A College Park East resident asked for improvements to the Almond Avenue soundwall during the March 9 City Council meeting.
District Four Councilwoman Patty Senecal asked City Manager Patrick Gallegos for an agenda item on the subject at a future council meeting.
CPE resident Lucy Jackson, speaking during the public comment part of the meeting, raised her concerns about the wall. The following is not a transcript but highlights from last week’s meeting.
“This wall is inadequate,” Jackson said.
“This is not a new topic,” Jackson said.
Jackson said she’d had two in-person meetings with District Four Councilwoman Patty Senecal as well as exchanging emails on the topic.
“It’s time to get moving on this,” Jackson said.
“The noise pollution that we experience from time to time in that area makes it extremely difficult sometimes impossible to even have a conversation outdoors,” Jackson said.
According to Jackson, to plan a child’s birthday party residents must check the wind and humidity to see if they can guess whether they can have the party outside.
“That is not a quality of life that any resident deserves, even less in our beautiful city,” Jackson said.
“I’ve read multiples of documents online regarding all of the efforts that the city put forth during the 405 Freeway expansion project,” Jackson said. She said she was aware of the city’s fight on the matter.
“But I’m not sure all was won. But I don’t think all is lost,” Jackson said.
She said there was space for Seal Beach to go back to Caltrans and make “bigger requests”.
Jackson said she saw a lot of evidence of discussions about the wall being built, but not about improving the current wall.
“I didn’t see any votes, anything regarding wall improvement, just a vote on not moving the wall, which makes a lot of sense,” Jackson said.
“The noise level violates the Seal Beach own codes and also the HUD’s development code for federal regulations,” Jackson said, apparently referring to the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development.
“I would like noise studies to be performed,” Jackson said.
She asked for Public Works engineers to define the proper wall design using the federal handbooks.
“I would like trees to be planted. I would like Caltrans to consider rubberized asphalt on the freeways on the next maintenance campaign. I would like the city to allow residents to build higher fences between homes to mitigate how the noise bounces in between residences,” Jackson said.
“I would like to get ahead of these future developments with further noise and environmental studies,” Jackson said.
According to Jackson, “23 Code of Federal Regulations 772.13” requires a “highway agency” to analyze the allowable cost of noise abatement every five years.
She was apparently referring to section 2ii, “Cost effectiveness of the highway traffic noise abatement measures.”
The federal code says: “Each highway agency shall determine, and receive FHWA approval for, the allowable cost of abatement by determining a baseline cost reasonableness value. This determination may include the actual construction cost of noise abatement, cost per square foot of abatement, the maximum square footage of abatement/benefited receptor and either the cost/benefited receptor or cost/benefited receptor/dB(A) reduction. The highway agency shall re-analyze the allowable cost for abatement on a regular interval, not to exceed 5 years. A highway agency has the option of justifying, for FHWA approval, different cost allowances for a particular geographic area(s) within the State, however, the highway agency must use the same cost reasonableness/construction cost ratio statewide.”
Jackson wanted to know if Seal Beach had done such an analysis.
“I have data that shows that we’re in violation of this, but I would like this to be formalized,” Jackson said.
“There’s obviously an engineering failure and how these walls were kept even after the expansion and I also see that there is a lack of accountability,” Jackson said.
She said she performed a noise study on her own. Jackson said the noise was violating Seal Beach noise statutes and violating HUD code.
“We have grounds to revisit this more aggressively,” Jackson said.
Jackson ran out of time, but District Three Councilwoman/Mayor Lisa Landau allowed her to finish.
Public Works Director Iris Lee said staff would come back with a summary at a later date.
During Council Comments, District Four Councilwoman Patty Senecal, who represents College Park East, recognized the time and due diligence she put into her report, which was shared with the council members.
“It is extremely thorough. It’s well organized. It’s cogent to understand. I love the fact that you put pathways together,” Senecal said.
Senecal said she would talk to the city manager and probably Pubic Works staff to determine the next steps.
She also asked for an agenda item within a month.
Gallegos said staff would be happy to discuss that with her.
