Home Ranch’s Defeat and Its Effect on Projects

We would like to reply to Burt Hermey’s letter (Dec. 4). Hermey, either through misconception or purposely, misstates several facts concerning the Fairview Road overcrossing and accuses C.J. Segerstrom & Sons of deception in its Newsletter to the community.

Our company has been careful not to claim, in any of our Community Newsletters or campaign materials, that the Fairview bridge-widening project was contingent on the approval of Home Ranch.

The Fairview-widening project is one of several transportation projects (unrelated to Home Ranch) that we have updated the community on through our Newsletter. We began discussing the Fairview project nearly two years ago, not the week after the election as Hermey claims. Furthermore, construction on the widening commenced not the week after the election as his letter states, but Oct. 1, as mentioned both in our November Newsletter as well as in press coverage of the ground-breaking ceremonies.

It is important to note that the overcrossing is not being widened by Caltrans as Hermey states. It is a city of Costa Mesa project. It is funded by federal funds as clearly stated in our June, 1987, newsletter, 15 months prior to the election.

We have funded improvements related to the Fairview/Interstate-405 crossing. But these funds did not come from Home Ranch. City approval of Crystal Court at South Coast Plaza stipulated that over $714,000 in traffic-impact fees be paid by C.J. Segerstrom & Sons to the city of Costa Mesa.

A large portion of this money was used to design improvements on the northbound ramp leading from I-405, at the Fairview bridge, by adding additional lanes. The northbound I-405 off-ramp to Harbor Boulevard was also designed and presently is being constructed with these fees. C.J. Segerstrom & Sons has also dedicated land required to improve the southbound Fairview on-ramp to northbound I-405.

Hermey is right in stating that Home Ranch has not been allowed to proceed. And with that is the loss of $30 million that would have been made available to Costa Mesa for local transportation improvements and $4 million to the San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor, a project vitally important to solving Costa Mesa’s long-term traffic problems, not to mention $3 million annually for local schools.

MALCOLM C. ROSS

Director of Planning and Design

C.J. Segerstrom & Sons