Neighbors air worries about future freeway west of Modesto

This much seems clear: A new freeway is coming west of Modesto.

After six decades of planning a Highway 132 bypass, transportation leaders on Wednesday unveiled environmental studies at a public meeting attended by lots of anxious people with lots of questions about the $214 million new road, for which crews could break ground late next year.

“Oh, they’re serious,” said Michael Rossini Jr.

“That doesn’t make it right,” Wayne Lewis said.

Many with concerns – and they seemed in the majority – talked with government scientists and engineers and packed a comment box with written notes, complaints and suggestions. Another 20 took the extra step of talking with a court reporter who recorded input word for word.

Some were fearful or angry at the idea of losing a home or business.

“Nobody told us” about road plans, Raymond Almarez said, when he bought his large-lot home eight years ago with the acre of land he’d always dreamed of. It will be razed, and he learned Wednesday to expect appraisers in July, starting negotiations over what his property is worth.

His is one of 32 homes and 11 businesses in the way of the new freeway, which will parallel Kansas Avenue heading west before tying into Highway 132, also known as Maze Boulevard, at Dakota Avenue. Other property owners won’t lose buildings, but part of their land, including Almarez’s daughter, Melani Cortes.

“I’m kind of shocked,” she said just after learning of the “partial take” at Wednesday’s open house, held in the gymnasium at Mark Twain Junior High. She recently married and moved but continues to own the freeway-fronted home, which she leases to renters.

That rental income “was going to take us through our senior years,” said her husband, Hector Cortes. “Now there are decisions and choices to make.”

Hement Khatri and Suresh Chandra, owners of the 68-room Quality Inn on Kansas for 21 years, find themselves in a much more unsettled state. A recently released 840-page environmental impact report says the hotel will go, but a state design engineer at Wednesday’s meeting said that doesn’t make sense because drawings show the new road skirting the hotel, possibly sparing it.

“We’re in a very difficult situation,” a frustrated Khatri said, because their hotel franchise agreement is due for renewal in August. “I wish we had a clear answer on whether they’re taking it or not.”

The men lease nearby space to Alejandra Munoz, who established Guayabitos Restaurant 2 1/2 years ago. A transportation representative urged her to attend Wednesday’s meeting, she said, “because they would have answers to my questions,” but answers proved elusive.

The government must pay fair market value for land and help to relocate people and businesses. Value disputes can end up in court.

Richard Arrieta will lose from 50 feet to 100 feet – depending on which road path is chosen later this year – of the yard where he plays baseball with his three sons, ranging in age from 8 to 13. His work commute takes him down Maze every day, so he will appreciate the new road, but would rather not sacrifice property.

“We love where we live,” Arrieta said. “This does affect our family.”

“They’ve talked about this for decades. If they’re going to break ground next (year), why are they not telling us, ‘We’re going to do it this way’? Don’t they know?” asked Terhesa Gamboa.

Talking openly is the whole point of these meetings, say transportation representatives, adding that not all questions can be answered at this point.

“This is a great turnout,” said Grace Magsayo, the California Department of Transportation’s project manager. “This is a good, productive meeting. There were a lot of comments and we’re going to bring them back with us (to answer in a report addendum). The public process is doing its job.”

Leaders look forward, as soon as 2020, to smoother flowing traffic from Highway 99 west toward Interstate 5 and the Bay Area, rather than the snarl from Maze’s 60 private driveways, multiple stop lights and 12 intersections with no signals.

Soliciting input sometimes gives road engineers ideas that they might not come up with themselves, said Terry Withrow, a Stanislaus County supervisor. Such feedback on plans for another expressway – the North County Corridor, skirting Modesto, Riverbank and Oakdale – persuaded leaders to drop plans for a segment paralleling Kiernan Avenue in favor of simply beefing up that road and steered the future route away from two neighborhoods near McHenry Avenue.

“Everyone’s input made a difference there,” Withrow said. “You can affect change.”

If improving Kiernan was acceptable, some wondered Wednesday, why not simply upgrade Maze?

“That would be cheaper,” William Wilhelm said.

He also wants to see a sound wall protecting neighborhoods along Kansas, west of Carpenter Road.

Gamboa said the new freeway, planned to dive under Carpenter Road, should stay below grade heading west all the way to Morse Road, where housing tracts end, instead of rising to the earth’s natural surface near Mercy Avenue, as plans currently show.

“I’m trying to keep an open mind,” Gamboa said. “I’m trying to be positive. I’m trying to be neutral. I hope they do the right thing. We want the project to raise our property values, not lower them.”

Some attendees were happy with poster displays and maps.

“This looks favorable for our business,” said Luis Miranda, a retired vice president of Crystal Creamery, formerly Foster Farms Dairy. The new streets configuration should help the creamery’s truck flow, and should take traffic pressure off Kansas in front of the business, he said.

“If I was a resident, I would have different concerns,” acknowledged Tiffany Hooser, the creamery’s environmental manager.

People for years have worried about danger from barium in dirt piled for a bypass segment rising over Highway 99. Nobody has gotten sick or died from the heavy metal, scientists have said for years, and representatives repeated that to all who approached their table.

Caltrans further will contain any threat by capping the tainted soil with freeway concrete, the study says. Trucking away contaminated dirt would cost an extra $20 million, the document says.

“We were able to respond” to questions Wednesday, said Randy Adams, a senior geologist with the state Department of Toxic Substances Control. “As it’s going to be managed, there is not a health issue.”

Others, such as Monica Ramos, wondered how much safer the bypass will make things if no improvements are made on Highway 132’s long stretch from Dakota to the San Joaquin River. Still others are worried about freeway lights and noise, and the loss of 50 farm acres and 590 trees.

People can see the environmental impact report and associated studies at the third-floor office of the Stanislaus Council of Governments, 1111 I St., or in the public library at 1500 I St., both in downtown Modesto, or online.

Comments can be emailed by March 17 to philip.vallejo@dot.ca.gov, or sent to Caltrans at 855 M St., Suite 200, Fresno, 93721.

This story was originally published February 23, 2017 at 1:00 PM with the headline "Neighbors air worries about future freeway west of Modesto."