Traffic worries for the Village 605 project
Dear Editor,
Traffic worries for the Village 605 project
Dear Editor,
For the proposed Village 605 (the News Enterprise had it named the Los Alamitos Village ) at the old GTE/Verizon/Dex Media site on Katella Avenue by the 605 Freeway and adjacent to the Los Alamitos Civic buildings, Recreation Center and Oak Middle School, the project proposal estimates more than 10,400 daily visits (cars) there with an estimated AM peak hour and a PM peak hour of 400 to 500 plus cars, so there would again be during peak arrival and departure times challenges as hundreds of people are moving in or out of the complex during each of those two peak hours. The traffic volume would not be just from the usual traffic already on Katella because with the large illuminated freeway sign that significantly promotes the Village 605 but not the City of Los Alamitos, they are obviously trying to attract additional automobile traffic (visits) from the (out of town) freeway traffic that would not ordinarily traverse Katella, adding additional traffic to Katella Ave throughout the day and evening. There would also be store employees arriving and departing at the beginning and end of their workday.
Traffic on Katella is already so congested that adding to the congestion instead of trying to reduce it is a worsening of the quality of life for our residents and all local residents that depend on Katella Ave to connect to the rest of the world. There will be longer waits to traverse Katella in both directions for longer periods of time throughout the day and evening. There will be increased pollution because of increased automobile traffic moving at a necessarily slower pace, and also from increased traffic from delivery trucks and tractor trailers. There will also be increased risk of collisions because of the necessity of many more cars having to move across multiple lanes of traffic in both directions, especially from the 605 North freeway exit to the extended and signaled left turn lane, according to the access plans for this development.
I often avoid Katella and merchants accessible via Katella because of the already high congestion along that route.
No doubt there are financial advantages for Los Alamitos besides tax revenue, including increasing the property value of the Civic Center for which there has been discussion of selling ( perhaps to these developers?) and relocating. This situation might possibly be viewed by some as quite self-serving ; a possible conflict of interest for approving this project. While this project does fall within the parameters of the already developed Los Alamitos City “General Plan and associated Environmental Impact Report,” and based on that did not require a new Environmental Impact Report or traffic study, but only completing a checklist of compliance per my understanding, that does not mean that the Plan already established by a group of well meaning people in the past for the whole city is correct for this particular situation/location based on closer scrutiny and perhaps more focused analysis.
Just because you can do something doesn’t necessarily mean you should.
Personally I do not care to be further sacrificed to the “traffic gods” for the financial gains of others.
Douglas A Smith
Rossmoor
Keep an eye on housing developments in Cypress
Dear Editor,
As you drive around our city, you will see a lot of high density residential units currently under construction with Bonanni Development being a very busy contractor in our city. The former blue office complex next to the 7-11 on Lincoln and Denni is being torn down and is going to be a 57 unit apartment complex. It’s next to the new Bonanni 67 unit townhome development. Duke and Duchess on Walker will be 24 townhomes and Dr. McCarthy’s old dental office on Bloomfield will be 19 townhomes. In the near future expect to see Bonanni seeking approval for a 60 plus unit development on the Hansen Auto Body site.
Last April, city staff reported to the City Council that they contemplate over 1,000 future residential units in the Lincoln Specific Plan so this is just the beginning. That’s in addition to the 52 units being built by City Ventures across from City Hall and the 47 new homes on the old Mackay School site.
George Pardon
Cypress
Why skip the Turkey?
Dear Editor,
President Obama is taking a break from Trump transition to pardon two turkeys. Every one of us can exercise that presidential pardon power on Thanksgiving by giving thanks for health and happiness while skipping gratuitous violence.
The 235 million turkeys killed in the U.S. this year have nothing to be thankful for. They are raised in crowded sheds filled with toxic fumes. At 16 weeks, slaughterhouse workers cut their throats and dump them in boiling water to remove their feathers.
Consumers pay a heavy price too. Turkey flesh is laced with cholesterol and saturated fats that elevate risk of chronic killer diseases. Package labels warn of food poisoning potential.
But, there is good news. Annual consumption of turkeys is down by a whopping 35 percent from a 1996 high. A third of our population is reducing meat consumption. Food manufacturers are developing a great variety of healthful, delicious plant-based meat products.
My Thanksgiving dinner will include a tofurky (soy-based roast), mashed potatoes, stuffed squash, chestnut soup, candied yams, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, and carrot cake. An internet search on vegan Thanksgiving and a visit to my local grocery store will provide me heaps of recipes and delightful plant-based turkey alternatives.
Lucas Bailey
Los Alamitos