Some residents are reacting, one day after learning their houses could be demolished to make way for a crosstown freeway.
The plan selected by Caltrans, will take out 310 homes and 121 commercial properties.
Uncertainty is in the air near Centennial Park. Residents here learned Thursday that Caltrans is one step closer to building a freeway that would slice right through their neighborhood.
"We bought when the prices were really high, and what happens to the balance of the mortgage? If they kick us out do we walk away? Does it turn into a foreclosure? There are a lot of unanswered questions," said resident Hope Cornejo.
The Centennial Corridor would speed up the east-west drive across town, connecting the Westside Parkway, under construction now, to Highways 58 and 99.
But, a faster commute for some could mean a sacrifice for others, including some businesses.
"It is $100 million cheaper than the next alternatives, and we tried to minimize the impact to the neighbors as much as we could," said Steve Milton, Caltrans Project Manager.
The project could cut a path through La Mirada Drive. Homes here were built back in the 1970's. And, according to Zillow, homes here are valued at about $130,000 to $140,000.
"And, I know they won't pay me enough to go out and buy something nice. This is a nice four-bedroom, two-bathroom home," said resident Dorothy Vaughan. "I don't know where I can find another one and not have a house payment."
This isn't just a house. Dorothy Vaughan says memories were built here.
Is there an emotional attachment to this house too? "Yes, yes there is," she said. "I have been here a long time and my kids grew up and so you know there is.
"They will get relocation costs up front. We will appraise the property," said Milton.
But, in a town where Highway 58 is literally a dead end, transit planners said something needed to be done. The American Society of Civil Engineers recently gave our highway system a "D" grade.
"Now, you're looking at a person who was at Chester Avenue. It will take five minutes to get to Calloway. Before it took 25 minutes."
There is a public information meeting scheduled for December 6th to answer homeowners' questions and go over the alternative. It's at the Kern County Administrative Offices from 4 to 7 p.m.
