Editor’s note: This version contains corrected statements. Los Al Mayor Shelley Hasselbrink told the News Enterprise on Feb. 15 that she doesn’t know what the impact to traffic would be during construction of the first segment. She said, “the city will do everything it can to keep two lanes of traffic flowing in each direction of Los Alamitos Boulevard during the construction.” Hasselbrink also clarified that the City will try to get the first segment of the project done by September.
Editor’s note: This version contains corrected statements. Los Al Mayor Shelley Hasselbrink told the News Enterprise on Feb. 15 that she doesn’t know what the impact to traffic would be during construction of the first segment. She said, “the city will do everything it can to keep two lanes of traffic flowing in each direction of Los Alamitos Boulevard during the construction.” Hasselbrink also clarified that the City will try to get the first segment of the project done by September.
Los Alamitos is close to starting a street improvement project that’s been in the planning stages for more than six years.
Last week, the City published an announcement in the News Enterprise’s legal section inviting developers to bid on the first of three segments of the Los Alamitos Boulevard Median Improvement project.
Developers have until March 2 at 2 p.m. to submit their bids to redevelop the street on Los Al Boulevard from Katella to Cerritos Avenue, reads the announcement.
On March 2, the City Council will publicly assess bids submitted at City Hall and chose a developer, who will probably begin construction around “April or May” said Los Alamitos Mayor Shelley Hasselbrink. Residents can expect the City to try and keep two lanes of traffic flowing during construction and the median will be closed, said Hasselbrink.
The proposed improvements for the first of the trio of development phases includes raised medians with improved landscapes and streetlights, replacing crosswalks at four intersections with colored concrete, and a fresh 12-inch-thick coat of asphalt. Also proposed is the removal and replacement of curbs and driveways on Farnham Avenue and Kinmount Street.
At the time of this writing, Los Al City Clerk Windmera Quintanar did not confirm if anyone put up a bid and said, “no one has purchased plans yet.”
Hasselbrink mentioned the City was looking to get the ball rolling as quickly as possible with the project, which she said has taken over six years in the planning phase just to get to this point.
Throughout the years, the City garnered the public’s input through town hall meetings, open houses, and public hearings.
The results of those meetings being the project proposed today.
Despite all those meetings, the city still didn’t have everything it needed–funding, well, until recently.
Then the City refinanced Laurel Park last year in October, which included a lower interest rate, about the same monthly payment, and the condition that the City could “pull money out” for a “defined project and it must be completed within three years,” said Hasselbrink. The Los Al Boulevard project was one of those defined projects.
Another reason to begin the project quickly other than the extensive planning period is to finish construction before schools start in the Fall. Hasselbrink said she hopes the first segment can be done in September.
Overall, the project will consist of three segments.
Segment one spans from Katella Avenue to Cerritos Avenue. Segment two spans from Cerritos Avenue to Los Al’s northern boundary. Segment three spans from Farquhar to Katella Avenue
Hasselbrink said she has “no idea” what the price tag for the first segment will look like until she sees the bids but a Los Al City Staff report from May 2016 estimated the entire project, which includes all three segments, would cost about $2.57 million.