Early morning construction irks some College Park residents

College Park residents said they were awakened early Thursday by construction crews working on a new car dealership.

At 3 a.m., Pacific West Builders, tasked with constructing the new 57,000-square-foot Orange Coast Buick/GMC/Cadillac at 2300 Harbor Blvd., began preparing to pour concrete in one continuous cycle for a parking deck. The pour followed at 4 a.m.

The Simi Valley-based company received a waiver from Costa Mesa City Hall to do the large-scale job from 3 a.m. to 3 p.m. The work wrapped up by about 3:30 p.m. “Noise-generating construction activities” are normally allowed from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays. No work is allowed on Sundays.

Richard Carr, Pacific West’s site supervisor, sent notification letters to neighbors along and near Princeton Drive.

“I understand the inconvenience this may cause and we are sympathetic to it, but unfortunately it simply couldn’t be avoided,” he wrote in his Sept. 28 letter.

The pour’s size and complexity, Carr added, needed to be done in a single shot and not in smaller sections. Carr said workers helped ensure that the trucks did not use College Park streets.

Nevertheless,

“There were a few neighborhood complaints,” Carr said. “I tried to address as many of them as possible as they were brought to my attention.”

Princeton Drive resident Teresa Drain, a community activist, said “residents were rather upset by 4 a.m. this morning by the construction work” and that she disagreed with the city granting the early start time.

About an acre of concrete was successfully poured, Carr said.

Several concrete trucks came to the site, he added, and having them arrive early in the morning helped them avoid snarling the regular daytime traffic.

Police and city officials were on site to oversee the work, said city spokesman Tony Dodero.

Neighbors have long complained about the large-scale construction project.

“I expected this,” Carr said. “I know this whole thing has become very political.”

The new dealership could be completed by the end of December. The remainder of work is expected to be done during normal business hours.