SEAL BEACH : Noise-Lowering Plan for Shopping Center

Rossmoor Center officials hope to complete renovations to the shopping plaza’s back parking lot by the summer in an effort to reduce noise that is bothering nearby residents.

The shopping center plans to add landscaping and traffic islands to the blacktop lot, which is located near the SuperSaver 7 movie theater.

Residents who live in nearby condominiums have long complained that noisy theater patrons talk loudly and honk their horns in the parking lot.

City officials hope the new design will reduce noise levels by making it more difficult for patrons to drive through the lot without having to make stops or turns.

“It kind of channels traffic and keeps it away from the condos,” said Lee Whittenberg, Seal Beach’s planning director.

The new design, including the addition of trees and grass, will mean the loss of about 70 parking spaces, Whittenberg said.

The planning department is expected to approve the center’s plans within the next few weeks. Construction could begin in May and be completed by June.

Several ideas have been discussed for reducing noise. One suggestion--to erect fiberglass panels between the condos and the parking lot--was rejected because it would cost too much.

Rossmoor Center management has tried to reduce noise by posting security guards in the back lot.