Unsightly Sound Wall In Elk Grove Could Soon Be Replaced

ELK GROVE (CBS13) - It's not a surprise that neighbors living near a metal wall in Elk Grove call it an eyesore. It's rusty, there are random sections of garage doors, and on a windy day you have to watch out for flying pieces!

"That metal wall is dangerous and ugly," said Elk Grove resident Mark Voskuil.

Bonnie McCamman lives on the other side of the sound wall that runs along East Stockton Boulevard in Elk Grove. She says she might finally get her wish.

"I'm 67-years-old and I've had a stroke and hopefully I'll live long enough to see it finally done," said Bonnie.

Elk Grove city council will decide next month whether to approve $100,000 to build another more aesthetically pleasing and safer sound wall.

City council member Sophia Sherman expects the council's approval.

"Okay, enough is enough. We need to do this for this particular area," said Sherman.

The homeowners actually own the current wall, so the city's plan would be to build a separate wall. That will actually block the old one. Sherman says it shouldn't be the homeowners' responsibility to take care of the eyesore or block sound from Highway 99.

"They can't afford it, number one. Maybe some have insurance that will take care of it, so it's going to be hit and miss; and this is the entrance to our city," said Sherman.

Now neighbors say they are cautiously optimistic their neighborhood will say goodbye to nearly four decades of ugliness.

"We take pride in our neighborhood, but there's nothing we could do with that," said Mark.

One neighbor joked with us that she was going to write along this wall: "Welcome to Elk Grove." She said that would be a sure way to get the city to fix this wall.