The media recently presented news about the 405 Freeway Project and plans for its expansion from Costa Mesa to Seal Beach. Orange County Transportations Authority’s Alternative 3 has been opposed by the majority of the cities in the 16-mile stretch called the “corridor” and the OCTA appears to have listened, and even responded with the understanding that they hear everyone.
At the Aug. 13 OCTA meeting, some project modifications were suggested in Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley and Westminster, but none in Seal Beach.
The city and residents have worked separately to try and convince OCTA to not tear down the wall when they rebuild this freeway. There is no response from OCTA yet.
The city did come up with plans and revised them throughout its meetings with the OCTA. What will be discussed here is what OCTA has presented in their alternatives and what Seal Beach residents see as a major safety hazard during construction of the 405 Freeway Project. Also included is what impact there could be to the Orange County and Los Angeles County line, which is everyone’s concern of because that’s the end of the project.
The fact is that Seal Beach is dealing with the possibility of the tearing down of the wall adjacent to its College Park East neighborhood.
OCTA has indicated it does not know the details of how much of the wall could be torn down, and since this wall is the last one standing up before the West County Connectors project (405/605 transition), there is a valid reason why the wall being torn down is of huge concern, considering the year long proposed project for the Seal Beach Bridge and the 405 freeway connection to the 605 freeway will leave construction in this area for a long time.
The College Park East residential wall is right next to the freeway and affects 240-250 cul-de-sac homes in the track for 40-plus years. Many have said it could go for 40 more years.
It is at least 18 feet in height and currently is not the standard height for freeway walls, although OCTA officials have said they would replace it, 18 feet and all. However, residents don’t believe it will be the exact same strength. In addition to the historical aspect of the wall, there are safety hazards of a torn down wall. Residents have been very concerned with air quality issues of car exhaust exposure when and if the wall came down.
Just as important too are the dangers of having heavy machinery coming in and out of the only outlet street—Almond Avenue. Lastly, residents were concerned about the dangers of freeway traffic itself. I have read a recent letter by Caltrans in this newspaper about construction worker safety and how drivers should be aware of construction areas by slowing down, so this concern is quite valid. After OCTA’s public meeting on June 7, with the majority voting against toll roads, there was another smaller public meeting hosted by the city of Seal Beach at the North Seal Beach Community Center on June 26.
Again there was plenty of opposition to OCTA’s Alternative 3. Most residents at this particular meeting chose Alternative 1 because it would not bring down the wall, but recently the OCTA in its updates to the city of Seal Beach have indicated that Alternative 3 should be chosen because they could work with the design to ensure the wall doesn’t come down.
I will refresh the OCTA alternatives here in regards to Seal Beach’s end: Alternative 3 adds one general purpose lane and one toll lane (it combines the latter with the current carpool lane to form a two-lane Express Lane like on the 91 Freeway).
In addition, Alternative 3 doesn’t add a toll lane between the 22 and the 605. It just converts our present HOV lane along with another one they are building in the WCC project into the two Express (toll) lanes. Alternative 2 adds two general purpose lanes on each side of the freeway.
Alternative 1 adds one general purpose lane on each side of the freeway.
Both Alternative 1 and 3 add just one lane on the other side of the College Park East wall and Alternative 2 adds two lanes. College Park East residents do not like toll lanes nor the tearing down of the wall, so agreed to Alternative 1 at the meeting.
What I find odd is that OCTA can plan anything at all without the approval of L.A. County transportation officials in resolving that ultimate gridlock at the county line due to the fact that Orange County plans for expansion but L.A. hasn’t met with them to coordinate? Wouldn’t it be prudent to do so before they proceed with Orange County plans?
The mayors of the cities in the corridor have signed a letter in support of Alternative 2, with modifications that would not move the College Park East sound wall.
The link to answer some modifications was provided to the public after the Aug. 13 OCTA meeting. It’s at http://bit.ly/NaNXf2.
I hope to see the OCTA board members work diligently together at the Sept. 24 OCTA meeting and to listen to everyone in the corridor, not just Seal Beach. I suggest you write to to the Clerk of the OCTA Board at wknowles@octa.net. It’s the last chance and then the comments will be closed down to announce the final decision by the OCTA.
Enea Ostrich is a longtime resident of College Park East in Seal Beach.
