A Commitment to Environmentally Sensitive Planning

More than a decade of careful planning with input from the public, scientists and the California Coastal Commission has led to a Parkside Estates plan that protects all recognized natural resources on the site.

Wetlands Protection - The Parkside plan will protect all recognized wetlands on the site. These locations, which are along the western edge of the property, close to Bolsa Chica, will undergo restoration, with a long-term management program to ensure they remain healthy and viable. The wetland areas are:

• A seasonal wetland of approximately five acres, between the future Parkside Estate homes and the eucalyptus trees near the Cabo del Mar condominiums, with a 100-foot buffer. These were designated as the "AP" and "EPA" wetlands on earlier plans.
• A collection of several small wetlands totaling 1¼ acres in the very western-most portion of the site, along the flood control channel. These were designated the "CP wetlands" on earlier plans.

Protecting Birds of Prey - Two eucalyptus groves on the Parkside Estates property are considered Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Areas because they provide birds of prey with a place to roost and perch. Cooper's hawks, which have become highly adapted to living in residential areas, have nested in these trees in recent years. These eucalyptus groves and a surrounding buffer are protected in the Parkside Estates plan.

Improving Water Quality - In our initial plans, we proposed to use mechanical filters to treat Parkside Estates’ runoff and the runoff from the Cabo del Mar condominiums, which currently flows untreated to Huntington Harbour and the ocean.

Now, in addition to treating this runoff, we are proposing to add a Natural Treatment System (NTS) that uses the natural cleansing characteristics of wetlands to filter, settle out solids, and break down pollutants. In addition to treating the runoff from Cabo del Mar and Parkside Estates, now we will treat a significant portion of the runoff from 3,000 adjoining acres, which will help improve water quality in Outer Bolsa Bay, Huntington Harbour and the Pacific Ocean.

Unlike some water treatment systems, the NTS will also be beautiful to look at, and will attract and nourish birds and other wildlife.  The proposed Parkside Estates NTS is modeled on the successful San Diego Creek NTS created by the Irvine Ranch Water District.