Loading ...This past Wednesday I attended the California Coastal Commission meeting to participate and see first-hand how the California Coastal Commission would vote regarding consistency certification for the completion of State Route 241. The turnout was impressive. An estimated 3000+ citizens showed up to make their voices known. Given the number of attendees its a good thing that hearing was moved from Oceanside City Hall to Wyland Center at the Del Mar Fairgrounds.
The issue of whether or not to complete this toll road is a heated on both sides - and for good reason. Both camps bring some very valid points to the table. No one wants to purposefully harm California’s beautiful coastline or park areas and no one wants to sit in the gridlock that is becoming all-too-common in South Orange County. Most people agree that there is a traffic problem but the question of managing the situation is tricky. Failure to address both immediate and future traffic concerns adequately will result in numerous problems beyond the obvious gridlock.
For the record, I support the completion of State Route 241. I have done a considerable amount of reading of have discussed the pros and cons at length with numerous people on both sides of the fence. I think completion of the toll road is vital for Rancho Santa Margarita businesses and I think Rancho Santa Margarita residents should have equal access to the coastal areas. I applaud Rancho Santa Margarita Mayor Neil Blais for his steadfast support of Foothill-South. The Mayor’s stand underscores his commitment to RSM businesses and the local economy as well as his desire to maintain an optimal lifestyle for RSM’s residents.
Supporters of the toll road included representatives from TCA (The Transportation Corridor Agencies), union members from the Local 652, local politicians from Dana Point to North Orange County, and scores of private citizens that are fed up with traffic on Interstate 5. Local 652 members wore bright orange t-shirts and waived signs that read “Drive Less, Live More.”
I was incredibly impressed by the coordinated efforts of the many groups belonging to the Save San Onofre / Save Trestles crowd. Amongst the most visible were the Surfrider Foundation, the Sierra Club, and the California State Parks Association. I had the opportunity to speak with a number of people in the Surfrider camp, one of whom is a long-time family friend.
Many families showed up with kids of all ages, sporting fabulous t-shirts, home-made signs and very creative visual tools. I saw several dogs proudly wagging their tails and doing their part to convey their (?) interest in defeating the proposed toll road extension. There were a number of school groups as well.
I heard a few sour-grapes remarks from fellow toll road supporters who felt that it was irresponsible for the environmentalist parents to pull their children out of school to participate in the hearing. One gentleman said some parents were exploiting the kids to gain additional media exposure for a cause. I disagree with both of these comments whole-heartedly. I think some of the best education happens outside of the classroom. Those kids were able to be a part of the Coastal Commission’s largest public hearing to date. They were able to learn first-hand about one aspect of the governmental process and more importantly they were encouraged to stand up for their beliefs and to let their voice be heard. In retrospect I wish I had brought my children - at least for part of the day.
The media always loves kids with a cause and hearing day was no different. I witnessed one San Diego Channel 39 reporter cutting short an interview with a couple of Union workers when she apparently recognized that surfboard-toting little girls might guarantee more viewer interest. An interesting note: I didn’t see any children waving “Relieve Traffic” signs.
Most elementary, middle schools or high schools don’t delve too heavily into the importance of infrastructure or the role it plays in our quality of life. They do however have numerous programs to educate kids about the importance of caring for our environment. That being said I’m not surprised that all school groups present appeared to be against the toll road. Five years from now many of those same kids will be licensed drivers. I wonder if they will think back to this hearing while they are sitting in a nightmare of gridlock every day. I wonder if some will move out of the area because the traffic is so bad.
The hearing started at 9:00 a.m. and the commission vote wasn’t taken until 11:15 p.m. It was an amazingly long day for the Coastal Commission, elected officials and heads of the various groups whose presence was required for the duration. I and many others weren’t able to stay clear through to the end, but fortunately the live stream video was available on the Coastal Commission’s web site.
In the end the commission voted against consistency certification 8-2. I don’t like the outcome of the vote nor what this vote means in terms of current and future traffic issues. I do however have a newfound respect for the members of the Coastal Commission and for the job they do. I heard two commissioners refer to their duties and responsibilities as commissioners, and the guidelines by which they are legally bound. I found this extremely interesting and it reminded me of a judge’s instructions to a jury in a jury trial. Sometimes a juror must vote to acquit even when every fiber of his body is screaming for a conviction.
I don’t for a moment think any of the commissioner’s are screaming, “Build the Toll Road!”, but after listening to the vote, I realize that at least a few of them do see some benefits of TCA’s proposed plan. William Burke and Steve Kram both voted yes, recommending consistency certification.
Commissioner Sara Wan of Malibu cast a “no” vote and has been quoted by several sources as saying, “This project looks like something from the 1950s,” and “Putting a massive project in an environmentally sensitive area — it’s inconceivable.”
What I find inconceivable is that I can no longer make regular trips to the beach unless I’m willing to endure traffic or drive at non-peak hours. I grew up in the 60’s and spent the majority of my life living west of I-5 and working on a serious case of skin cancer at the beach. What find most most irritating are comments like “If you don’t like the traffic, move” - coming from people who haven’t spent their life in South County or for that matter anywhere in Southern California.
Perhaps some day it will come down to a choice of either learning to sit happily in gridlock or making the difficult decision to move away from family and friends. I’m not ready to throw in the towel just yet. For now I’ll wait for the TCA to file an appeal with the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to overrule the commission’s vote.
Popularity: 49% [?]
