Moorpark Gets Rights to Final Piece of Land for Arroyo Bridge

After six years of effort to build a footbridge across Arroyo Simi, Moorpark officials Wednesday finally won rights to the last piece of land needed for the project.

The city received a court order Wednesday granting it access rights to a strip of land, owned by Southern California Edison, that will lie under the bridge’s southern landing, Public Works Director Ken Gilbert told the City Council on Wednesday night. The city will have access to the property beginning Jan. 1.

Moments after hearing Gilbert’s report, council members awarded Gerstenberger Construction Corp. of Canyon Country a $507,894 contract to build the bridge. Construction should begin in January and finish in July or August, Gilbert said.

“It’s certainly been a long time coming,” Mayor Pat Hunter said. “I’m glad to finally be where we are.”

The court order ended months of often-stalled negotiations between the city and Edison. For months, Edison officials had tried to win concessions from the city in return for cooperation on the bridge project.

Edison wanted unlimited access to its property along the arroyo through Arroyo Vista Community Park Road, which is locked off to vehicle traffic after dark.

In November, the council decided to seize rights to the disputed property in court. Shortly after Moorpark filed condemnation papers in court, Edison and city officials hammered out an agreement to allow the city access to the property.

The 161-foot-long bridge will be located near the end of Liberty Bell Road, close to the spot where 11-year-old Joel Burchfield drowned in January.

Wednesday’s development brought applause from the council chamber audience, including Joel’s father, Dan Burchfield, who had pushed for construction of the bridge.

“Good job!” he called out.