City says developer has not secured sewer connection for Lampson/Poplar Place; residents seek clearer timeline

Residents near the Lampson/Poplar Place (formerly Lampson) redevelopment asked the council for an update on demolition, debris staging and sewer connections for the project proposed by Lennar.

Catherine Showalter and Charlie Kluger told the council they can see a large pile of covered demolition debris behind the site fence and said social‑media postings had raised questions about whether sewer connection approvals or litigation had halted work.

City Attorney Grilli told the council the city has not issued an encroachment permit or approved a sewer connection to the project. She said Los Alamitos imposed a condition requiring the developer to obtain a sewer connection from either the city of Seal Beach or the Rossmoor/Los Alamitos sewer district before building permits can be issued; to Grilli’s knowledge the developer does not yet have a connection to the Rossmoor/Los Alamitos area sewer district and has not been authorized to connect to Seal Beach’s sewer.

Why it matters: residents said the lack of transparent updates has left neighbors uncertain about potential environmental and infrastructure impacts, and they asked the city for clearer public information that is not impeded by litigation.

City staff confirmed they have been in discussions with the developer and are waiting for the capacity and quality study of sewer pipes the city requires before considering a connection. Until the developer completes the required study and obtains a connection from the relevant sewer district, the city said it will not authorize an encroachment permit or sewer hookup.

Ending: the city attorney and staff encouraged residents to contact the city for updates; the council did not approve any permit or connection during the meeting and said it would provide further updates when the developer submits required studies and applications.