City Again Moves to Stop Road Project

The city made another bid Monday to stop construction of a road into the Dos Vientos development that critics say would be dangerously steep.

In a closed-session afternoon meeting, City Council members voted unanimously to challenge a court decision that gave developers the right to complete construction on the controversial Borchard Road extension into the 2,350-unit, $700-million development.

“The city has a responsibility to the safety of the residents, and should have the authority over whether our roads are built meeting the standards and guidelines set by the city,” Councilman Andy Fox said after the meeting.

Chris Lacquer, an attorney for Operating Engineers Pension Trust of Pasadena, the road developer, said the city’s decision will not stop the grading work, which is expected to be complete by the end of the week.

The council voted in July 1996 to approve the extension of Borchard Road, permitting the developer to build the road with a grade of up to 12%--steeper than city code would ordinarily allow.

But earlier this year, an independent traffic report backed residents who complained the grade was dangerously steep, and the council issued a stop-work order.

That prompted the developers to sue the city, resulting in a judge’s order that allowed work to resume.

With the council’s decision, the city now plans to file a motion for the judge to reconsider his ruling.

City officials say they would appeal to a higher court if the judge does not reconsider.