LONG BEACH : Judge Blocks Proposal to Erect Street Barrier
A Superior Court Judge on Thursday blocked Long Beach from erecting a controversial street barrier between an upscale housing tract and the city of Hawaiian Gardens.
The fence--which would have blocked off Pioneer Boulevard at the border of Hawaiian Gardens and the El Dorado Park Estates in East Long Beach--was approved by the Long Beach City Council in December. Traffic studies showed that the residential streets were overused, city officials said, probably by commuters seeking access to the San Gabriel River Freeway.
But some neighborhood residents and Hawaiian Gardens council members protested and, in a suit filed Thursday, opponents alleged the gate was intended to keep lower-income, minority motorists out of the El Dorado area.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Diane Wayne issued a temporary restraining order that will remain in effect until Feb. 18, when a preliminary injunction hearing is scheduled.
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