County still has CenterLine in its sights

Deirdre Newman

Refusing to let opposition to CenterLine derail the project, county

officials are chugging along in their mission to build the light rail

system, which could see trains transporting commuters from this city,

Santa Ana and Irvine.

Officials are collecting the public’s feedback on the project’s

environmental report, and on Dec. 8, the county is scheduled to vote

on which route CenterLine will follow when construction starts in

2006. It is scheduled to open in 2009.

The Orange County Transportation Authority is considering four

main routes with various options. It has been hosting open houses so

residents of the three cities can check out the different routes and

comment on them.

While Costa Mesa city officials favor a route that includes a

short underground segment, Councilwoman Libby Cowan is encouraging

residents to learn more about CenterLine and let the county know

which route they prefer.

“I think it’s really important for everyone to keep involved and

follow this, because it will be a changing line until something

works,” Cowan said. “And that’s what we’re hoping -- that one of

these alternatives will be the answer -- and everybody needs to keep

their eyes open and participate in the open houses and those kind of

things.”

DIFFERENT ROUTES

The first route would come down Bristol Street, turn on Anton

Drive and cross the Sakioka Farms property into Irvine.

Under this first route, one option, known as the initial operating

segment, would be similar, but instead of crossing Sakioka Farms, the

light rail would go all the way up Anton and run parallel to

Sunflower Avenue.

Another option, which Costa Mesa officials prefer, would go from

Bristol to Sunflower, then onto Avenue of the Arts for a short

underground section, and then turn onto Anton Drive.

The second route would have the light rail go down Bristol, turn

on Anton and go underground for a while. There would be an

underground station at South Coast Plaza.

The third route would go from Bristol to Sunflower, down Sakioka

Drive and then curve back onto Anton, cutting across the Sakioka

Farms property.

For the option the city prefers, the parking area of the Lakes

Pavilion on Anton would be in the way. If this option is selected,

and the county acquires this property, the businesses would be

displaced. But the county could redevelop the center after

construction is finished, authority spokesman Michael Litschi said.

DOES THE COUNTY NEED LIGHT RAIL?

CenterLine has been envisioned as the first component of a

long-range rail system for the county. The transportation authority

is looking to light rail to address a lack of space in which to build

new freeways or widen existing ones. Promotional material for the

project touts the light rail as a link to 50,000 jobs in the South

Coast Metro area.

It’s also necessary to deal with the density of Orange County,

which has surpassed Los Angeles and San Diego, authority spokesman

Ted Nguyen said. The density of the areas along the proposed routes

is twice as high as of the areas bordering San Diego’s light rail

system, Nguyen added. Eventually, the county hopes other cities will

want to jump on board once the first line is constructed.

Daily ridership is projected at 28,400 by 2025, and construction

is estimated to cost of $900 million to $1 billion.

Still, the project has been controversial since the get-go.

The CenterLine project was originally proposed to stretch 28 miles

and include a host of cities but was put on hold in March 2001

because it lacked support from some of those cities.

Santa Ana, Costa Mesa and Irvine revived the idea in September

2001.

In June, Irvine voters nixed the proposed route through their

city, but left the door ajar for light rail in the future. The

portion that remains in Irvine would be around John Wayne Airport.

The project has been a challenge in Costa Mesa because the major

players -- C.J. Segerstrom & Sons, the Orange County Performing Arts

Center and the major landowners in the north Costa Mesa area --

pushed for an underground route so the light-rail system wouldn’t

interfere with existing developments. After the county rejected some

longer underground options as too expensive, city officials persuaded

the county to consider a shorter underground portion where it runs

near South Coast Plaza.

The open houses have allowed residents from all cities involved to

give their opinion on the environmental report for the project.

It still elicits adamant reactions from both sides.

Costa Mesa resident Albert Mooiweer thinks light rail is a good

idea.

“It’s nice that it goes to the airport and to Amtrak,” Mooiweer

said at the open house on Wednesday. “I can see [for] people who live

close to where it’s elevated, it might not be nice, but in Costa

Mesa, it would just go through a corner [of the city]. It’s not where

people really live.”

Ann and Art Soto of Santa Ana said they believe their city is

using the project as a cheaper way to finance the widening of Bristol

Street.

“I don’t think [the open house] will change my mind,” Art said.

“It’s a lot of money to spend on a need that could be addressed by

alternate methods.”

Councilwoman Libby Cowan, who supports the project, is encouraging

residents to learn more about the project and let the county know

which route they prefer.

Opposition to light rail projects before they are built is common

around the country, said Nguyen from the transportation authority.

Once they are up and running, they are usually successful, though, he

added.

Authority engineers and outreach workers have visited cities with

light rail, such as L.A., Salt Lake City and Denver to glean

information about successes and potential pitfalls.

“Obviously, we don’t want to duplicate failures,” Nguyen said. “We

want to be able to build upon other cities’ light rail successes and

hopefully make Orange County’s light rail project the model.”

TIMELINE

The environmental report is open for public review and comment

until Monday. All comments will be folded into the final

environmental report that will go to the federal government for

review.

The authority’s board is slated to decide a final route on Dec. 8.

If the federal government gives its approval, construction will begin

in the summer of 2006.

* DEIRDRE NEWMAN covers Costa Mesa and may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at deirdre.newman@latimes.com.