Residents urge council to scale back Redondo Circle plan, cite truck noise and health risks

A sustained wave of public comment at the Huntington Beach City Council meeting focused on the proposed Redondo Circle redevelopment, a plan that residents say would put a 40‑foot warehouse and continuous truck operations near senior housing and other sensitive receptors.

Residents described repeated outreach to city planners and appealed for stronger mitigation measures. "Placing a 40‑foot tall warehouse so close to nearby senior homes, sensitive receptors, and important emergency access routes is a real concern," said a Terry Park resident who asked the council to require a smaller building footprint, increased setbacks and strict limits on nighttime operations.

Common concerns and evidence cited: Speakers gave specific fears about noise (backup beepers and forklift operations), truck counts and hours (some comments referenced estimates ranging from 7–12 trucks per hour to as many as 95 trucks per day), insufficient or flawed noise studies, and long‑term air quality impacts related to diesel exhaust. Several residents asked the city to require a new, full noise study with night sampling and to reconcile EIR and noise study methodologies before the project moves forward.

Requests made to the council: Community members urged the council to (1) require reduced building heights and a smaller footprint; (2) increase setbacks and buffering (including recommendations for 14‑foot sound walls in places); (3) limit hours to daytime operations only (no 24/7 loading/unloading); (4) require a new comprehensive and independent noise and environmental study; and (5) meet directly with residents in study sessions and require stronger community engagement before any entitlement moves forward.

Officials’ response and next steps: Multiple council members invited follow‑up study sessions with staff and residents and acknowledged the need to review technical studies cited by the planning commission. Staff noted the project had proceeded through entitlement steps and was under appeal; councilmembers requested staff ensure that outstanding studies (EIRs, noise, air) are available and meet methodological expectations before approval actions.

Context: The issue drew repeated testimony across the public comment period — including elected and nonprofit representatives and long‑term residents — reflecting concentrated neighborhood resistance to the proposal as currently designed.