FULLERTON : Council Approves Highland Underpass

Despite objections from residents and business owners, the City Council has decided to convert a portion of Highland Avenue into a two-lane underpass in an effort to make it safer for motorists and pedestrians to travel without having to cross railroad tracks.

The decision was made on a 3-2 vote, with Councilmen Chris Norby and Peter Godfrey dissenting. “We should let Highland be Highland,” Norby said. “I don’t think the safety issue really warrants the money.”

It will cost $8.8 million to build the underpass.

Mayor Julie Sa and council members Jan M. Flory and Don Bankhead disagreed. They said that even though there have been no fatalities on the railroad crossing in the past century, railway traffic is expected to increase and make it a dangerous area for pedestrians, especially for hundreds of schoolchildren who cross the tracks daily.

But some residents and business owners said the crossing is safe, accused the city of wasting money and pleaded with the council to reject the federal money--$6.67 million--that has been granted for the underpass.

“If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it,” property owner Hubert Davis said.

The council still must approve a plan for how the underpass will be built and how the city will help Highland property and business owners whose businesses might suffer during construction.