How did this happen? Bush appointee gets last say on San Onofre toll road

After all the studies, all the meetings, all the hours of lobbying and arguing and testimony and acrimony, it comes down to this: a political appointee of the Bush administration will decide whether or not a toll road cuts through San Onofre State Beach -- and through a pristine watershed. How did this happen? Our own Susannah Rosenblatt explains:

U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez -- who oversees international trade operations, economic development work, patents and the census -- will have sole discretion over the 16 miles of California 241 intended to link Orange and San Diego counties and ease traffic on Interstate 5.

A jumble of state and federal coastal regulations has bounced the decades-long toll road battle from state to federal hands as the clock runs out on the current administration. The decision seems to have little precedent.

"There's certainly nothing the least bit comparable to this case that one could look to for how the secretary might rule," said Mark Delaplaine, a California Coastal Commission manager who specializes in energy, ocean resources and federal matters. "There's really no case like it."

You may recall that actor Clint Eastwood was a member of a state parks commission until he opposed the toll road and got the boot from Arnold Schwarzenegger. (Proving he doesn't play favorites, the Governator also dumped his own brother-in-law, Bobby Shriver, from the panel.)

For more views, here's Surfrider's take, and here's Red County, which says the road has strong support. And check out Karin Klein, at our Opinion blog.

Thoughts?

--Veronique de Turenne

Photo: Karen Tapia-Andersen / Los Angeles Times

 

Comments

[No traffic relief alternatives!]

Why should the landowner be able to decide what happens on his land? That is outrageous!

Sure, the federal government owns the land, but if they don't make the decision that is satisfactory to the LA Times, we should let the state have the final word.

No, the state doesn't own the land, but let's not argue and bicker over that. The point is that with the Federal Highway Administration announcing that the opponents plan to widen the I-5 being unworkable, we should stop any alternative to the already overcongested I-5.

The key word in "Bottleneck Blog" is "Bottleneck." If we start offering traffic relief alternatives, what will Times bloggers be able to blog about?

We must not allow the 241 to connect to the I-5 to give drivers a choice.

NO CHOICE FOR COMMUTERS! STOP TRAFFIC RELIEF NOW!

[OC Driver]

It uses a very small corner of the inland portion of the park, which is actually on Navy land. It's next to Camp Pendleton, not the beach. 95 percent of the visitors use the beach part of the park, not the inland portion, and it's not very attractive if you've ever been there (probably not). No campsites close. the gov. agencies looked at many many routes over six years and this is the best route. check the facts. not emotion. and the toll road is going to be further away from the inland camp site than the sites along old Highway 101 are from I-5. and quieter. the anti-roadies always exaggerate like the 241 is going to pave San Onfore. check the facts. it's a small corner of Camp Pendleton, not San Onfore State Beach.

[It's Federal Land]

Maybe the reason the feds have the final say is because it is THEIR land. It does NOT belong to State Parks or the State of California. This is federal land on Camp Pendleton and the lease the state signed allows for a road through the Inland portion of the land.

The Marines should pay attention to this ruling. If the Coastal Commission stops completion of a road on their property today, they'll rule tomorrow that the Marines can't dig foxholes at Camp Pendleton because they might disturb the habitat of an endangered rat, or they can't do beach landings because they might harm a fairy shrimp.

By the way, you apparently have never been to the inland portion of this "park." With powerlines, roads, water tanks and other infrastructure, there is nothing "pristine" about it.

[Diane Hennessy]

It isn't the toll road - as a toll road. It's the location of the toll road. When are you going to figure that out? It's in the wrong place - through a State Park! Hello???

[OC Driver]

The anti-road factions are scared to death that the Commerce Department is going to make its decision based on the facts that support completing the road rather than their emotional appeals and lies. So they are trying to position it as a political decision. The anti-roadies have been getting beaten up by the facts on a regular basis. Facts are: we need the road to reduce congestion and reduce commute times; there's no harm to the surf; no jeopardy to endangered species; no harm to the watershed (it's mostly on Camp Pendleton where you can see tanks, trucks and other vehicles having their own impact on the pristine environment). When the little group of anti-roadies lose and all of Southern California wins because of the facts, they will scream about the politics. You can bet on it.