Westside results will be worth the wait

Allan Roeder

Correspondence from Eleanor Trigher published April 10 in the Daily

Pilot’s Mailbag section (“Pleading for proper paving on Placentia”)

and following comments of April 13 from David V. Schweitzer (“Land

sale at Fairview Park could fund repairs on Placentia Avenue”) urge

repair of this main thoroughfare.

We could not agree more that the road is in need of resurfacing.

Accordingly, I’d like to advise the public what it can expect in

terms of street repair and other public improvements in this

immediate area.

The city of Costa Mesa started almost five years ago with

comprehensive improvement efforts for not only Placentia Avenue but

West 19th Street as well. Those improvements included the requested

repaving of Placentia Avenue and West 19th Street, putting overhead

utility lines -- owned by Southern California Edison, Southern Bell

Communications and Comcast -- underground, the installation of

decorative street lights, as well as the design and phased

construction of landscaped medians.

This effort required successfully competing for grant funds, using

all of the city’s funding designated for putting utilities

underground, gas tax funds and general funds, along with gathering

major commitments of both volunteer and city staffers’ time.

As residents and commuters can attest, the overhead utility lines

have been put underground, the parkways have been planted and the

decorative street lights energized. The various utilities have fully

cooperated in exercising their foresight in replacing underground

infrastructure in concert with the city’s efforts. To date, nearly $4

million has been spent on Placentia Avenue and West 19th Street.

The next major step is the reconstruction of both streets in the

summer. Placentia Avenue from Wilson Street to West 16th Street, and West 19th Street from Park Avenue to just west of Placentia Avenue,

will be repaired from curb to curb. Anaheim Avenue is also scheduled

for street resurfacing and limited storm drain improvements. West

19th Street will see the first landscaped medians in the area, with

future medians scheduled for Placentia Avenue as well. Construction

of the project is estimated to begin in late July, at an estimated

cost of $6.8 million.

The city of Costa Mesa very much appreciates and understands the

concerns of Trigher and others who regularly travel Placentia Avenue.

The city could have chosen to repave Placentia Avenue sooner but

would have lost a genuine opportunity to make a very clear statement

of its commitment to improving the Westside -- a subject well

chronicled in the Daily Pilot.

While opinions differ in the community as to the best course of

action for the future of the Westside, there has been little debate

relative to the value of public investment in infrastructure

improvements. I trust Trigher and all the members of the community

will agree, upon completion of this ambitious effort, that the

necessary delay was worth the wait.

* ALLAN ROEDER is the city manager of Costa Mesa, as well as a

resident.