Alamitos Bay Marina upgrades survives Coastal Commission protest

OXNARD—A group’s challenge to Long Beach’s plan to relocate palm trees near Alamitos Bay Marina wasn’t successful, as the California Coastal Commission, on May 9, endorsed a recommendation to allow the city’s coastal redevelopment project to move forward. The heart of the issue is whether the trees along Marina Drive, which serves as a nesting ground for the great blue heron, should be relocated during nesting season. Coastal Commission staff already acknowledged violations of the Coastal Act have occurred in the Alamitos Bay Marina area. One of the violations: the unpermitted removal of 22 palm trees. The palm trees, according to Coastal Commission staff, “were documented to have supported great blue heron nesting.” Redevelopment work is taking place along Marina Drive as part of CenterCal’s 2nd and PCH project, a commercial shopping plaza across the street from Alamitos Bay Marina. Joshua Hickman, a staff member with Long Beach’s Public Works Department, said the stretch of Marina Drive between Studebaker and 2nd Street lacked sidewalks, protection for bicyclists or a crosswalk. A proposed complete streets project would bring those missing elements to Marina Drive – though a few trees would have to be relocated along the way Thirty of 193 trees in the area needed...