TITLE
Recommendation to refer to Planning Commission for recommendation of a zone change for the City-owned property located at 1501 East Anaheim Street, to a Park zone and conduct the appropriate outreach to the surrounding neighborhood to receive public input.
DISCUSSION
On June 26, 2003, the Long Beach Redevelopment Agency entered in agreement with AbilityFirst, formerly Community Rehabilitation Industries (CRI), to purchase property located at 1409 East Anaheim Street. The property was needed for the construction of the new Mark Twain Library. Per the agreement, the Agency was to build a replacement facility to be adjacent to CRI's main site located at 1500 East Anaheim Street.
Due to changed circumstances, AbilityFirst no longer had the funding necessary to operate the replacement facility or continue operations at their main building. They indicated their desire to terminate the Purchase Agreement and enter into an agreement to sell the main building and associated parking lot, located at 1501 East Anaheim Street to the Agency.
The 1501 East Anaheim Street Property has a lot size of 6,802 square feet and is improved as a surface parking lot that is situated in the heart of Cambodia Town. The ideal future of this lot is a community garden in memory of the lives lost in the Killing Fields.
As the City's Successor Agency and the Oversight Board determine the fate of this lot and other former Redevelopment properties, it is important to preserve the option for this vacant parcel to be utilized as future memorial park space to serve the surrounding neighborhoods. The City Attorney's Office has stated that the recently enacted legislation ABx1 26 does not explicitly prohibit changing the zoning applicable to the subject property.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no anticipated fiscal impact
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
COUNCILMAN DEE ANDREWS
SIXTH DISTRICT