GARDEN GROVE : Citizens Fight Plan to Develop Rail Land

An angry group of self-described “old-timers” is preparing to fight the city over its plan to develop portions of the old Pacific Electric right of way.

“We have a group of about 40 or 50 people--average age 70--who are getting together on this,” said Dennis W. Witcher, a youngster at 47. “Some of them are from Anaheim, some from Santa Ana and some from Garden Grove, but all of them have a long-standing interest in Garden Grove.”

What they’re upset about, said Witcher, an electrical contractor and local history buff, is the decision by the city last week to try to buy two sections of the abandoned railway that once carried the Red Cars throughout the greater Los Angeles area.

The two sections are between Brookhurst and Gilbert streets and Euclid and Nelson streets.

“The feeling is that if we don’t do something, then Garden Grove is going to be out of the running for the coming rail system that’s going to connect to Los Angeles,” Witcher said.

He was referring to the Orange County Transportation Commission’s long-range plan for a light rail line that would ultimately connect with a light rail system now under construction in Los Angeles County.

On Monday, the group took its complaint to the Orange County Transit District, but the district board approved the purchase agreement anyway.

The group complained that the city’s plan for commercial redevelopment on the land could make running a light rail line through Garden Grove so expensive that county planners would try to find another route.

But Mayor W.E. (Walt) Donovan said, “I’ll be dead and gone before they get started on a rail line through Garden Grove. It’ll be 20 years minimum before it’ll be built. I don’t understand these people who think that all you’ve got to do is lay down track and run a train on it.”

The group now plans to try to make rail transit an issue in the November City Council elections, in which three seats will be contested.

“‘We plan to really get active,” Witcher said. “We’re going to get rid of anyone on the council who is for that idea.”