Marina del Rey residents facing extended construction along Via Marina say the plan stinks
A two-year sewer installation project will cause lane closures on Via Marina
Photo by Jorge M. Vargas Jr.
By Gary Walker
Despite opposition from many Marina del Rey residents, the city Bureau of Sanitation is moving ahead with plans to tunnel under a portion of Via Marina for the installation of a new sewer main.
The $60-million effort will lay pipe under Via Marina from Marquesas Way to the mouth of Marina del Rey harbor, then continue across Ballona Creek to resume along Pacific Avenue and part of Vista del Mar in Playa del Rey.
Construction is expected to last about two years, occurring between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays.
Residents expressed worry about traffic congestion, limited access for first responders and the lengthy construction timetable during a Jan. 21 public hearing in Westchester.
Marina Peninsula resident Beth Holden-Garland said she worries about evacuating her family in case of an emergency.
“I have two kids and I think every night about what if there was a disaster and how would we get out of here,” she told city sanitation representatives.
Like many of the 20 or so residents who spoke out during the meeting, Holden-Garland urged officials to consider taking the new sewer line down Pacific Avenue.
“We have all of this new construction going on in the marina, and now this. Things are at a critical mass,” she said.
Pacific Avenue is also congested and has only two traffic lanes as opposed to Via Marina’s three, but the Los Angeles County Small Craft Harbor Commission submitted a request — read during the meeting by commissioner and marina resident David Lumian — also asking the city to use Pacific Avenue instead of Via Marina.
“Many of the 9,000 residents and businesses of Marina del Rey have voiced their feelings that the two-year traffic diversion plan proposed by the city is an unreasonable burden on their travel to and from their homes and businesses,” the letter states.
The new 48-inch pressurized sewer line will buttress the 54-inch Venice Main Line built in 1960 during the initial construction of Marina del Rey.
Officials worry the current main won’t last much longer without springing leaks and plan to take it offline for repairs as soon as the new sewer line is installed.
The need to act quickly — and the fact that the city is already more than five years into the planning process — means public officials won’t reconsider changing the path of the sewer line, said Ali Poosti, division manager for the city Bureau of Sanitation.
“We’ve been at this for several years. Time is of the essence, and if we delay this any longer we’re getting that much closer to it possibly bursting. The sooner that we get started on this process, the sooner we’ll have a system that is robust and can provide the safety that the residents want,” Poosti said.
An environmental review of the project has already been certified and the city is now seeking a construction permit from the California Coastal Commission.
The Los Angeles City Council approved sewer construction along the Via Marina route in 2010. Los Angeles County officials sued to stop the project, but the city prevailed in a March 2013 legal decision.
gary@argonautnews.com
Thank you for reporting this. To clarify, I was recommending that they consider the BEACH ROUTE, as it is safest route and makes the most sense. They should install the new sewage line on the beach, (not near the breakwater), but below ground in the sand. There is ample room as it is an extremely WIDE beach, (built up from years of the jetty catching sand from neighboring beaches). This route would not endanger local residents like the one they are proposing on Via Marina. The least terns (the bird sanctuary at the end of the beach) has migratory birds that are gone 8 months of the year. These birds would not be disturbed if done seasonally, (and again micro-tunneling underneath) would be below the sanctuary.
There are just to many “what-if’s” on the proposed Via Marina line that could cost human lives. There is not an ample escape route for residents if an earthquake or tsunami occurred, and with construction, emergency vehicles might not be able to reach us in a timely manner. We are landlocked here on the peninsula, and need these lanes for residents to be able to vacate. There are also environmental issues with abandoned oil wells, chemicals, and methane leaks that could be leaked with drilling. It’s not fair for residents to endure these risks when it’s clear that the beach route is clearly the safest and most logical path.
Classic NIMBY behavior. The wealthy and comfortable folks in MDR whining about imaginary dangers to THEMSELVES, as they try to push the project to a neighborhood where it would have a real negative impact from a safety perspective – but that doesn’t matter, because THOSE people’s lives aren’t as important as the lives of MDR people, am I right?
The beach isn’t a neighborhood Dave.
The cost of this project is one third the cost if it is run along the beach….in fact the beach route was initially proposed….why the change to spend more tax payer dollars and create all of the traffic problems on Via Marina? Anyone have an good answer???