Council Supports Preserving WWII Bunker

The Huntington Beach City Council has agreed that a World War II bunker in the path of homes planned for the Bolsa Chica wetlands area should be preserved.

The council voted 5 to 2 last week to notify Orange County of its stand in the city’s comments on a revised draft environmental report on the proposed development.

The bunker, built about 50 years ago and located on the upland area of the Bolsa Chica, has been declared eligible for listing in the National Register of Historical Places.

But Larry Brose, vice president of the Koll Real Estate Group, said the listing does not prevent the company from tearing down the bunker.

The county Planning Commission is expected to vote today on a development plan for the wetlands area. The commission has recommended a plan to build up to 3,300 homes on the site. The Koll Co. wants to build up to 4,286 homes on the mesas and lowlands of the Bolsa Chica.

Brose said part of the bunker has been dismantled and Koll’s plans are to continue its dismantling next spring. He added that the company is documenting the historical significance of the bunker.

“Documentation is a better way to preserve the local history,� Brose said.

Others disagree.

Members of the Bolsa Chica Land Trust, Huntington Beach Tomorrow and the Sierra Club urged the council to take a stand to preserve the structure.