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Offline5150
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most hispanics dont care about the environment
    #7991931 - 02/07/08 02:23 PM (15 years, 11 months ago)

so there was a public meeting concerning a possible future toll road which would cut through a part of a state park here in SD county, the people that didnt want the toll road-surfers, conservationists, the people for the toll road- a mass of little brown men and people in love with their cars, the unenlightened ones lost for the moment

Toll road rejected

By: DAVE DOWNEY - Staff Writer
Coastal Commission votes down controversial project at North County's northern edge

DEL MAR -- As a huge crowd erupted in cheers late Wednesday night, the California Coastal Commission voted to reject a transportation agency's request to pave a toll road across a popular North County state park. View A Video

Commissioners voted 8-2 not to certify that Foothill/Eastern Transportation Corridor Agency's proposed 16-mile, $875 million tollway through south Orange County and North San Diego County adheres to the state's coastal protection law.

"This is a defining moment, I believe, for this California Coastal Commission," said Commissioner Larry Clark, who represents the Los Angeles-Orange County area. "And I think we need to articulate very clearly that this project is dead."

As soon as the commissioners voted at 11:20 p.m., most in the audience clapped and cheered for several minutes, yelling repeatedly: "Thank you!"

Most commissioners said they were left with little choice but to reject the project because of what they said were numerous, clear violations of the Coastal Act, as a result of threats to wildlife, cultural sites and the Trestles surfing spot.

"This project drives a stake through the heart of the Coastal Act," said Commissioner Sara Wan of Malibu. "This looks like something from the 1950s, not from the 21st Century, when we know how threatened our planet is."

Wan added, "It drives one species to extinction and pushes several other species to the brink of extinction."

The daylong hearing at the Del Mar Fairgrounds before well more than 3,000 people was a classic confrontation between those who want to preserve what is left of Southern California's natural coastal environment and those looking to provide relief for commuters on one of the region's most congested interstate highways.

Commissioners listened to more than 10 hours of testimony on both sides of the question from mayors, county officials, state lawmakers, surfers, environmentalists, American Indian tribe members, business leaders and others. But the lucky few who spoke were far outnumbered by the boisterous, sign-waving opponents and supporters who took turns chanting and trying to drown each other out.

They all packed the fairgrounds' cavernous Wyland Hall pavilion to debate the merits of the Foothill/Eastern Transportation Corridor Agency's proposed 16-mile, $875 million toll road.

With four miles of the project proposed to be built on San Onofre State Beach, the fifth-most-visited of California's 278 state parks, the project has been a lightning rod for conservationists who have insisted the park is no place for a highway. And the commission's own staff suggested that the six-lane turnpike would threaten six imperiled animals, irreparably damage coastal wetlands and possibly dilute Trestles' world-famous surfing waves, among other things.

"This toll road project is precisely the kind of project that the Coastal Commission was created (in 1972) to prevent," said Peter Douglas, executive director of the commission staff.

Michael White, a biologist with the Conservation Biology Institute, was one of hundreds of environmentalists who agreed.

"We've destroyed virtually all of the natural resources in coastal Southern California," White said. "We should be doing everything within our power to protect these last natural areas."

Just as pressing, said Orange County Supervisor Pat Bates, is the need to unlock the bottleneck at the San Diego-Orange county line. The former North San Diego County state lawmaker said if the project is not built, "We will live at ground zero in a nightmare of choking traffic."

Both sides agree that Interstate 5 congestion is the reason for the project, which would extend Highway 241 south from its current end in Rancho Santa Margarita. Transportation officials contend it is the best idea for a relief valve for I-5, which carries 125,000 cars a day now at the San Diego-Orange county line and is expected to swell to 200,000 cars a day by 2020. Orange Mayor and Orange County Transit Authority board member Carolyn Cavecche said the toll road would by itself siphon 50,000 cars a day off of I-5.

Officials rejected an alternative that would entail widening I-5 in south Orange County, saying it wouldn't help enough, there is no money for it and it would require knocking out 1,200 homes and businesses.

Thomas Margro, Foothill/Eastern's chief executive officer, said, "This project is the best option for relieving traffic congestion with the least amount of impact on communities and the environment."

That point was vigorously disputed by environmental groups, surfers and other opponents. And they contended that a more effective cure to I-5's ills would be to improve I-5 itself. The Endangered Habitats League hired an East Coast consultant to study the I-5 alternative, and the result was an option that would require only 60 properties.

Also in considerable dispute was the amount of damage to sensitive lands that would occur. The Coastal Commission staff has estimated that 50 acres of wetlands and important habitat for endangered animals would be wiped out, while the agency contends the damage would be limited to a few acres -- and to a fraction of an acre when it comes to the San Mateo Creek itself.

"We designed the bridges with the longest spans possible to reduce the number of columns in the creek to four," Margro said.

The four columns would hold up bridges connecting the toll road to I-5.

As for the habitat of the creek-residing arroyo toad that would be permanently lost as a result, agency consultant Rob Roy Ramey said: "It's about the size of a two-car garage due to the bridge supports."

In an atmosphere much like a political convention, scores of environmentalists, surfers, park lovers and beachgoers who oppose the proposed project -- held up signs and wore blue T-shirts that said: "Save the park, stop the toll road."

Their chants were met by those of hundreds of construction workers and union representatives dressed in orange T-shirts, who shouted: "Toll road, yes!"

"This is democracy in action," observed Del Mar Councilwoman Crystal Crawford, a few minutes before the 12-member commission convened its meeting Wednesday morning.

Those on the two distinct sides of the controversial issue tried to drown each other out. Nick Malecha, 22, of San Diego, walked down an aisle with both hands holding up a sign that read: "Toll roads are for fat cats." A man in an orange shirt frowned in disgust as he walked passed Malecha, a surfer who recently moved to the county from Oahu, Hawaii.

About 30 feet away, toll-road opponent Chris Pearson of San Diego and project supporter Robert Ruiz of Riverside, a construction union representative, were debating the merits of the $875 million project.

"If you don't address the congestion on the (Interstate) 5 freeway now, we'll pay the price 20 years from now," Ruiz told Pearson. Ruiz said the traffic congestion only will get much worse and, with it, the environment, as more car-belched emissions foul the air and aggravate global warming.

But Pearson maintained that congestion is going to get worse in any case.

"I'd rather have people fighting traffic than ruin the beach," he said.

Referring to Trestles Beach, which is just west of where the proposed toll road would tie into I-5, Pearson said: "This is one of the best breaks in all of California."

Ruiz said there were economic reasons for supporting the project, as well. He told a reporter after the mini-debate that "this is a billion-dollar project that's going to create 15,000 jobs. And the way the economy is going right now, we could sure use the 15,000 jobs."

At one point, five American Indians led by Rebecca Robles, coordinator of the United Coalition to Protect Panhe, came up to the podium and sang a traditional song to call attention to the prehistoric village on the park that could be affected by the project.

Running through the park and near the village, the Highway 241 extension would complete a road coming down from Highway 91 -- and complete a 67-mile Orange County toll road system that has been under development for two decades.

Because the last two miles of the 241 would fall within the mile-wide coastal zone over which the commission has jurisdiction, the agency had to obtain a coastal development permit from the body before it can build. Before the commission Wednesday was a decision not concerning the actual permit, but a determination on whether the project is consistent with state and federal laws governing coastal areas. Such a determination is required before a permit can be issued.

Sara Townsend, a coastal program analyst, urged against such a determination because of potential impacts on the Pacific pocket mouse, arroyo toad, least Bell's vireo, coastal California gnatcatcher, tidewater goby and the southern steelhead trout. She said the road could push the pocket mouse to extinction.

And despite the agency's plan to construct a nearly mile-long, 16-foot-high sound wall to shield popular 161-space San Mateo Campground on the park, coastal analyst Cassidy Teufel said the road would still double the background noise campers would hear constantly.

Townsend also argued against the project because of concerns about Trestles' waves and the Panhe village, which is still used as a place to hold ceremonies. Agency contended both concerns have been adequately addressed in the project design.

Not only that, the agency contended that the water flowing into the ocean at San Onofre would be cleaner than now because the project would filter runoff from not only Highway 241 but I-5.

Ralph Faust, former chief counsel for the commission and an opponent, called the filter plan a "carrot" that is not a reason for approving the project. He also dismissed the agency's offer to donate $100 million to the cash-strapped state park system, to be used as state officials see fit.

"You can't buy compliance with the Coastal Act," Faust said. "This may be the ultimate carrot, but it's still just a carrot."


http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2008/02/07/news/top_stories/1_01_062_6_08.txt


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Invisiblederx
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Registered: 05/29/03
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Re: most hispanics dont care about the environment [Re: 5150]
    #7992359 - 02/07/08 03:48 PM (15 years, 11 months ago)

good post. im glad it was rejected.


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