Ventura Seeking Funds for Promised Sound Wall

City officials are scrambling to find $3 million to pay for a sound wall the City Council promised eastern Ventura residents when it tentatively approved about $118 million in capital improvement projects last week.

City staff members are scheduled to come before the council Monday with suggestions on how to fund the wall or whether to proceed with the project at all.

Collected from gas, utility, sewer and other taxes, capital improvement funds are typically used on long-term projects that maintain or improve the city’s infrastructure, such as roads, parks and sewers.

Among projects earmarked in the capital improvement plan are a $12.9-million Olivas Park Drive extension, $222,000 for a skateboarding park and $184,000 for new restrooms on Seaward Avenue. Most of these projects would be funded over six years.

The residents’ request for a 4,000-foot-long sound wall was made known to the council after planners had already determined priorities for the capital improvement funds.

Those living along Lafayette Street, between Citadel Avenue and Victoria Avenue, say traffic noise from California 126 has become unbearable, and has hurt the resale value of their homes.

“The windows shake and rattle, even in the front,” Ann Cameron, a resident of Lafayette Street for 4 1/2 years, said in a phone interview. As she spoke, Cameron opened her back door so a caller could hear the roar of traffic behind her home.

The houses on Lafayette Street were built in 1959. California 126 opened in 1963. In 1974, residents began asking the city and state to build a sound wall to reduce the noise, but the money has never been available. And the project is not getting any cheaper. In 1994, the cost of building the sound wall was estimated by Caltrans at $1.3 million. The current figure is about $3.2 million.

In its report for Monday’s meeting, city staff members caution the council against paying for the project.

“We’ve never funded a sound wall in the city before, because Caltrans has always done it,” Everett Millais, director of community services, said. “If we jumped on this one, it would set a precedent.”

Residents, however, say it’s time. “This is a 30-year promise,” said Greg Seiler, who spoke at last week’s council meeting. “I believe this council is in favor of this, but there’s a problem with funding.”

One option is to divert some of the $12.9 million set aside for the Olivas Park Drive extension, one of the most expensive road projects in city history.

Or the city may decide to pay for the wall with unused funds from the defunct Fairground Master Plan project--$9 million that was never spent after voters rejected a proposed events center at the county fairgrounds.

A third option would involve paying one-third of the wall’s cost upfront and waiting until Caltrans could build the remainder. But because of a continuing financial crunch at the agency, Caltrans would not be able to get to the Lafayette project until about 2010.

According to the city’s charter, the council must take action on its six-year capital improvement program Monday night.

“My frustration was that we didn’t have time to really look at this before we said yes,” Councilman Steve Bennett said. “The easiest vote in America is to vote yes without knowing what you’ll have to say no to later.”