LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Just a comment on the Fourth of July here in Huntington Beach.

My house backs to Banning Avenue between Brookhurst and Bushard

streets. On July 4, the people from inland came and came and came. I am

so embarrassed because of their behavior and uncleanliness.

Just behind my house was one fight and someone had their car window

broken out. There were broken beer bottles, empty beer cases, dirty

diapers, food wrappers, etc. all over the street. What an embarrassment.

Why do people have to live like this? I can just imagine what their

homes look like.

My real concern lies with county of Orange and city of Newport Beach

wanting to put a bridge extending Banning Avenue over the Santa Ana

River, connecting our neighborhood with Costa Mesa. I can see the mess we

had July 4 becoming an everyday occurrence along with people driving into

the neighborhood with really nowhere to go. There is no retail, no

industry and really, no bridge.

GARY ARNESON

Huntington Beach

The Master Plan of Arterial Highways for Orange County contains a

bridge across the Santa Ana River, connecting 19th Street in Costa Mesa

and Banning Avenue in Huntington Beach. This bridge is a bad idea from

both a practical perspective and a public acceptance one.

The planned bridge is a dead end, leading only to Brookhurst and

Magnolia streets as major north-south thoroughfares and ending at

Magnolia Street. Thus traffic using the bridge could only end up on these

streets, hardly spreading the traffic load out.

Indeed, a recent nonpartisan traffic study, using unrealistic

assumptions showed no need for the bridge because the bridges at Adams

and Hamilton streets were more than adequate for traffic through 2020.

The street in Huntington Beach where the bridge would dump westbound

traffic (Banning Avenue) has a school, a library and a park on it, so

that traffic speeds would necessarily be low if the traffic did not use

Brookhurst Street.

The only city that favors the bridge is Newport Beach, and they are

not affected by it. Indeed, Newport Beach has done little to help

regional traffic. They would not go along with the widening of the San

Diego Freeway to help ease traffic, and they caused the Costa Mesa

Freeway to stop so that traffic to Pacific Coast Highway must use surface

streets to get through Newport Beach.

There is only one crossing of the Santa Ana River in Newport Beach,

while there are three in Huntington Beach. Huntington Beach has seven

east/west arterial streets that connect to streets that have river

crossings, while Newport Beach has one. Both Huntington Beach and Costa

Mesa, the cities the bridge would connect, are opposed to it, and

Fountain Valley is also not in favor of it.

The 19th Street bridge in the master plan has already had a negative

impact on the environment. When the waste water treatment plant on

Brookhurst Street considered a biofilter approach to treatment of their

air emissions, the space requirements and the fact that that space could

become unavailable due to the construction of the bridge prevented the

use of that very cost-effective treatment technology and use of more

costly alternatives. Of course, with more treatment of waste water a

likelihood (and appropriate), this will cost us all. The Orange County

Transportation Authority should show some leadership and update the

master plan to avoid the current situation, where Huntington Beach and

Costa Mesa are planning future traffic as if the bridge will not be built

(unanimous agreement is required to proceed) and Newport Beach proceeding

as if it will?

After 10 years of study of this bridge, the cites still do not agree

on it, so that agreement in the future seems to be unlikely.

The OCTA needs to show some leadership. They should consider the

recent traffic study results showing a lack of a need for the bridge and

the fact that the impacted cities do not want it, and remove it from the

master plan. Perhaps we can move forward to finding a way for Newport

Beach to contribute to the solutions to regional traffic issues, rather

than just contributing to them. The recent debate regarding an airport at

El Toro has given me an idea.

If Newport Beach is not willing to do anything to assist in regional

vehicle traffic, perhaps they should contribute to regional

transportation by enhancing the capacity and operating hours of John

Wayne Airport. Isn’t it appropriate that they make some kind of

contribution to regional transportation?

HENRY B. KERFOOT

Huntington Beach

We strongly oppose a Banning Bridge. The impact on our city will be

overwhelming regarding increase in noise, pollution, cars and congestion.

We do not want a highway running through our residential area.

We will vote against Measure M renewal if the Orange County

Transportation Authority withholds Measure M funds to force cities to use

the bridge in traffic plans.

MARCELENE AND SKIP BRABENDER

Huntington Beach

We would like to join others in our neighborhood of the southeastern

part of Huntington Beach to voice our opposition to the building of the

so-called Banning Bridge.

In 1973, we moved to this community and have enjoyed being here these

many years. One of our children attended the Eader Elementary School plus

an additional three grandchildren.

Also two of our children and three grandchildren went to Edison High

School. It is a very nice place to live, and we hope that the proposed

building of the bridge, which could seriously disrupt the way of life in

our community will not go forward. We think it is time that this issue

was laid to rest and that the bridge be denied. It is our wish that the

public agencies involved in this will side with the people of our area

and see to it that the Banning Bridge is forever withdrawn from the

Master Plan of Arterial Highways.

Any advantages that might accrue to future residents of Newport Beach

are far outweighed by the very severe disadvantages for the folks living

in the area of Huntington Beach. We would be expected to bear the brunt

of a dramatic increase in traffic (especially as Banning goes right in

front of the Eader school), noise and other environmental pollution, as

well as the obvious extra strain on our police department. This part of

Huntington Beach is already saddled with environmental issues that, taken

singly, would cause deep concern for any community.

The Santa Ana River has the potential for a flood disaster (which,

incidentally, means that we must pay for mandatory flood insurance), the

sewer plant has the obvious negatives, the Southern California Edison

facility continues to be an ongoing hazard and a polluter of our air, the

NESI toxic dump site, the fouling of our ocean and nearby wetlands are

some very real problems for this quiet, middle-class, law-abiding and

value-based neighborhood. We are certain that our representatives in

local government and other agencies involved will readily see that the

proposed Banning Bridge should not be built now or in the future.

JOAN K. AND JOSEPH F. ONGIE

Huntington Beach