It was late Monday evening when the Embassy Suites Hotel came before Ventura City Council. Following a presentation by city staff,
Councilmen Brennan and Monahan both had relevant comments. Brennan
said he wanted to bring up the issue of compatible uses for the City Park in front of the hotel - would the hotel use the public park for weddings, etc? and how would dogs and frisbees potentially affect the dining facilities that front the park? Monahan asked if there were any remaining pipelines from the oil tanks, which remained unanswered. (Those of us who use the beach know that there is at least one pipe in the vicinity, although this could be the remnants of the sewage treatment plant that once discharged there)
Although Deputy Mayor Fulton had emphasized the impacts of sea level rise in his "Earth Day" speech at this location on Saturday, there was no discussion in response to Surfrider's comments on the issue, including funding current and future seawall maintenance. I told the Council that this was a missed opportunity to fund much-needed beach maintenance. The City Manager prompted the City Attorney to respond to Surfrider allegations that the environmental document was deficient, to which staff responded that the hotel will be 11.5 feet above sea level and there is no nexus under CEQA.
It was clear that the City Council is pleased with the design and
plans for this hotel. Construction is scheduled to begin within a year.
more here: http://venturaecosystem.blogspot.com/2009/03/coastal-development-at-c-st.html
Local Press: Ventura council approves hotel, market
