O.C. Tollway Map Sparks Opposition

Proposed routes for the final leg of Orange County’s toll road system would destroy habitat for endangered species and slice through a state park and a conservation area that developers established years ago as permanent open space, environmental studies revealed Thursday.

Officials for the Transportation Corridor Agencies said, however, that they would protect sensitive watersheds and replace natural areas that would be lost when the agency built the 16-mile Foothill South extension from a point just east of Mission Viejo to the south.

Depending on the final route selected, the estimated cost of the new highway is $513 million to $1.1 billion. There are fears that the financially ailing San Joaquin Hills tollway to the west might interfere with the agency’s ability to finance the Foothill South.

Of six proposed routes for the extension, three cross both the northern part of San Onofre State Park and the Donna O’Neill Land Conservancy, 1,200 acres of open space established by Rancho Mission Viejo, a powerful south Orange County landholder and developer.

The conservancy land was set aside as permanent open space almost 12 years ago as a condition for building the nearby Talega housing project. It was dedicated in 2002 to Donna O’Neill, the late wife of Richard O’Neill, the company’s board chairman.

Tollway officials say they might want to cut through conservancy land to avoid disrupting the nearby Blind-Gabino wetlands and the Cristianitos Creek watershed, in the foothills above San Clemente.

Environmental advocates who oppose the toll road extension said they were stunned by the proposals to use both San Onofre State Beach and the O’Neill conservancy.

The Foothill South “will destroy a significant part of a very popular park, and it is a disgrace to the memory of Donna O’Neill to have a tollway slice through the heart of her conservancy,” said Bill Corcoran, a regional representative for the Sierra Club.

The environmental organization has made the preservation of large blocks of open space in south Orange County a national priority. For the effort, the Sierra Club has joined forces with other environmental groups, such as the Surfrider Foundation.

Though there have been discussions between the conservancy board and the Transportation Corridor Agencies, Rancho Mission Viejo officials said they were very concerned about the suggested routes for the tollway.

“We are a strong supporter of the Foothill corridor,” said Dan Kelly, vice president of government relations for Rancho Mission Viejo. “Our feelings are one of concern. The conservancy is a very special place on the ranch.”

The proposed routes and potential effects of the Foothill South project are detailed in a draft environmental impact statement scheduled to be released today.

The public will have 60 days, 15 days longer than legally required, to comment on the environmental assessment before it is completed.

The 5 1/2-foot stack of documents details the effects the proposed tollway could have on open space, water quality and wildlife habitat.

“This is an important day for Orange County and the agency,” said Lake Forest Mayor Peter Herzog, chairman of the board of directors for the Foothill-Eastern tollway, from which the Foothill South would extend. “We are trying the best we can to preserve the environment and meet the county’s transportation needs.”

If built, the Foothill South will complete a 51-mile system of tollways operated by the Transportation Corridor Agencies, a joint-powers authority based in Irvine. The system includes the Foothill-Eastern in east Orange County, the San Joaquin Hills near the coast, and a short stretch of Highway 133.

Officials say the new tollway is needed to accommodate an expected increase in the county’s population of about 3 million to 3.6 million in 2030.

By 2025, traffic on Interstate 5 in San Clemente is expected to grow during the week from 126,000 trips a day to 201,000. Weekend travel may jump from 161,000 trips a day to 241,000 trips. The predicted volumes are comparable to those on the Riverside Freeway, one of the most congested in Southern California.

Four of the proposed Foothill South routes run from Oso Parkway east of Mission Viejo to Interstate 5 in San Clemente or just south of the Orange County line. Two proposals end at Avenida Vista Hermosa in San Clemente, a few miles east of Interstate 5.

The environmental impact statement shows that the various proposals would affect 23.1 to 53.7 acres of wetlands and 177 to 426 acres of wildlife habitat, including those used by endangered and threatened species such as the California gnatcatcher, the least Bell’s vireo, the Arroyo toad, the Tidewater goby and Southern steelhead trout.

To reduce environmental harm, the toll agency vows to employ biologists, archeologists and paleontologists to monitor construction.

The agency says it plans to control potentially toxic storm water runoff from the tollway during its construction and operation. Officials plan to filter all runoff during the beginnings of rainstorms, when roads are laden with oil, brake dust and other residue.

The authority has proposed restoring native habitat in the Upper Chiquita Canyon conservation area north of Oso Parkway and provide up to 10 wildlife undercrossings of the toll road, depending on the route selected.

For the use of San Onofre State Beach, the authority says it will offer financial compensation to the state, two undercrossings for park users, a wildlife undercrossing, and a sound wall to reduce noise and views of the highway.

Noting their environmental record, agency officials say they have already preserved about 2,000 acres of habitat and built 11 wildlife crossings along the tollway system.

Environmental advocates, however, remain opposed to the road, saying the tollway will do major harm and will not be needed to accommodate the projected increase in traffic.

They question the effectiveness of wildlife crossings as a way to connect habitat and prevent highway deaths of animals. They also pointed out that the San Joaquin Hills tollway has been troubled by ineffective storm water controls for years. Caltrans is now trying to fix the filtering systems.

Opponents say they are seeking to extend the environmental report’s public comment period from 60 days to 90 days.

“This road will be there 1,000 years. It needs to be studied,” said Chris Evans, executive director of the Surfrider Foundation. “The speed at which they want to do this is an outrage, an affront to common sense. We need due process and public input. A decision on this road can’t be left up to a few politicians and developers.”