Proposed soundwall in Calabasas may take years to build

Proposed soundwall
in Calabasas may take years to build

About 60 residents from the Saratoga Hills/Saratoga Ranch area packed Calabasas City Council chambers at a meeting last week to support construction of a soundwall to buffer freeway noise near the Lost Hills exit, north of the 101 Freeway. But they may not see the wall for up to 10 years because state funds are lacking for the $2 million project, officials said.

The wall would be installed on the 101 Freeway adjacent Canwood and extend about three-tenths of a mile west from the Lost Hills interchange. It would be 10 to 12 feet high.

Guest speakers from the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and the state of California (Caltrans) were on hand to discuss the proposed soundwall and all the complexities that accompany it.

The need for a soundwall was first reviewed in November 1998 when residents of Saratoga Ranch and Saratoga Hills complained to Calabasas city officials about freeway noise.

In April 1999, the city contracted an acoustical engineering firm to prepare a sound-level study.

Using microphones placed in neighborhoods, the company determined that the community’s morning noise levels averaged 74.9 decibels.

The Calabasas General Plan limits acceptable noise levels to 65 decibels outdoors and 45 decibels indoors in urban residential areas. Caltrans considers noise levels of 67 decibels or higher justification for a soundwall and at that time confirmed that the installation of a soundwall was warranted.

Caltrans would fund the wall, while the MTA would implement it.

"The good news is that you have an identified project," said MTA representative Marta Maestas. "The bad news is there’s no funding."

Changes two years ago in state law left the MTA with only $34.8 million to complete $1.2 billion worth of projects.

Projects are split into two priority groups.

Phase One soundwall projects get priority because they’re mandated by existence of a carpool lane in applicable areas. Since there’s no carpool lane in the Calabasas area, it falls into Phase Two, which cannot be funded until all of Phase One projects are budgeted.

"I can’t see Phase Two funded for eight to 10 years," said Maestras.

The city has two options for expediting the soundwall.

One is for the city to put up one-third of the funds, which would move it up on the priority list for Phase Two.

Robert Yalda, the city’s director of transportation and intergovernmental relations, said he was enthusiastic about that idea, until he learned: (1) that 20 other Phase Two cities already were doing the same thing and (2) that it could still take years to make the top of the list.

Another option is that the city could pay for the soundwall and then be reimbursed when the project gets to the top of the list, Maestas said.

"To build a wall, we’re taking a chance. We don’t know when we’ll be reimbursed," said Yalda.

Oji Kalu, Caltrans representative, told the group that environmental and other expensive studies are necessary before the wall could be constructed.

"It could take from two months to two years (to complete that process), depending on environmental and right-of-way issues," Kalu said.

Several residents of the Saratoga Ranch/Saratoga Hills area spoke in favor of the wall.

Yalda told The Acorn that he’ll speed up the process. He estimated it would take five years.