A proposed residential/industrial project in Lakewood Village could have a major impact on the community.
In recent months, residents and businesses in Lakewood Village have found themselves dealing with a development project that will have direct and dramatic impacts on the community.
The "Boeing Realty Mixed Use Project" will be located on 260 acres in an area located along the western portion of Lakewood Boulevard. The industrial/mixed use/residential project is a huge undertaking and Boeing has been busy shepherding the project through the Long Beach planning department. While the company has held community forums about the project, the impact of another at least 5,000 residents in the immediate area has many expressing great concerns.
In a recent edition of the Long Beach Business Journal (January 15), Councilman Ray Grabinski expressed his concerns about what the project will entail. "Building housing too close to an airport is simply bad planning," Grabinski wrote.
Here are some details about the proposed Boeing venture:
• The project has 35 percent mixed use (mostly offices);
• 31 percent is industrial with a research and development park.
• 20 percent is planned residential (on 52 acres). The number of residential housing units has grown from 2500 units to 3800 units, while dwelling units sizes range from 400 square feet to 1600 square feet.
• 14 percent goes for streets and rights-of-way. As with any new development project both quality of life and public safety issues will have to be considered. In any large project (and the Boeing mixed use project is large) traffic, the increased need for city services such as police and fire, parking, density of housing and overcrowded schools all become potential by-products of poor planning.
"We can't afford poor planning with a project this large. Boeing has been a good neighbor in Long Beach for a long time," Grabinski said, "but the location of this project so close to Lakewood Village is clearly not the right place for it."
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