Town Hall Meeting Sets the Stage for I-5 Expansion Battle
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1/15/10 - From Oceanside to La Jolla, the I-5 freeway is one of the most scenic and vital corridors in the state, traversing several coastal lagoons in San Diego's North County.
If Caltrans has its way, this 27-mile stretch of road could be expanded up to 16 or even 22 lanes in some areas. An environmental impact report (EIR) is expected this spring.
While commuters may applaud the idea, many North Coastal neighborhoods are concerned about the impacts of this $1 billion undertaking. And they won't go down without a fight.
Citizens from Del Mar and nearby cities have organized a grassroots effort called PLAGUE (www.i-5plague.com) to oppose the freeway expansion, and to encourage more environmentally friendly mass transit options. On Wednesday night they held a Town Hall meeting, with a panel of environmental experts who outlined strategies for preventing the "Los Angelization" of this corridor. Dozens of local residents attended, including Del Mar councilwoman and State Assembly candidate Crystal Crawford.
"This could be the biggest EIR Caltrans has ever prepared," said panelist Laurel Impett, a planner and environmental protection specialist with the firm Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger.
Along with other speakers, she covered the sweeping scope of impacts on air quality, water quality and noise, as well as the inducement of further growth and the use of eminent domain to take several properties.
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PANELISTS:
Rachel Hooper, Managing Partner of Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger. Environmental law attorney who has argued before the California Supreme Court.
Laurel Impett, CEQA expert, planner and environmental protection specialist at Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger.
Marco Gonzalez, Co-founder and partner at Coast Law Group. Expert on the Federal Clean Water Act and California Coastal Act.
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AIR, SOUND AND WATER POLLUTION
Dr. Jack Hegenauer, a former UCSD biochemistry professor and member of the Solana Beach "Clean & Green" Committee, made a presentation about air pollution, noise levels and the corresponding health risks.
"This year, the I-5 freeway will generate 360 million pounds of carbon dioxide along the 1.8-mile segment through Solana Beach. Much of that pollution comes in the form of small particulates that get stuck in the lungs, and pose serious health hazards, including asthma, bronchitis and reduced lung function," said Hegenauer.
"For those who live on the streets that parallel the freeway, their backyards are exposed to about 75 decibels of sound. If this were a workplace, OSHA would regulate the amount of exposure to that sound, because eventually it's going to ruin your hearing."
Environmental law attorney Marco Gonzalez focused on the impact to sensitive wetlands and watersheds along the I-5 corridor, including the recently restored San Dieguito Lagoon, the site of an $86 million mitigation project funded by Southern California Edison.
"We know that cars going down the freeway result in particulate matter landing on the ground. And brake pads and other things that come off cars get on the surface of the highway and make their way down the storm drains and into our coastal lagoons, which are all very impacted already from runoff," said Gonzalez.
He suggested that agencies such as the Regional Water Quality Board should take a hard look at the impacts and exercise strict controls.
LESSONS FROM TRESTLES
Each of the panelists gave examples of other highway development projects that were defeated by a strong grassroots opposition.
For Gonzalez, it was the the 241 toll road, also known as the Trestles Toll Road. He acted as an advisor to Surfrider, working "behind the scenes" in a public relations effort to organize the community.
"We learned some lessons that we try to apply to some of these larger projects now.
"Most importantly, we were able to turn out upwards of 3,000 people before the California Coastal Commission, and we really feel that had a major impact. But we also learned that it cost us about $1 million to do that. That's money spent on lawyers, experts, commercials, radio, visual aids. It really provided a blueprint for what you can do when people with money get involved. "
Rachel Hooper, an environmental law attorney who has argued before the State Supreme Court, recalled the successful effort to stop a new freeway near Carmel.
"The Hatton Canyon struggle began in a school auditorium just like this."
But everyone agreed that a great deal of money is required.
"You have to hire experts, and be prepared to listen to their advice," said Hegenauer. "You have to be prepared to commission some counter-studies in order to show gaps in the EIR analysis."(Tax-deductible contributions to support the PLAGUE opposition effort can be made through San Diego Coastkeeper.)
Councilwoman Crawford, who sits on the SANDAG Board of Directors, told the audience that the Board is currently reviewing its Regional Transportation Plan, with a planning retreat scheduled for January 28th and 29th, and she invited residents to attend. "We need your input now."
[Note: Edits were made to this story on 1/18/10]
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