Posted by Jon on April 07, 2005 at 20:43:56:
Greater LA Council of Divers board member Steve Herbert recently attended a Rancho PV council meeting where the Long Point project was discussed. Here's Steve's summary:
I just returned from tonight's city council meeting in at Rancho Palos Verdes, with a project status update on the Long Point (Old Marineland) resort development, and had an interesting quick discussion with Keith Lamparter, the project manager of the development regarding diver access.
Keith would like to build some sort of enhanced water access at the beach to make it easier for the public to get in and out of the water and he'd like some support for it from the diver community. I told him we should talk some more but its something I'd think we'd look favorably upon. He's looking for a little help. He went to the Coastal Commission, who in turn directed him to "state lands". State Lands shrugged their shoulders and told him to focus on the existing project and revisit it further down the road.
I didn't discuss it further but was thinking on the way home that the ramp at Casino Point might just be a model to follow. I don't know anyone who was involved with that and would love any information &/or contacts who were involved in making that happen that I might pass along.
Regarding the development: The project was approved in 2003 by RPV City and the state coastal commission with 225 conditions, defining much of the scope of the project. It should be said up front that the city and it's residents strongly embrace this project as they are looking for the tax base this development would bring in. Tonight highlighted some design changes in the layout of the project as they get right down to the business on "how are you going to do that???" as they engineer it.
Basically, the changes brought up tonight were setting back the main hotel building another 100' away from the ocean, reconfiguring placement of the main pool and fine dining the southern side of the property to afford it some buffering from the winds, and potentially dropping the golf pratice range and instead replacing it with more golf holes...10 in all to make this portion a "golf academy". There are numerous public trails and access ways throughout the property as well as plans to add spaces and enhance the "fishing access" north of the property. While I'd be very happy if they left the entire parcel alone and as it is today, I'm very happy with what's being shown right now and the effort to keep and enhance public & diver access, as well as maintain and address water quality issues.
The project schedule was described as "tight", "agressive", and "optimistic" by those in the room, but do-able if there are no significant delays. Based on this, some major dates to keep in mind are as follows:
May 6th. Public Tails plan, Water Quality Mgmt plan and Public Amenities plans are submitted.
July & August: Infastruture plans and approvals are submitted.
August 10th: Demolition of existing facilities begin
September 15: Grading of the property to begin
Jan 2006: Building construction starts
Jan 2008: Grand Opening of resort.
I intend to ask Keith Lamparter if there will be any public access to the shore between August 2005 & January 2008. My sense, having seen the presentation is the answer will likely be no. However, I will ask the question.