Loren Drive Residents Launch Drive to Quiet Trolleys Below Their Homes

At least 16 households on Loren Drive have joined a complaint about trolley noise on the Orange and Green lines west of Water Street near Grossmont High School. 

Led by Rhonda Ciardetti and John Hermes, who share a home on Loren overlooking the tracks, the effort has a website that summarizes their goals:

“This is a peaceful request for noise reduction. Litigation is not the mission. We hope the evidence we provide warrants action. We plan to work effectively with persons of authority to bring this matter to attention.”

Ciardetti appeared at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting to appeal for a review of noise-element rules, saying: “You have a fine city here … but there’s an area that hasn’t had smart growth,” referring to the trolley and what they said are 280 daily workweek trips through their neighborhood as well as early morning and late-night horn beeps at the Severin-Amaya Drive intersection.

Neighbors of the area, which includes a church and a hospice, object to the 21-hour day for trolley operations, she said.

Stucco is cracking on walls, she said, and sleep has been disturbed as the trolley’s squeals “come up the slope like water rushing up a hill.”

Noise critics seek improvements by Metropolitan Transit System, environment agencies, the San Diego Association of Governmments, the state Department of Transportation and “from other programs that requestors could be eligible for,” her website says.

Ciardetti, 52, works in information technology support, and Hermes, 59, has a job in video-film transfer. Ciardetti appeared during the public comments section at Tuesday’s City Council meeting to appeal for action.

“We provided a total of nine copies of materials to La Mesa [council],” Ciardetti said Thursday.  “We also spoke at the MTS board and provided 15 copies to MTS board. … We hope to get on the agenda in the future as we are bringing it to their attention now.”

Councilman Ernie Ewin, a member of the MTS board, said Thursday that since Ciardetti is a Realtor, “I am sure she ordered the National Housing Zone Disclosure Statement and at minimum would be aware of the light rail/freight operations” when she bought the home in June.

He said the MTS board is finishing its review and “a response will be forthcoming shortly.”

Ewin said other neighborhood noise matters exist that could easily be remedied, and the “city’s review will make note of those.”

The councilman says he recalls freight trains moving through the Severin Manor area in the 1950s, and the trolley has had dual tracks here for more than 20 years.

“I know that Ms. Ciardetti mentioned to me that funding for a remedy may be challenging at this time—sound walls, grade separation, tunnel, etc., are costly—just for the jurisdictions involved,” Ewin said via email.

“The city’s noise studies are also completed to advise those who are residents or sell their property to note what the owners would need to do to control any sound impacts. This also lets buyers know what they may require in negotiations—let alone modifications to their homes.”

Although Ewin is open to solutions, he opposes curtailing service because “many citizens rely on this regional public transportation transit option.”

For her part, Ciardetti has a simple complaint.

“There’s no peace and quiet with the trolley going by so often,” she told the council.