Bell Gardens : Moratorium Extended

A moratorium on building permits in the Central City Project redevelopment area has been extended by the City Council for 10 months and 15 days.

The extension, approved Monday, was necessary to give the Planning Department time to complete a zoning study that will eventually update the zoning ordinance, said Maria Aguirre, assistant city manager. The redevelopment area incorporates an area east of the Long Beach Freeway between Gage Avenue and Clara Street and west of Ajax and El Selinda avenues, and an area about 100 feet east of Eastern Avenue and south of Florence Avenue.

City officials hope their study will be completed in about six months, roughly the same time an economic development strategy by the Los Angeles County Community Development Commission is expected to be ready. The city also commissioned a consulting firm in January to prepare a study on future hotel and motel development in the city, Aguirre said. She said several developers have approached the city about building hotels and motels in Bell Gardens.

She said the city wants to use all three studies to amend the zoning ordinance, giving the city definite goals for the long-range planning of developments in the area.

Three areas that are exempted from the moratorium are the Bicycle Club and the Toys R Us shopping center, both at Eastern and Florence avenues, and the properties on Priory and Live Oak streets that have been designated for a city parking lot. A staff report said those properties have been exempted because they conform to the redevelopment plan now in place. The moratorium was originally approved in January.