Last piece of Orange County toll roads drawing fire

[question everything]

Wednesday, February 16, 2005

Last piece of Orange County toll roads drawing fire

By: MARK WALKER - Staff Writer
North (San Diego) County Times

NORTH COUNTY ---- Environmental groups will gather in Orange County this afternoon to plan their next moves in fighting a toll road that could cut through San Onofre State Beach park just north of Camp Pendleton.

For the region's surfers, the proposed road and its construction threaten what they consider to be one of Southern California's premier beaches and surfing spots ---- the waves off of Trestles Beach at the park.

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The plan is to link Highway 241 just east of Mission Viejo with I-5 just south of the Orange County-San Diego County line.

(snip)

Three of the proposed routes for the four-lane toll road would pass through the eastern portion of the park, which contains hiking trails, an outdoor education center and camping sites. Those routes also would take the road through the Donna O'Neill Land Conservancy, thus the opposition from groups such as the Sierra Club and Surfrider. The road would have the potential to be expanded to six lanes.

Lisa Telles, the chief communications officer for the transportation corridor group, said it has the authority to put the route through the state park under the agreement between the Marine Corps and the state.

Besides environmentalists, the plan has some high-profile opponents, including state Attorney General Bill Lockyer and state Parks Director Ruth Coleman. Each wrote letters last year strenuously objecting to the park route before the public comment period ended in August.

More..

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2005/02/16/news/state/0_14_302_16_05.txt

Contact staff writer Mark Walker at [phone] or [e-mail].

[xxqqqzme]

1. 25,000 homes?

who can afford 2 buy them? 25,000 homes means the road WILL B widened, In SoCal 25,000 homes = 75,000 cars.

[jfern]

2. We need more urban density

and less sprawl

[Zorro]

3. They complained about development at Trestles Beach before

About 10 years ago the Marines wanted to build family housing above Trestles beach. The surfers and conservationists came out in force to try and stop them from that development.

Needless to say, fighting the Marines over property under the control of the Marines was not a recipe for success. I guess there is some consolation in the fact that surfers are still flocking to Trestles, so I presume the development didn't degrade the surf.

I really don't think building the road will markedly degrade the local environment. After all, I-5 is about 10 lanes wide around that area, and there is a nuclear power plant sitting right on the coast there.