Los Angeles Times
O.C. NEWS
 
Busy signal? Try this. *66

Thursday, September 24, 1998

12-Mile Stretch of Eyesore To Become Urban Greenbelt
Renewal: OCTA work on an old trolley corridor cutting through seven cities will start in Garden Grove.
By GREG HERNANDEZ, Times Staff Writer
 

 
 
 
RELATED
O.C. SECTIONS

  MAIN PAGE

  NEWS BY
  COMMUNITY


  SPORTS

  PREP SPORTS

  BUSINESS

  LIFE & STYLE

  CALENDAR

  CALENDAR
  WEEKEND


  HOME DESIGN

  COMMENTARY

  T.V. TIMES
 
 
 
 
ADVERTISEMENT

www.worldflash.com/indexla.html

JobSource
A  narrow strip of land that once carried Pacific Electric trains across Orange County has gone to seed, deteriorating into a barren 12-mile stretch of dirt and weeds that cuts an unsightly diagonal swath through seven cities in the heart of the county.
     Little has been done to maintain the corridor, abandoned in 1950 when the railroad's Red Car trolley system was shut down because of the automobile's increasing popularity.
     But a metamorphosis will finally begin Oct. 1 when the Orange County Transportation Authority, which now owns the property, undertakes a long-term effort to beautify it with landscaping, walking trails and increased maintenance. So far, about $1 million has been earmarked to begin design and construction.
     Work on the old rail right of way--which traverses Santa Ana, Garden Grove, Stanton, Anaheim, Buena Park, Cypress and La Palma--will begin in Garden Grove, where city leaders have been pressuring the OCTA for at least a decade to spruce up the 100-foot-wide property. The corridor cuts the city in half for four miles and along several major thoroughfares.
     "It's just something that has been detrimental to our city," Mayor Bruce Broadwater said. "You have to realize that this is a scar across the whole western county and the longest stretch is in our city."
     Broadwater hopes the transformation from miles of dusty land into a greenbelt will help Garden Grove in its mission to revamp its sagging image by fighting urban blight.
     "It's a major deal for Garden Grove," Broadwater said of the project. "Aesthetic values are very important to human beings, and we want to make our city as good-looking a place as possible."
     The OCTA began acquiring the property in 1982 as a potential rail corridor through northern Orange County. But a major study done in 1995 eliminated the route from immediate consideration because of changing demographics. The study also showed that three-quarters of the residents surveyed near the corridor favored retaining the area as a greenbelt.
     In Garden Grove, the land runs northwest from the Garden Grove Freeway near Newhope Street to the city limits near Katella Avenue and Dale Street. City officials had tried to buy the land, but the OCTA wants to keep the right of way because it could again become a viable transportation route.
     Earlier this month, the Orange County Board of Supervisors selected the firm of Psomas & Associates as a consultant for what is called the Pacific Electric Right of Way Implementation Plan, which the board approved in April. The plan's purpose is to develop a long-range design to enhance the corridor.
     For now, work will begin only on the stretch at the intersection of Newhope Street and Trask Avenue.
     "It's a small project, but it's a beginning," said Thomas Knox, OCTA spokesman. "It's a step in the right direction of making the corridor a little more pleasing and pleasant to look at. We are working with the city's best interests in mind."
     The land is now used by nearby residents to walk dogs or jog, and it is commonly used by airline pilots as a navigation line.
     "We are the ones who pushed OCTA to do this," Broadwater said. "There was some reluctance at first. It's their property, and we just felt they should maintain it. I'm glad they're starting."

Copyright 1998 Los Angeles Times. All Rights Reserved

 Search the archives of the Los Angeles Times for similar stories about:
ORANGE COUNTY TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY, BEAUTIFICATION, TRANSPORTATION ROUTES, ORANGE COUNTY -- PUBLIC WORKS. You will not be charged to look for stories, only to retrieve one.

 



For help, click here