ROSSMOOR : Perimeter Wall Issue Topic of Hearing

A public hearing will be held today on whether to place a proposal on the November ballot asking homeowners if they are willing to pay a special tax for the repair and maintenance of the Rossmoor perimeter wall.

A 100-foot section of the red brick wall was damaged during an earthquake in 1992 and has not been repaired because public agencies, including the county, have refused to pay for the costs, estimated at more than $70,000.

A ballot measure would need approval by two-thirds of those who vote, because it is a tax measure, officials said.

For the past two years, officials of the Rossmoor Homeowners Assn. have lobbied the Rossmoor Community Services District, which runs this unincorporated community of more than 5,000 homes, to take over the 1 1/2-mile wall built in 1957.

Shirley Bailey, president of the homeowners group, said that the wall has a historic value to the community, and residents have indicated in several surveys that that it should be preserved.

But the wall has become a hot potato among the community services district, county and the cities of Seal Beach and Los Alamitos, all of which have refused to take responsibility for its repair and maintenance.

Part of the problem is that the wall runs along public and private property lines.

Certain sections are close to county flood control channels, while parts of the wall are within Seal Beach and Los Alamitos.

If voters decide to take over the wall, Seal Beach and Los Alamitos are expected to cede their portions of the wall to the district, officials said.

Voters also will be asked if the district should add the repair and maintenance of the wall to its current duties.

Currently, the district is responsible for such services as sweeping and trash collection, lighting, and landscaping.

The maintenance issue requires only a majority vote.

But both measures must be approved for the work to be done.

The public hearing will be at 7 p.m. at the Rossmoor Community Service District office at 3232 Hedwig Road.