Update: According to a recent statement from Seal Beach City Hall, the city attorneys for both Seal Beach and Long Beach have discussed ways to cooperate in the proesuction of lawsuits that will be filed by each of the two cities to challenge the I-405 environmental impact report.
City Attorney Craig Steele said that Seal Beach would file a suit challenging the Environmental Impact Report for the I-405 Freeway expansion project this week.
The audience attending this week’s public City Council session broke into applause and cheers at the news.
According to Steele, City Council voted 4-0 in closed session Monday, July 13, to file suit under the California Environmental Quality Act to challenge the environmental report’s “failure” to address impacts on local residents.
Steele said District three Councilman Mike Varipapa abstained from the discussion and vote because he is employed by Caltrans.
Steele said the environmental report did not include the impact of relocating the soundwall on Almond Avenue.
Steele said the Caltrans and the Orange County Transportation Authority were absolutely committed to the project without regard to the public.
For several years now, Caltrans officials have made it clear they would prefer to expand the freeway by adding one general purpose lane in each direction and adding a toll lane in each direction. The public and local have consistently opposed the toll lanes.
This week, Patty Campbell was one of several College Park East residents who had apparently come to the council to ask for action against the project when Steele announced the decision to file the lawsuit.
Campbell said moving the freeway soundwall would be detrimental to the entire neighborhood.
She said when she tried to contact officials about the Environmental Impact Report, she was either ignored or thanked for her input.
“We basically got blown off,” Campbell said.
She said it was frustrating that Sacramento officials thought they could force the project onto Orange County and that the county’s residents would roll over and take it.
Four other College Park East residents, one a young boy, thanked the council for filing the environmental impact challenge to the project.
Seth Eaker said it was infuriating that officials had ignored I-405 Freeway corridor cities.
