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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1955-08-30MINUTES HUNTINGTON BEACH PLANNING COMMISSION Council Chamber, City Hall Huntington Beach, California August 36, 1955 Chairman Stang called the adjourned meeting of the Planning Commission to order at 7:30 o'clock P. M. Commissioners present: Bardwell,'Schryer, Davis, Stang Bazil Commissioners absent: Presson, Valentine Chairman Stang announced that the hour of 7:30 o'clock P. M. was the time set for a•public hearing on a petition for conditional exception, and requested the Secretary to read the Frank M. petition for conditional exception and the legal notice of Christiansen,publication. petit.for cond. excep The Secretary read the petition for conditional ex- tion-- ception filed by Frank'M'. Christiansen on August 17, 1955, denied requesting permission to drill an oil well for the production of oil, gas and other hydrocarbons in the C-3 District, on Lot 24, Block 102, Huntington.Beach Tract, and the legal notice, notice of public hearing published in the Huntington Beach News, August 18, 1955, setting a hearing for 7:30 o'clock P.M. on Tuesday,'the 30th day of August, 1955, for the purpose of considering"a petition for conditional exception to regulations of*the Districting Ordinance, to permit the drilling for oil, gas and other hydrocarbons on the property zoned C-3 described as follows: Lot 24, in Block 102, Huntington Beach Tract, as shown on a map recorded in Book 3, Page 36, Miscellaneous Maps, Records of Orange County, California, and that all interested persons are invited to attend said hearing and express their opinions for or against granting the proposed conditional exception requested by said petition. The Secretary reported that no verbal or written statements had been received in regard to the petition for conditional exception filed by Frank M. Christiansen. Chairman Stang asked if anyone present wished to speak for the petition for conditional exception filed by Frank M. Christiansen. Loyal Loyal Pulley of the legal firm of Ball, Hunt and Hart, Pulley representing Frank M. Christiansen, the applicant, appeared before the Commissioners and pointed out that the east side of the alley, adjacent to applicant's property, has fourteen pumping units which a'e now operating and extracting oil, and that the adjacent production has defeated the use of the property for purposes which the land use is zoned for, and that the owner should not be deprived of the right to capture oil when oil and gas is being extracted on property within fourteen feet of the applicant's, and in lieu of these condi- tions that they believe the west half of the block in which the property is located should'be re -zoned to permit oil production. ` Chairman Stang asked if anyone had any statements a- gainst the petition for conditional exception filed by Frank M. Christiansen. Fire Chief Fire Chief D. G; Higgins recommeded to the Planning Higgins. Commission"the-denial of the application of Frank M. Page #2 Minutes - August gip, 1955 H. B. Planning Commission Christiansen for land use variance to dill an oil well on Lot 24, Block 102, Huntington Beach Tract, for the purpose of drilling and/ or production of crude oil or hydrocarbons for reasons as follows: "The said aforementioned lot is in Fire District number. two (2) which constitutes the principal business district of this City. The boundaries of this district were established by ordinance number 68 of August 13, 1915,, superseded by the Orange County Building code. While this ordinance has been amended several times to change certain portions the outline of the district is sub- stantially the same. Lot 24, Block 102, has always been In this district. The purpose of this and subsequent a- mendments has been to provide minimum standards to safe- guard life or limb, health, property, and public welfare by regulating and controlling the'_det;fgn, construction, quality of materials, use and occupancy, location and main- tainance•of all buildings and structures within the City and certain equipment,specifically regulated. The entire City is deviled into Fire..*Zones 1, 2 and 3, and certain ordinances or requirements regulate the use of the land or structures., The Land Use ordinance supplements this ordinance. The requirements of the Board of Underwriters of the Pacific, who survey and grade the City for the pur- pose of establishing insurance rates require these fire zones togepher with buffer areas for protection of the districts.- No present ordinance of this City whether Build ing, Fire Zones, or land use entirely meet the requirements' or approval of the minimum requirements of the Board of Fire Underwriters of the Pacific. Drilling and production of oil wells is a hazardous busi- ness or occupancy and an unsafe business due to gas blow- outs, boilovers, slopovers, explosions and fires with running fires or radiant heat for distances of 250 feet or more from a well or tank installation. The Board of Underwrit'ers of the pacific require that a buffer zone of one block or not less than 250 feet surrounding a mercantile zone be kept free of hazardous or flammable liquid installations that would tend to cause a conflag- ration, should a major fire start in the district, The principal • inerba.nt i'le -_district-. ib : the high value-: d -s= trict of the City with a much greater valuation than a like area of residential property.., The area of fire district number two is not large enough at present for safe protection of the district and any further encroachment of the district with -oil development would greatly increase the hazard to the district. Concern was felt and is still felt among the insurance writing fraternity during the recent residential town - lot boom andsome hesitancy was felt on the part of some companies to write coverage on any installation or home within 150 feet of an oil installation. In some cases rates on individual buildings were raised by an extra hazard rate. The last survey of the Underwriters in this City was If, 1953 at which time -the City was downgraded to a class 5 City, lowering the rates for fire insurance. As rates are established and can only be raised by a further survey any further encroachment could- easily lead to a resurvey with a subsequent increase in rates. Mean- while companies would be hesitant to write policies under the present lower rates., 1 1 1 Page #3 Minutes - August gym, 1955 H. B. Planning-Ccmmission In the absence of insurance coverage the economy of'the district would be in jeopardy as merchants could not establish credit for purchase of merchandise, loans would not be granted, mortgages would be called in. No merchant can do business without fire insurance. Increased fire insurance rates also affect the economy of the City area as the merchants of the City are in competition with merchants of neighboring cities or areas and insurance is a large factor in overhead expense or price of goods. The volume of water available to the Fire Department for fire fighting purposes is far below the requirements of the Board of Underwriters of the Pacific for the business district and a Major fire will easily be a conflagration as many present buildings are substandard, openings:are not protected and none sprinklered.. The principal mercantile district is the principal shop- ping area of the City for all the residents and the principal source of food, drugs and clothing, and it is to the safety and general welfare of all the people that a buffer zone be kept around this zone preventing any hazardous business from entering that.would endanger the source of food, clothing, drugs or necessities of life and at all times keep the district:as free from conflag- ration as possible. This City is also in an area that subjects it to conflag- ration breeders such as earthquakes, desert santana winds, west and southeast winds -'and accasional Mexican hurricanes. During the recent town lot boom a survey was made and re- ports made to member insurance'companies of the conditions and hazards connected with the drilling and production of the wells. The Fire Department was requested to have an outside survey made by experts with recommendations for minimum safety standards.or improvements to offset the hazard at that time. Captains Figley and LePere of the Los Ingeles County Fire Department made a survey and re- port. This report required changes or additions to the oil code and other safeguards to property. Changes were recommended in the Fire Department which call for a Capi- al Outlay of some 450,000.00 and an increase in manpower Of up to $50,000.00 per year.. Any further encroachment or beaking down of the land use ordinance or fire zones will cause a revaluation of this report with an upsweep of plans and costs. This can only lead to a large in- crease in the tax rate. In conclusion may I sum up the possibilities: 1. Sources of food, clothing, drugs and necessities are endangered. 2. Safety of the people in the immediated area is endangered. 3. The economy of the area is endangered. 4. Insurance coverage may be taken away or increased. 5. TaXes will have to be increased to offset fire department cost." Jack Pyles, residing at 1036 - 13th Street, appeared Jack Pyles before the Commissioners and stated that he opposed any action of the Commissioners that would recommend to the City Council the granting of"this variance as it would set a precedent for further requests in restricted zones in the City. Page'#4 H. B. Planning Commission Minutes - August 30, 1955 Loyal Pulley again appeared before the Commis- sioners and stated that he wished to point out that his. request was not one for varying the area, but technically the property, as he pointed out, was only fourteen feet from wells that are producing oil. There being no further statements for or against the petition for conditional exception filed by Frank M. Chris- tiansen, the Chairman declared the hearing closed. A general discussion of the petition for conditional exception filed by Frank M. Christiansen was held by the Commissioners present, and the consensus of opinion was that they were opposed to any variance of the present boundaries of the C-3 zone and Fire District. On motion by_Bazil seconded by Bardwell the Planning Commission of the City of Huntington Beach recommend to the City Council that the petition for conditional ex- ception of Frank M. Christiansen to drill a well for the production of oil, gas and'other hydrocarbons on Lot 24, Block 102, Huntington Beach Tract, be denied, was approved by the following roll call vote: AYES: Commissioners: Bazil, Bardwell, Schryer, Davis, Stang NOES: Commissioners: None ABSENT: Commissioners: Presson, Valentine Mr. Faust of the United Outdoor Advertising Company Mr. Faust,- appeared before the Commissioners and requested an ex - United Out- pression from the Commissioners that he could carry to door Adver- the Orange County Planning.Commission in regard to -the tising Co. erection of four outdoor advertising signs on the Mills Land and Water Company property adjacent to the City limits, east of Highway ff39, as the Orange County Planning Commis- sion would hold a meeting this week and there would not be time for the Commission to pass the application on to the Huntington Beach Planning Commission for study. On motion by Davis seconded by Schryer that the Planning Commission of the City of Huntington Beach see no objection to the variance of the United Outdoor Ad- vertising Company being made to the Orange County Planning Commission for the erection of four outdoor advertising signs on the Mills Land and Water Company property adjacent to the City limits, was approved. On motion by Davis seconded by Schryer the adjourned meeting of the Planning Commission of the City of Huntington Beach adjourned..- Chalirman 0 Secretary