The wall is necessary to protect residents on Chappell Road from
noise as part of California Department of Transportation
regulations.
Hollister – Jim De La Pena has an idea for how the county’s transportation agency can begin saving for the estimated $300 million it will cost to widen Highway 25.
That’s by stopping construction on a $200,000 sound wall running along his commercial property where the new bypass meets San Felipe Road, De La Pena said Monday.
The commercial property owner said he plans to build a shopping center there – near the nexus of the bypass and San Felipe and Chappell roads. There, De La Pena imagines a “restaurant row,” where county residents could grab a bite at eateries such as In-N-Out or Chevys Fresh Mex.
The wall is necessary to protect residents on Chappell Road from noise as part of California Department of Transportation regulations, said Lisa Rheinheimer, executive director for the Council of San Benito County Governments. Unless De La Pena guarantees removal of the homes, Caltrans will continue construction.
A sound wall would block access to the center from the bypass route. It also would cost De La Pena an estimated $100,000 to knock down the wall if city planners eventually approve his project, he said. Such a wall would be an eyesore and a target for graffiti, De La Pena said.
“Why continue to spend $200,000 of taxpayers’ money for something that is not needed, not wanted and could be a blight on the city?” De La Pena said.
But COG plans to move ahead with the wall’s construction, Rheinheimer said. The wall is part of Caltrans guidelines, she noted. Caltrans requires noise abatement for residents near roadway projects.
“In order to fulfill our mitigation obligations, we have to put up a sound wall,” Rheinheimer said.
To stop construction on the wall – which had a trench dug and rebar set for a foundation as of Monday – De La Pena would have to provide a written guarantee now that he would remove the houses before November 2008, Rheinheimer said.
“I’m not going to stop work until I get that guarantee,” Rheinheimer said.
De La Pena, however, said he shouldn’t have to guarantee the destruction of the homes before his commercial project is approved.
“I’m not going to knock down two houses where my family lives … just so they’ll stop building this wall,” De La Pena said.
Hollister City Manager Clint Quilter said De La Pena’s development has yet to be approved but the city is aware of the project and supports it.
County Supervisor Anthony Botelho – who sits on COG’s board of directors – said De La Pena’s project would be a boon for Hollister’s northern gateway.
“I did everything I possibly could to eliminate the bureaucratic nonsense,” Botelho said.
The supervisor said he is particularly frustrated with Caltrans’ inability to accommodate the property owner’s future plans.
“I’m not a big fan of Caltrans right now,” Botelho said. “I think it’s a poorly run operation.”
Another property owner is concerned the wall will harm his business. The wall would also block the view of the commercial properties in the area for motorists traveling northbound on San Felipe, said Sayed Faquiryan, a managing member of AVA Global Enterprise, which owns the ARCO gas station at San Felipe and Chappell roads.
“I’m totally against it,” Faquiryan said. “It’s not going to help my business. It’s going to put me out of business.”
Aside from the sound wall going up, De La Pena is upset that Graniterock-owned Pavex is storing its construction equipment on part of his property – which has been there since construction began.
De La Pena said the company asked his son – who rents a home on the property – for permission instead of him. The property owner took his complaint to the company’s executives.
“All it needs is communication,” De La Pena said. “I would be more than amenable.”
Pavex project managers could not be reached for comment Monday.
