Homeowner: Sign too ‘ugly’

Elia Powers

When Costa Mesa lawyer George Cote bought a home near the San Diego

(405) Freeway, he never thought he’d have to deal with this.

A Caltrans sign alerting freeway drivers to merge left was planted

sometime Thursday on the inside of a sound wall that separates his

backyard from the freeway. Cote and his wife, Becky Cote, were out of

the house at the time.

The couple didn’t notice the sign that night, but Becky Cote did

when she walked to the backdoor window Friday morning and saw it

sticking out from the wall.

“She came to the bedroom and started screaming, ‘George, look at

what’s outside,’” said Cote, an attorney who handles wills, trusts

and other transactions.

The Cotes use their backyard regularly, and George Cote said the

sign has turned the sound wall into an eyesore.

“It’s not funny because it’s so ugly,” he said. “We won’t enjoy

being outside with the sign there.

“It’s offensive.”

George Cote called Caltrans representatives on Friday to describe

the situation and demand that the sign be removed.

The sign is mounted on Caltrans property, but George Cote said it

encroaches upon his property because it juts out from the wall.

Caltrans information officer Sandy Friedman said engineers are

planning to visit the Cotes’ New Hampshire Drive home today to

determine if the sign was put in place according to Caltrans

standards.

Becky Cote said signs are occasionally placed on the inside of

sound walls if there is a space or safety concern with putting them

outside.

George Cote said engineers will be conducting a property-line

search in the next few days to decide what will be done.

He has contacted an associate in state Sen. John Campbell’s office

about the sign.

And if Caltrans doesn’t remove the sign, “I’m ready to take it

down myself,” George Cote said.