman said she wanted to give LGB

Investments a chance to send in a high bid before a final decision

was made.

“I am not going to be prepared to jump on an offer tonight without

giving the other party that has been leading the bidding an

opportunity to respond,” she said.

No projects are yet proposed for the empty lot, which is zoned

multi-use and, like most properties Downtown, must have walk-in

commercial retail on the first floor and residence or offices on the

second floor.

Bidding opened in February, and by May, the competition was

narrowed to three candidates, LGB Investments, Koury, and Liz and

Peter McKinley. On May 10, the city allowed the bidders to sign an

agreement to buy the property if they agreed to pay the then-high bid

of $895,000 and sign a standard contract.

Contracts signed on May 11 show that LGB Investments and Koury

agreed to the city’s deal.

Economic Development Director David Biggs said both bidders were

qualified to develop the lot, and staffers recommended LGB

Investments since the firm had given high bids throughout the

competition.

After the highest bid is submitted, the City Council will hold a

public hearing to finalize the deal. The hearing will probably be

held on July 19, Biggs said.

Harbor committee offers ideas to preserve waterway

The Huntington Harbour Waterways Committee has compiled a list of

34 ideas to preserve the long-term health of the harbor.

The committee has spent more than a year coming up with

recommendations, which deal with ways to preserve water quality in

the harbor. Other proposals are concerned with dredging, rules for

people who live aboard boats in the harbor and regulating docks to

safeguard navigation. The committee included representatives from the

Huntington Harbour community, Orange County government agencies and

environmental groups.

The group, chaired by Councilwoman Debbie Cook, started meeting in

February 2003 and finalized its ideas in March. The committee

presented its findings at a study session on Tuesday.

Three major flood control channels drain into the harbor, and

committee member Allen McGee said urban runoff, garbage that can flow

into the harbor from as far away as Anaheim and Orange, was the main

water quality problem to solve.

“Everyone, everyone pollutes to some degree,” he said.

Cook said the City Council will likely vote on the committee’s

recommendations during the formulation of a comprehensive urban

runoff plan to make the city comply with the Clean Water Act.

“Urban runoff has been outlawed, basically,” Cook said.

The committee’s report outlines proposals aimed at keeping the

harbor clean, that include building new boater pumpout stations,

researching technology to filter storm drains that discharge into the

harbor and establishing a citywide urban runoff fee. Implementing

most of the clean water recommendations would require completely new

city initiatives or efforts to gear up existing policies, such as

obtaining greater cooperation with the Orange County Harbor Patrol to

check for illegal dumping.

“A lot of them are totally new programs that would just require

new efforts and resources,” city environmental engineer Geraldine

Lucas said.

The committee was created to serve temporarily, but at the

meeting, there was road support for keeping the group going over the

long term.

“I suspect we’ll probably approve all of those [recommendations]

and then we’ll go on and keep the committee going,” Mayor Cathy Green

said.

Condo meeting to discuss converting property

A community meeting was held at City Hall Wednesday night to allow

condo owners to discuss how to deal with process of properly

converting their property.

An ordinance is scheduled to be introduced at the July 6 City

Council meeting that will be intended to streamline conversion rules

for people who live in condos that were illegally converted from

apartments. City officials have said 120 condos may have been

illegally converted.

Even if the ordinance passes, conversion could be a costly

experience for many residents. Filing fees alone could run to more

than $7,000, and more money would have to be spent if buildings are

not up to code.

Adult Literacy Program celebrates 20 years

The Huntington Beach Library Adult Literacy Program will celebrate

its 20th anniversary today at the Central Library.

Planned highlights for the event, which will be attended by

volunteers and alumni, include awards for students and the release of

a book, titled “A Good Reader Lives A Thousand Lives,” which

chronicles the stories of past graduates.

“We’ve gotten 64 students and people who have written little

stories for this book,” Program Director Rose Saylin said.

In the book, Win Perry, who is scheduled to receive the Student of

the Year award, wrote “I will soon be over 70 years old and I will no

longer have a secret to be embarrassed by ... With the help of my

wonderful tutor, I am proud to say I have read over 30 books.”

The Literacy Volunteers was founded in 1984, since that time, more

than 4,000 volunteers have helped more than 4,000 adult students

improve their literacy skills.

At any given time, 400 people, volunteers and students, are

involved in the program, Saylin said.