Building boom battles

... and other hot news stories Huntington Beach residents can expect to read in 2006.With nearly every major project in Huntington Beach set to be decided by the end of this month, 2006 is expected to be the year of construction in Huntington Beach.

After the City Council decides whether to approve the massive Poseidon desalination plant, city residents will see their downtown area dramatically transformed with the construction of two massive development projects -- The Strand and Pacific City.

Will little room left to build in Huntington Beach, land-use debates will center on infill projects and how local land should be recycled. From the Home Depot proposed for the old K-Mart site to the debate over the cottage teardown on Main Street, here are the big news items to watch in 2006:

Opponents won’t back down on Poseidon

It’s just a matter of days now before the council tackles the historic Poseidon vote, and everyone is watching. Environmental groups, residents in the southeast, the Chamber of Commerce -- everyone seems to have a stake in the Jan. 9 vote to determine whether the Connecticut-based company should be allowed to build a $250-million desalination plant behind the AES power plant located at Newland Avenue and Pacific Coast Highway.

If the council rejects the project, it could be the last anyone hears about Poseidon in Surf City for some time. But if the project gets the green light, anti-Poseidon activists will have to prepare to fight Poseidon at the next level: the California Coastal Commission. A public hearing could still be more than a year away, but a showdown in front of the strict coastal development agency could be enough to stop the project.

Poseidon will also need dozens of approvals from state agencies and municipal governments to build their plant. Expect anti-Poseidon activists to fight the project at all levels in their attempt to prevent the desalination facility from coming to Huntington Beach.

City, residents team up in cottage showdown

City officials have teamed up with concerned residents to block a small developer from demolishing a historic bungalow on Main Street and replacing it with a 5,300-square-foot mansion.

Planning officials are now in a race against time to get new building rules in place before building owner Raisa Markarian demolishes the small bungalow that sits at 737 Main Street. Neighbors have been fighting to stop the project, arguing it would change the face of the historic Main Street, home to the city’s annual Fourth of July parade.

The City Council might introduce a building moratorium to stop the project until construction begins.

Incumbents stick to council at election time

The year will bring more City Council elections, and with four incumbents gunning for four spots, it might be difficult to gain a seat on the dais.

Several candidates who didn’t make the cut in 2004 have already said they plan to run again. Restaurant owner Joe Carchio and Planning Commission Chairman Steve Ray have both stated they plan to run. Former Bolsa Chica Land Trust President Flossie Horgan is also considering a bid for City Council -- and is a likely ally to council member Debbie Cook, who will be serving her last two years on the dais.

Voters will also be asked to choose a new state senator to replace John Campbell. Huntington Beach Assemblyman Tom Harman will face off against Diane Harkey in an April Republican primary for the seat.

Pam Houchen gets her sentence in February

Just when you thought you had had enough, Pam Houchen is sure to make headlines again in February when she is sentenced for her participation in a Huntington Beach real estate scheme.

The mother of triplets and former Surf City mayor pleaded guilty along with four other defendants to illegally converting apartments into condominiums without the proper permits. Houchen is also accused of improperly orchestrating a real estate deal in a city-funded redevelopment neighborhood.

Houchen will face federal judge David Carter on Feb. 6 and could receive up to five years in prison for her participation in the scheme. If she lands any jail time, it will likely be behind bars in a minimum-security women’s prison.

Trying to beautify Montgomery Ward

The Bella Terra mall is finally built, and now city leaders and developers are looking at what to do with the abandoned Montgomery Ward building on the site.

City Councilman Keith Bohr said he’d like to see the land turned into a Costco to maximize city sales tax and stave off any revenue leakage from a nearby Costco in Fountain Valley. Developer J.H. Synder is campaigning hard to get permission to build condos on the site.

Home Depot needs its own products

Officials with the home improvement giant are hoping to build a Home Depot in the old K-Mart site at Magnolia Street and Garfield Avenue. Residents near the site want a scaled down store with shrunken delivery hours, while store officials are fighting to keep their big-box design in tact. The City Council will ultimately decide what goes into that space.20060105isjvbmncDOUGLAS ZIMMERMAN / INDEPENDENT(LA)Nuana Robinson, third from right, and other neighbors have opposed plans to tear down this cottage at 737 Main Street and replace it with a much larger house. 20060105isl62ancDOUGLAS ZIMMERMAN / INDEPENDENT(LA)The future of the Montgomery Ward building is still up in the air.