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Talks with council: Jim Cunneen
Cunneen talks about noise abatement on Highway 85
By Kara Chalmers
Assemblyman Jim Cunneen on Dec. 7 discussed with Saratoga City Council members the recent legislative session and plans for the upcoming one. After detailing what he saw as the ups and the downs of the past session, Cunneen and council members began discussing issues central to Saratoga, such as noise abatement on Highway 85.
The county Board of Supervisors in June voted to earmark $9 million to study the unusually loud six-mile stretch of Highway 85 that passes through residential neighborhoods in Cupertino, Saratoga, Campbell and Los Gatos.
This corridor dips below ground and is lined by high sound walls, which a 1996 noise study by Acentech, a Southern California-based contractor, partly blames for accentuating the noise. The road is paved with grooved concrete, which is also partly to blame.
The study suggested resurfacing the highway with material quieter than grooved concrete, among other suggestions. Repaving the road with asphalt would be the best option, Cunneen and council members said.
However, Caltrans has not agreed to allow the corridor to be repaved. According to City Manager Larry Perlin, Caltrans believes that it is unnecessary to repave a new freeway, that concrete is important in the road's engineering and design, and that asphalt and pavement may be incompatible materials in this scenario. Cunneen suggested that he and state Sen. Byron Sher write a joint letter to Caltrans, asking that Caltrans agree to the repaving, which would be funded and designed locally.
At the meeting, Cunneen also addressed compulsory and binding arbitration for public-safety employees. He said he supports the idea because this disadvantaged group deserves the protection of binding arbitration.
"They've given up the most important weapon in their arsenal," Cunneen said in defense of his position. "Binding arbitration is the only way to level that playing field."
He said that because public-safety employees will not strike, we all benefit as a society. "We know in the midst of mayhem that our firefighters and our police officers will be there no matter what," he said. "Public safety is an essential core function of government, so I'm willing to be extra generous."
Cunneen represents the cities of Saratoga, Los Gatos, Los Altos, Cupertino and Campbell in the state Assembly. His term expires in 2000. He plans to run for the 15th Congressional District seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Tom Campbell.
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Saratoga, California Since 1955
