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At the 8/6 PAC meeting a motion was passed that Rick Dayton write this letter expressing PAC's early concern and opposition to this proposed widening, and to invite Mr. Kwan to give a presentation at a PAC meeting when he's ready. This could develop into a major issue for all of us in Santa Ana Hts. Here is Rick's letter. After this letter was written, Mr. Kwan placed Joel Samonte as the Project Designer. We urge you to call him 714.834.6617 or email him directly with your thoughts on this project that is now picking up speed. *********************** Date: 08/21/02 Mr. Ed Kwan PFRD/Road Division County of Orange P.O. Box 4048 Santa Ana, CA 92702-4048 (714) 834-4477 RE:Street widening of Irvine Avenue between Bristol Street and University Avenue Dear Mr. Kwan: At the last PAC meeting on 8/6/02, the PAC committee unanimously passed a motion to write a letter to the County Roadway Division to express extreme concern and early opposition to the County's plan to widen the section of Irvine Avenue between Mesa Drive and University Avenue. It appears to the PAC that widening this section of Irvine Avenue from 4 to 6 lanes with a raised median would have much more negative impact than it would provide positive benefit to the community. To widen this section without continuing the widening project further to the south would only make sense if a significant percentage of traffic turned on University Avenue. This is clearly not the case. Widening this section of Irvine Avenue would only serve to move the rush hour bottleneck one light's distance: from Mesa and Irvine to University and Irvine. It certainly would not make sense to include this section of Irvine Avenue with the section between Mesa Drive and Bristol Street only because there are Measure M funds available to construct the entire project. It is PAC's understanding after our conversation that a new EIR for the project is being done. PAC requests that the following negative impacts on the community be addressed in this EIR: 1 The single family residential properties on Irvine Avenue would not only lose property to the widening project, they would be subjected to a devastating increase in noise and vehicle emissions pollution. These properties all have driveways fronting on Irvine Avenue. Backing a car onto a six-lane arterial with steep grade would be extremely dangerous. 2 The entire Anniversary tract has only one outlet: the intersection at Anniversary Lane and Irvine Avenue. At the present time, it is possible to negotiate a left turn from Anniversary to Irvine Avenue even in peak traffic hours because the center turning aisle allows crossing the two northbound lanes with a refuge in the center aisle from which to merge into the inner southbound lane. Likewise, it is possible to turn left from the southbound inner lane on Irvine Avenue onto Anniversary Lane because of the center turning aisle. With 6 lanes and a raised median, it would no longer be possible to make either of these two turning maneuvers. With the shopping center entrance directly across from Anniversary Lane, there would be turn pocket conflicts. From conversations with you and with Newport Beach traffic engineering staff, it is most likely that the Anniversary tract would only have right turn in, right turn out access. This type of access would be totally unacceptable for many reasons, not the least of which would be emergency vehicle access. No new tract in the County would be approved with such limited access. The residents of this tract, which has been here since the middle 1950's, should not be subjected to it. 3. The single family homes on the two cul-de-sac streets on the west side of Irvine Avenue, La Canada Way and Mira Loma Lane, would also suffer negative impacts from the proposed street widening similar to the Anniversary tract. 4.The condominium project at the northeast corner of University Avenue and Irvine Avenue would also suffer from the increased traffic noise and automotive emissions, as well as loss of property and improvements. 5.The Montessori School at the northwest corner of University Avenue and Irvine Avenue has a playground for young children on Irvine Avenue. The negative impacts on this facility and its young students are obvious. One would expect that the turning radius at University Avenue would increase if Irvine Avenue were expanded at this location. This would result in additional loss of property, and perhaps loss of existing improvements for the school. It would also severely compromise the safety of the adjacent loading zone for the school on University Avenue. This is only a short list of concerns. As the impacts of this project are studied further, and as the affected community becomes more aware of this impending project, no doubt other issues will be raised. It is the PAC's understanding that you will be giving a presentation to the community when the EIR is completed and you have a clear direction of how you feel the project should proceed. PAC would like to extend you the invitation to give this presentation at a PAC meeting. We would hope that this presentation would occur early enough in the design process that community input would be a substantive factor in the shaping of the project. Also, if invited, PAC would welcome the opportunity to have a PAC member attend the early design sessions with the County and representatives from the Cities of Newport Beach and Costa Mesa. Respectfully yours, Richard A. Dayton PAC Vice Chairman (949) 645-1717 fax: (949) 645-4243 cc. Supervisor James Silva Steve Badum, City of Newport Beach Public Works Director Roger Summers, PAC Chairman PAC membership Paul Lanning, OC Redevelopment Program Manager Mark Esslinger, OC Planning Services Division Micki Harris, OC Planning Services Division |
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