Blips on the radar: Lido House Hotel wins request for expansion

What Happened: The Newport Beach City Council adopted the zoning code amendment for the Lido House Hotel Project on Aug. 9. The ordinance amends Title 20 of the Zoning Code to allow for an increase in the maximum allowed development of the hotel by 4,745 square feet.

The Lido House Hotel Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was adopted by the City Council on July 26, 2016.

In Oct. 2015, the California Coastal Commission approved the project with a condition that developer, R.D. Olsen Development, fund an outdoor educational program for students. Fostering interest in Nature will service 360-420 students during the next 10 years. Students will stay at Newport Dunes Back Bay.

The four-story hotel will offer a variety of amenities including meeting rooms, a spa and saltwater pool and meeting space.

Construction began in July.

What’s On Tap: Lido House Hotel is currently being constructed at 3300 Newport Blvd. and 475 32nd St. in Newport Beach. Construction is planned for completion in summer 2017.

Oceanside Harbor dredge extended through September

What Happened: The dredging project at Oceanside Harbor has hit some snags since operations began on June 6. Contractor, CJW Construction has intermittently suspended operations due to adverse ocean conditions, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Navigational dredging continued in the harbor the week of Aug. 4 with CJW Construction, removing nearly 10,000 cubic yards of material from the harbor’s entrance channel from July 28-Aug. 3. Approximately 35,000 cubic yards of material was dredged from Aug.11-17.

At press time, CJW had dredged roughly 126,700 cubic yards of the 260,000 cubic yards designated for removal.

According to a statement issued by the city of Oceanside, the city was recently advised that CJW Construction will not complete the job until September. The dredging project was initially scheduled to be completed by July 29.

“The purpose of the dredging is to maintain the harbor at its authorized federal depth of -25 feet in the entrance channel and to provide safe navigation for the recreational boats and commercial and military vessels that use the channels,” according to the Army Corps.

What’s On Tap: Material dredged from the entrance channels is being placed along Oceanside’s beach. For questions, contact Army Corps staff at 213-452-3923.

Brian Brennan joins Ventura Port District

What Happened: The Ventura Port District welcomed Brian Brennan to the commission on Aug. 1. Brennan, who once served as Ventura’s mayor, succeeds Greg Carson’s seat on the commission. Carson was also once mayor of Ventura.

Brennan, 64, spent 16 years on the Ventura City Council and four years on the California Coastal Commission. He also serves as chair of the Ventura Visitors & Convention Bureau.

The new commissioner is also a senior executive aide to Ventura County Supervisor Steve Bennett and serves as pro bono executive director of BEACON.

According to port staff Brennan’s top concerns are beach access and climate change.

What’s On Tap: Brennan’s term on the Ventura Port District board ends June 30, 2020. He can be reached at bbrennan@venturaharbor.com.

Long Beach approves design engineer services for Colorado Lagoon Project

What Happened: Long Beach City Council approved professional engineering design services for the second phase of Colorado Lagoon Open Channel Restoration project at a Aug. 16 meeting. The contract with Anchor QEA in the amount of $300,000 for preliminary design services for a three-year period.

In May the city approved the second phase of the restoration project that will involve the proposed construction of an open, hydraulic water channel to reconnect the lagoon to Marine Stadium.

“This is a fantastic project and I’m excited to get this underway,” said Long Beach City Council member Suzie Price.

An 18-acre saltwater tidal lagoon, the Colorado Lagoon is hydraulically connected to Alamitos Bay and the Pacific Ocean. Contaminants from storm water runoff and tidal exchange helped contribute to the listing of the lagoon on the Federal Clean Water Act Section of impaired water bodies. The restoration of the lagoon is intended to improve water quality and restore the water body’s ecological value.

The creation of new intertidal subtidal habitat and eelgrass beds are all part of the project along with the extension of the floating pier and footbridge by 150 feet. The extension will require 16 new piles and pile driving.

What’s On Tap: Construction is scheduled to begin in September and build upon previous work in 2010 and 2012. Phase 2 consists of two subphases – 2A and 2B. This approval is for Phase 2A.

Phase 2B will create new subtidal and intertidal habitat, planting eelgrass and revegetation of the site to help satisfy mitigation requirements, according to staff reports.

Long Beach bridge to be renamed after Long Beach Olympian

What Happened: The Alamitos Bay Bridge will be renamed to pay tribute to Joan Lind Van Blom, the first women to win an Olympic Medal for the United States in rowing in 1976. Van Blom died on Aug. 28, 2015 from brain cancer. She was 62.

The California Legislature recently passed Senate Concurrent Resolution 102 (SCR 102) to rename the bridge in honor of Van Blom earlier this month.

“The bridge to be renamed has a special significance as Joan rowed under it countless times during her remarkable career. It is only fitting that from now forward this bridge carries the name of a woman who touched the lives of many Long Beach residents,” said Sen. Janet Nguyen who introduced SCR 102.

Nguyen introduced SCR 102 at the request of the Long Beach Century Club. Van Blom was inducted into the club’s Hall of Fame in 1996.

Van Blom also won a silver medal in the quadruple sculls at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. She was also a member of the 1980 Olympic team that boycotted the Moscow Games.

She worked for 35 years with the Long Beach Unified School District as a physical education teacher and curriculum leader.

What’s On Tap: A renaming ceremony for the bridge will be held by Nguyen, the city of Long Beach, Caltrans and the Long Beach Century Club at a date that has yet to be determined.

The bridge is located on State Highway Route 1, south of Loynes Drive and north of East Second Street. Plans are also underway to purchase permanent signage displaying the bridge’s new name.

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