The Orange County Transportation Authority will initiate eminent domain proceedings against three property owners in order to gain temporary access to work on the I-405 Improvement Project.

Without much discussion, the agency’s board endorsed a plan on Monday, Jan. 22 to begin the process of acquiring a slice of two Huntington Beach properties — the Bella Terra Medical Plaza and Sendero Huntington Beach apartment complex — and an industrial parcel in Fountain Valley.

OCTA is leading the $1.9 billion project that will expand a 16-mile stretch of the I-405 by adding one regular lane in each direction between Euclid Street and the I-605 freeway and express lanes both ways between the State Route 73 and I-605. Repairs to bridges, freeway entrances and exits are also planned.

The temporary acquisition would allow crews to use the private land during building.

The expansion of the Magnolia Street bridge near the 152-unit Sendero apartments requires a retaining wall be built near the complex.

“The location of the project will cause enormous private injury that will disproportionately afflict harm on Sendero and its residents,” said Alisha Ortiz, an attorney for apartment owner Sendero Huntington Beach.

A Nov. 6 objection letter to OCTA said the retaining wall would have “significant aesthetic impacts” and would only reduce freeway noise, not eliminate it.

Agency staff said the construction will not impact the residents and no apartment units will be lost.

A small sliver of land at the Fountain Valley site is needed to provide an area for the widening of the southbound Ellis Avenue off-ramp; the Bella Terra property is needed so construction crews can widen the freeway and build a retaining wall along an existing right-of-way owned by the California Department of Transportation.

According to Joe Gallardo, OCTA’s real property manager, the project will affect around 305 mostly residential properties. OCTA has reached out to most of the property owners, with 167 accepting offers for their land.

OCTA did not release how much was offered to property owners.

Negotiations with the three property owners affected by Monday’s decision will continue throughout the eminent domain process, Gallardo said.

“If a settlement is reached then general counsel will remove the eminent domain proceedings and will enter into an agreement,” he said.

A groundbreaking for the project is scheduled for Jan. 26 in Costa Mesa.