Grass-roots group criticizes 17th Street plan
Andrew Glazer
EAST SIDE -- The city’s plans to widen East 17th Street drew criticism
Wednesday night from most of the roughly 50 residents and business owners
who attended the first meeting of a newly formed neighborhood group.
“I wish they would leave it the way it is, clean it up and stop those
people from driving 70 miles per hour,” said Jim Mizell, who owns several
properties on the street.
The East Side Community and Merchants Assn. was formed last month to
provide a voice for the residents and business owners who oppose the idea
of expanding East 17th Street to six lanes.
City and county plans call for the widening because officials predict
future traffic increases in the area would otherwise spill onto
residential streets.
“We’ve met with [city and county officials] and talked and talked and
talked,” said Dan Perlmutter, who owns the shopping center housing the
popular Mother’s Market and Kitchen. “But we really feel they’re not
really listening.”
Perlmutter is one of six people who created the new grass-roots group
after serving on a city-formed committee.
The City Council in January created the committee to represent business
owners and residents in the East 17th Street planning process. The
committee members grew frustrated after meeting with city traffic
engineers and consultants in a string of contentious monthly sessions.
Traffic engineers want more lanes, and they have $4 million in grants
waiting to build them. The merchants, however, want more sidewalks and
landscaping.
“We’re the voters and it’s important for the city to hear what we have to
say,” said Dan Lubeck, who owns a building on 17th Street and is a member
of the city committee.
The city’s traffic engineers did not attend Wednesday’s meeting. Tom
Sutro, a Costa Mesa Planning Commissioner, was the only city official
present.
“I’m just here to learn,” he said, adding that he had not yet made up his
mind on plans for East 17th Street. “We see report after report, but it’s
always nice to hear what the residents are thinking.”
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