Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : Officials Wonder Which Route to Take Next : Palmdale: Improvement of one road would create jobs, but widening the other would ease traffic woes.

With limited funds available for road improvements, Palmdale officials are debating which street project to begin first: a long-planned improvement of a hazardous, heavily traveled commuter route, or a roadway that could be a boon to local industry and bring more jobs to the area.

At a City Council meeting Wednesday night, Mayor Jim Ledford argued that the city should go the jobs route, immediately extending Avenue O between 10th Street West and Sierra Highway to open up hundreds of acres for industrial development.

But Councilman David Myers said the city should first keep its promise to widen and straighten out a stretch of 25th Street East.

“I’m very frustrated that project has been given such a high priority,” Myers said of the Avenue O plan.

In its current budget, the council has allocated $1 million to widen and realign 25th Street East, a winding street used by many residents of southeast Palmdale driving to and from Los Angeles. But city staff members suggested that the 25th Street project could be put on hold for a year to free funds for Avenue O.

The change was suggested because the owner of much of the proposed site for an industrial center recently offered to donate land for the roadway. The cost of its design and construction is estimated at slightly more than $1 million.

Ledford said the city should accept the offer because it would provide access to vacant land that could be offered to large industrial companies willing to relocate to Palmdale. The city has been trying to lure such employers to cut down on commuting to Los Angeles.

He said the need for industrial land ready for immediate development became apparent during Palmdale’s failed attempt to attract computer manufacturer Packard Bell to the city.

“There was no readily available site for them to locate on,” the mayor said. “It’s hard to shop property right now in the Antelope Valley.”

Councilman Jim Root said he saw the need for both road projects. He suggested that the city fund the Avenue O project immediately because the property owner is ready to do the work.

But he also said the city staff could do inexpensive preliminary work on the 25th Street project so that it will be ready to go when construction funds become available in next year’s budget.

Stephen H. Williams, the city’s public works director, said his staff could begin designing that road project and hold public meetings with nearby residents regarding the new alignment.

“There’s plenty we can do on 25th Street,” Williams said.

The council postponed a decision on which road to take for one month, asking its staff to do further research on the projects.