Split decision on ADUs, lot splits

By Jim Tortolano/Orange County Tribune

How the City of Huntington Beach would handle the issues of accessory dwelling units and lot splits in areas zoned for single family homes resulted in a split decision before the city council Tuesday night.

After a closed session that preceded the main portion of the meeting, City Attorney Michael Gates remarked that the council voted 7-0 to not sue the State of California on those mandates from Sacramento.

But as for the issue of an announcement that the city would no longer accept applications for ADUs and lot splits, the council voted 4-3 to take no action on a proposal by Councilmember Dan Kalmick. He had asked the council to reverse that policy saying that refusing to consider the applications puts the city in conflict with state law. Instead the matter will come before the council again at its next meeting on March 21.

Most of Tuesday’s meeting was taken up with public comments about the second and final approval of an ordinance that would require that the display of flags on city property be limited to government flags, as well as the POW/MIA banner.

Most – but not all – of those who spoke under public comments expressed opposition to the ordinance on the grounds that it represented a ban on the rainbow “gay pride” flag. The council nevertheless voted 4-3 – as before – in favor.

On both the applications issue and the flag policy, the majority was Mayor Tony Strickland, Mayor Pro Tem Gracey Van Der Mark and Councilmembers Pat Burns and Casey McKeon, with Councilmembers Rhonda Bolton, Dan Kalmick and Natalie Moser in the minority.