On February 6, 2008, the California Coastal Commission will be considering whether to give approval to a proposed toll road through San Onofre State Beach. The Governor made news last week by reversing his position and publicly supporting the toll road proposal and President Bush signed a military authorization bill this week that included an amendment authored by Rep. Susan Davis (D-San Diego) that will require the toll road proponents to adhere to state environmental laws.
Wednesday February 6 ONLY:
9:00 am
Del Mar Fairgrounds
Wyland Hall
2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd.
Del Mar, CA 92014
Enter through the O’Brien Gate
Parking is $9
News Stories:
"Schwarzenegger backs O.C. tollway"
Backing away from his neutral stance, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Tuesday urged the California Coastal Commission to approve a controversial tollway in Orange County that would pass through San Onofre State Beach, one of California's most popular parks.
LA Times story
"Lockyer asks coastal agency to reject San Onofre tollway"
State Treasurer Bill Lockyer, saying he was "deeply disappointed" by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's support for a toll road extension through San Onofre State Beach, called on the state Coastal Commission to reject the project.
LA Times story
LOS ANGELES TIMES EDITORIAL
"The disastrous Foothill South tollway"
Maybe Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was trying to make up for planned cuts to state parks. Otherwise, it's hard to imagine what could have led to his recent support for the Foothill South toll road.
LA Times story
Toll roads are taxpayer scams. Your taxes pay to build the road and then the government charges you to drive on that road per use, nice. That is how they do it in Mexico.
The 241 toll road is a double scam because it will destroy 60% of a state park that even Ronald Reagan wanted preserved forever.
"I firmly believe one of the greatest legacies we can leave to future generations is the heritage of our land. This expanse of acreage, San Onofre Bluffs State Beach, now has it's future guaranteed as an official state park."
-Governor Ronald Reagan, in establishing the State Park at San Onofre, April 3, 1971
The 241 toll road kool-aid drinkers will tell you that this road is necessary to relieve traffic congestion. This is false, it will in fact increase traffic on the I-5.
The 241 toll is a road to nowhere, it's all about selling off more than half of our state park and opening up the back country of pristine southern California land for development to profit a handful or individuals.
"Save Trestles" home page.
Save Trestles Blog.
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Is nothing sacred? Del Mar Fair grounds is the place to be on Wednesday morning. Join Surfrider and thousands of others to tell the Coastal Commission the toll road is not in the best interests of California.
ReplyDeleteThe bigger the turnout the bigger the noise.
The photo shop exaggerations about the toll road are kind of like an old Japanese horror movie. crude and laughable. no camp sites will close during or after construction. the park gets improved. and everyone who drives in the area will benefit with less congestion. that's millions of people every week. check out:
ReplyDeletewww.ftcsouth.com/home/index.asp
no camp sites will be closed but will anyone like camping next to a freeway? The campsites next to I5 are no fun to camp at.
ReplyDeleteThat FTC website from OC driver is laughable.
ReplyDeleteThis is the classic, well ,we only want a little piece of the land and we are leaving the rest. They keep dividing up "the rest". They are trying to take what was already set aside.
ReplyDeleteGo to the toll road web site and see what they don't show.They don't show that the state park is a linear park as it goes north. It acts as a buffer between San Clemente and Camp Pendleton. The toll road will totally destroy the open space value of that part of the park. The toll road website is deceptive.
A bigger question is why they don't align the freeway through San Clemente. Hum, people wouldn't like that? Those NIMBYs!
Too much development in the way at this point? Too bad I say, the toll road proponents should have been at the table when San Clemente was being planned. OH WAIT, they were at the table. So, you know what. Tough.
All this road is going to do is give short term relief and then generations of extra congestion from all of those new people flooding into I5 FROM the toll road.
Where are all the smart growth/transit people. Why aren't they saying that this should be a light rail project instead of a freeway project? Are they just waiting until after the sprawl and there is no longer any real benefit of "smart growth"?
Here is a copy of the letter I sent to the Coastal Commission.
ReplyDeleteRE: Foothill-South Toll Road CZMA Consistency Certification - OPPOSITION
Dear Chairperson Kruer and Members of the Commission:
I am writing as a local elected official. I urge you to reject the consistency application and protect the coast – according to the law – for generations to come.
Your staff has correctly concluded that “The project is fundamentally inconsistent with the spirit and the letter of numerous resource protection policies of the Coastal Act . . . It’s difficult to imagine a more environmentally damaging alternative location.”
The Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) protects park and habitat resources along the coast, which are of great importance to my constituents. Many have told me that they have visited the San Mateo Campgrounds with family and friends for many years.
As the population of California continues to grow, the loss of most of this state park is unacceptable given the increasing need for high quality affordable coastal recreation.
The toll road would set the dangerous precedent of destroying a State Park by building a toll road right through it. This precedent could later threaten parks and other protected areas in other parts of California.
This unique coastal recreational resource cannot be replaced and must be preserved for future Californians.
Sincerely,
Teresa Barth
Councilmember
City of Encinitas
Some of us have to work on Mondays, Bob. We can't all take time off from our jobs willy nilly like you can.
ReplyDeleteRe/ 3:45
ReplyDeleteIt's a Wednesday. Maybe your boss would like to go too. Tell he or she Fred asked.
(It'll make getting to work better for both of you by not further congesting Fwy 5.)
ReplyDeleteThis is one of the few times thet I find myself on the other side of Barth's opinion. Has she researched the facts on this one, read the studies, cut through the crap?
ReplyDeleteDoes she remember that the Surfrider Foundation (I'm a surfer but resigned my membership a few years ago) supported Prop C and the Ecke lie known as Prop A that she fought against.
Sometimes Surfrider is right. (This time). Sometimes Jack Orr was right (the library location).
ReplyDeleteFortunately, I'm always right. Just ask my fan.
Fred- normally I agree with you on most things, but this time you are wrong...Surfrider is never right about anything. Most importantly they oppose restrooms facilities at Beacons.
ReplyDeleteTeresa Barth is right on. A toll road through a park? Orange County is going to have to deal with its uncontrolled growth some other way. Maybe, like, stop developing without existing infrastructure? OC is a cancer spreading its tentacles throughout the southland. Stop the virus!
ReplyDeleteanon 809,
ReplyDeleteHave you done your research?
Thanks, Teresa for your post. I oppose the toll road and hope to go be able to go to the fairground on Wednesday morning.
ReplyDeleteSurfrider has some good input, and does do research. Somebody here has a two track mind, "bury the train" and full on restrooms for Beacons (which the bluff and the parking situation cannot support). What about Grandview, DStreet? This is an IMBY deal, seems to me.
Surfrider opposes a wall at Beacons, for very good reason. Porta-potties would be fine. Focus on that, anonymous, and you might have a chance of seeing them in your lifetime.
I very much doubt you'll live to see the train buried through Leucadia. Not enough money. The train was there before you were. Focus on getting decent crossings, cleaning up the orange bags.
You are spinning your wheels with your agenda of burying the tracks and getting hardscape bathrooms at Beacons.