Hawaiian Gardens Moving Forward --With Improvements to the Long Beach side

Ok. So we weren't happy to learn several months ago that the City of Hawaiian Gardens wanted to extend 226th Street all the way through to Pioneer Blvd., on their side behind El Dorado Park Estates.

After walking the area and distributing a flyer door to door about the issue, I held a community meeting with El Dorado Park Estates residents about what was being proposed. Most were concerned that too many people were driving into the Long Beach side now and that this would increase traffic flow.

At my request, our Traffic Engineer conducted a study to see how many people actually came into Long Beach and how many went out of Long Beach via Pioneer Blvd. The results were startling: traffic flows in an out at a 50-50 rate. People living in Long Beach use Pioneer Blvd., to access the freeway and the Town Center.

Nevertheless, the City of Long Beach formally expressed its concern to the City of Hawaiian Gardens about their plans -- knowing full well that legally one city cannot tell another city what to do within their own boundaries. In turn, the City of Hawaiian Gardens offered to provide infrastructure improvements on their side and our side so that the extension of 226th to Pioneer (on Hawaiian Gardens side but just steps from Long Beach) could look presentable.

Accordingly, I released the following statement today:

     As a follow-up to the June 2009 meeting regarding the City of Hawaiian Gardens proposal to extend 226th  Street through to Pioneer Ave., the City of Hawaiian Gardens has decided to move forward.  Construction has recently begun on the project.  Even though the City of Long Beach has no authority to halt the project, Councilwoman Schipske and City Management were able to negotiate some accommodations for El Dorado Park Estates.  Below are the components of the beautification project:

      1) Installment of a new decorative “Welcome to Long Beach” sign at the intersection of Pioneer Ave. and 226th  St. on the west side of the street.

      2) The tree will be removed to accommodate the construction of the ADA approved sidewalk and curb cut.  The parkway tree to the south, that is causing the sidewalk to buckle, is also to be removed and replaced.  The parkway trees will be replaced  from the City of Long Beach’s approved list of trees.
    
    3) Crosswalks and STOP signs will be installed to meet the requirements of the reconfigured intersection.

    A traffic study was performed which indicated that traffic in and out of El Dorado Park Estates from Pioneer Ave. on to Ring St. is approximately equal in both directions.  The beautification project will enhance the entrance in to El Dorado Park Estates.  The City of Hawaiian Gardens has cooperated with the City of Long Beach to do this work within our borders.  Again, the City of Long Beach has no jurisdiction or ability to prevent the City of Hawaiian Gardens from conducting work within their own borders.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Office of Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske at 562-570-6932.