GUY CARROZZO -- Mayor’ Column

The franchise agreement for a proposed toll road down the Santa Ana

River is set to expire in January. Fountain Valley is opposed to the

extension of the franchise agreement and the idea of the toll road.

The California Department of Transportation will make its decision in

the next few months. This franchise agreement has been in existence for

10 years and has been transferred to at least three private companies.

If this project were truly feasible, one could reasonably expect it

would have moved forward by now. In fact, franchise holder Interwest, now

known as American Transportation Development, told us last year that a

decision would be made by January 2000. However, a decision has yet to be

made.

Ample time has been given to the franchisee to perform, yet they have

collectively chosen not to perform. Unfortunately, Orange County toll

roads have not proven to be financially successful on their own.

This uncertainty of success had prompted American Transportation to

request taxpayers’ money to assume a great deal of upfront risk.

Fountain Valley and Santa Ana were successful in persuading the

governor to veto $5 million in public funding for the Orange Freeway

project. Robert Farris of American Transportation Development has been

quoted as saying, “We can’t take that kind of upfront risk.” This was

after learning of the governor’s veto.

Fountain Valley has grave concerns with the use of the Santa Ana

riverbed for the Orange Freeway extension, including noise,

unsightliness, potential loss of property and numerous environmental

issues related to the riverbed, particularly in light of the recent

severe problems of urban runoff contaminating ocean waters.

We are concerned with any potential reduction in the level of flood

protection afforded by the Santa Ana River and the contamination of

drinking water, because the Santa Ana River is used for percolation in

the Anaheim area.

As you are probably aware, the San Diego Freeway corridor through the

western portion of Orange County is close to capacity. We are adamantly

opposed to any contractual provision of the franchise agreement that

would prevent improvements to area freeways and streets. Numerous area

streets need improvements to increase traffic flow and capacity. We do

not think this so-called private toll road should have protections of

non-competition that are detrimental to the taxpayer.

Recently, I attended an Orange County Transportation Authority meeting

to testify against its support of extending the franchise agreement.

Chairwoman and Fountain Valley Councilwoman Laurann Cook expressed

strong opposition to endorsing the toll road extension. Unfortunately, we

were not successful, but in our effort, we did get the conditions to

eliminate or limit the competitive provision, which in the Riverside

Freeway toll way agreement prevented the state from making improvements

to any competing freeway near the Riverside freeway toll road. In the

Orange Freeway agreement, this would have prevented future improvements

to the Garden Grove, San Diego and Corona del Mar freeways.

This is a change in our favor. The next step is for us to meet with

Caltrans officials in Sacramento and further present our opposition to

the idea of a toll road in the Santa Ana River. * GUY CARROZZO is mayor

of Fountain Valley