Some ask why rail line avoids plaza

Deirdre Newman

The city’s preferred route for the CenterLine light rail system is

pitting some property owners in the South Coast Plaza area against

others.

Major property owners voiced their concerns at the final public

hearing on the environmental document for CenterLine, which was held

Monday. The Orange County Transportation Authority has been gathering

feedback on the report, which delineates the four main routes for

CenterLine as well as an option not to build a light rail system.

The authority will vote on the preferred route on Dec. 8. The

light rail is designed to go from Santa Ana through Costa Mesa to

John Wayne Airport.

While city leaders prefer a short underground section along Avenue

of the Arts, some whose property will be affected by this route have

questioned why it bypasses shopping destination South Coast Plaza,

owned by C.J. Segerstrom & Sons.

“Why would we build a rail system to move people from one area to

another without going past South Coast Plaza?” asked Tom Smalley, the

general manager of the Wyndham Garden Hotel on Avenue of the Arts.

“This is for the people, not to benefit one specific person.”

The city originally approved a resolution supporting a route that

would elevate the light rail along Bristol Street. But the major

property owners in the area worked intensively with the city to

hammer out another route that would divert CenterLine away from South

Coast Plaza onto Avenue of the Arts. They are concerned that having

the light rail buzz through South Coast Plaza would interfere with

existing developments.

This alternative alignment, which the city now prefers, would go

from Bristol Street to Sunflower Avenue then along Avenue of the Arts

for a short underground section before turning onto Anton Drive. The

closest station to South Coast Plaza would be at Bristol and

Sunflower.

At Monday’s meeting, Segerstrom spokesman Paul Freeman expressed

concerns about noise, aesthetics, vibration and parking if CenterLine

comes into South Coast Plaza.

“We feel these issues can be substantially mitigated by an option

that goes down Avenue of the Arts,” Freeman said.

But Eric Strauss, property manager of a center at 580 Anton Blvd.,

the only Costa Mesa property that the county would acquire through

eminent domain if this route is chosen, railed against this route.

“It seems highly discriminatory and unfair and will displace

several local tenants,” Strauss said. “This route does not include

access to South Coast Plaza, the Orange County Performing Arts Center

or high-rise towers.”

Strauss said he is working with representatives in the

transportation industry and trying to lobby city officials to change

the route.

Smalley said the Wyndham Garden Hotel would also suffer from this

route because putting the light rail underground at Avenue of the

Arts would require a 20-foot easement along the entire length of the

hotel and because the light rail would be a mere three feet away from

the hotel ballroom.

“I find this route totally unacceptable,” Smalley said.

To protect the hotel’s ability to provide services if this route

is selected, Smalley has asked city officials to tweak the route so

it comes up from the underground portion farther south and moves the

tracks farther away from the building. Mayor Gary Monahan said city

engineers are amenable to the change.

Monahan said he’s confident that C.J. Segerstrom & Sons will

create an enticing way for light rail users to get to South Coast

Plaza once they arrive in Costa Mesa.

“I’m sure the owners of South Coast Plaza, once the light rail and

stations are up and running, there’s going to be a way to get there,”

Monahan said. “I don’t know what it will be at this particular point.

It’s a decent trek as far as a walk. They know how to make money and

know how to get customers to their place.”

On Dec. 1, the City Council will consider approving a resolution

supporting the underground Avenue of the Arts route.

The county is looking for the route that best unites the premiere

features of the cities involved, authority spokesman Ted Nguyen said.

“I think it’s highly viable for the route to connect the major

areas of retail, government, business and the airport,” Nguyen said.

“That large mix creates a dynamic nature that would contribute to the

success for light rail. It is important to have the stops as close

[to South Coast Plaza] as possible.”

* DEIRDRE NEWMAN covers Costa Mesa and may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at [email protected].