College Park residents press council over Haines/DWP pipeline route and bridge safety
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Summary
Multiple College Park West/East residents urged the council to require bridge repairs and a traffic-control plan before any franchise agreement or construction using the neighborhood bridge proceeds; speakers called for a temporary moratorium and raised concerns about emergency access and lack of communication from project proponents.
Several residents from the College Park neighborhoods used public comment time at the Feb. 23 Seal Beach City Council meeting to raise sustained concerns about the proposed Haines/DWP pipeline alignment that would cross a structurally deficient local bridge. Speakers said they had obtained studies showing the bridge’s substructure is in poor condition, questioned whether the Long Beach-owned bridge had been adequately evaluated, and asked the council to press for alternatives that avoid the neighborhood.
Ken (last name not provided) and Karen Nolte described studies and Freedom of Information Act records they said show the bridge may not safely support additional pipeline loads; Karen Nolte noted active street markings and poor communication from project proponents and asked for a temporary moratorium requiring bridge repairs and an approved traffic-control plan before any franchise agreement is considered. Several speakers asked staff to require improvements and mitigation, and asked the city to insist on meaningful neighbor communication.
Why it matters: Speakers argued the bridge is the neighborhood’s single ingress/egress route and that construction-related lane reductions could hamper emergency response. They asked the city to coordinate with OCFA and require a comprehensive plan and bridge repairs before approving any alignment that uses the bridge.
Council response and next steps: Council members acknowledged the concerns and took comments for the record. Staff noted that the Hellman public hearing remarks would be entered into the record for the subsequent public hearing item; residents asked staff to proactively investigate alternatives and to require bridge remediation and traffic controls prior to any franchise approval.
Representative quote: "I respectfully request that the council direct staff to enact a temporary moratorium to require completion of bridge repairs and fully review and approve a traffic control plan...before considering any franchise agreement with DWP or the city of Long Beach," said a College Park West resident.
