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.”