ARTIST’S CONCEPTION of proposed Huntington Beach Senior Living Center (HBSLC illustration).

By Jim Tortolano/Orange County Tribune

After nearly two hours of public comments, the Huntington Beach City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday night to continue “to a time uncertain” consideration of a proposal to build a senior citizen housing facility at Bolsa Chica Street and Warner Avenue.

The council chose to take no action on the appeal of an approval of the project earlier by the city planning commission after lengthy public comments and a request by the developer for a continuance on the grounds that alterations would be forthcoming which would change the project.

During the public comments, 13 speakers voiced opposition to the project and seven were in favor. Those who objected to the development decried what they called “high-density” building and those in favor sought more senior citizen housing in the city.

As originally proposed – and approved 6-1 by the planning commission – the project would be developed on an approximately 3.10-acre site into a new five-story convalescent facility. It would have 202 total units, an underground parking garage and landscape improvements with on-site alcohol sales and consumption. The 298,000 square foot facility would have a maximum height of 65 feet.

That part of the public comments not devoted to the Bolsa Chica senior project focused on opposition to, or support for, ballot measures to change the city charter going before voters in March 2024.