FULLERTON : Highland Underpass Decision Postponed

After a heated four-hour public hearing this week, the City Council postponed a decision on whether to build a controversial railroad underpass at Highland Avenue.

Opponents of the underpass are mostly Highland Avenue business owners, some of whom stand to lose property to condemnation for the construction, city officials have said. In addition, customers might be deterred during the project, which may last as long as two years.

Proponents say the underpass is needed for safety reasons.

People cross the Santa Fe railroad tracks at Highland regularly, resident Kathleen Dasney told the council.

“Please go beyond the mundane considerations and put their lives in the forefront. That is, after all, what is at stake here.”

But underpass foes point out that no one has ever been hit while crossing the Highland tracks and that the city cannot be responsible for fatalities if people cross illegally.

“How do you protect people from themselves?” asked Connie Barron, whose business, Freek’s Garage, would be affected by the underpass. “The pedestrian traffic across the tracks at Highland has already been established as extremely heavy.”

Building an underpass or closing the road on either side, Barron said, would only lead to more illegal crossings and possibly accidents.

Others have argued that an underpass could attract muggers and vandals and that homeless people might use it for shelter.

Securing the necessary right of way by eminent domain would require approval by four of the five council members, and three--Mayor Julie Sa and Councilmen Chris Norby and Peter Godfrey--say they do not favor taking property through eminent domain.

The project still may survive, however. City officials, who have spent more than three years debating the issue, say they will take two more weeks to look for a plan to build the $8.5-million underpass without having to take property.