No HOV or Managed (Toll) lanes on the I-5 in San Clemente!
No HOV or Managed (Toll) lanes on the I-5 in San Clemente!
Why this petition matters
No Build on the I-5 in San Clemente!
A call to action! Oppose the expansion of the I-5 to add HOV/HOT lanes thru San Clemente.
Please sign the petition asking for the OCTA to stop trying to expand the I-5 by adding High Occupancy Lanes (HOV) lanes in San Clemente. This is a call to action for all San Clemente residents to oppose the destructive OCTA's plans in additional lanes on the I-5 freeway on either side of the freeway, which means the taking of land thru eminent domain!
This is not about converting existing lanes to HOV lanes, but the addition of lanes on either side of the freeway.
This is a destructive plan that may go thru established homes, San Clemente High School, Concordia Elementary, a Preschool, businesses, churches, etc. that are right up against the I-5. This expansion of the I-5 by adding HOV lanes will encroach on so many properties. There is a possibility that Avenida Del Presidente becomes a one-way street. San Clemente will be changed forever.
These are some of the effects of these plans:
• It "could cause a significant negative impact in quality of life for residents and businesses in San Clemente;
• decrease the property values of the residences; and resale value;
• significantly reduce property tax revenues for the city of San Clemente;
The widening may result in numerous “takings” of numerous buildings and businesses and will:
• eliminate existing residences and businesses;
• eliminate existing and all future property tax revenues from the properties for the city of San Clemente;
• eliminate existing and all future sales tax revenues from the businesses for the city of San Clemente." (Vonne Barnes)
**Negative impacts:(Info added Aug 13)
• "Noise regarding installation of retaining walls along the east and west sides of the widened I-5;
• Additional litigation costs to the City of San Clemente re damage to homes and other buildings from I-5 widening construction:
Unfinished litigation:
• With the previous widening of the I-5 down to Pico, Caltrans allegedly damaged homes along Frontera in Marblehead from pile driving & other vibrations during demolition and reconstruction along rear yard slopes. This litigation has been reported in the OC Register and SC Times.
• With the previous widening of Pico and construction of a large retaining wall, the slope by St Andrews’ Church collapsed resulting in litigation which involved the city and other parties. The slope still has not been repaired. This has also been reported in the OC Register and SC Times." (Vonne Barnes)
This is what we are asking for:
1) Please ask the San Clemente City Council to strongly oppose the OCTA's Alternative 2-the Build Alternative.
2) Please ask the San Clemente City Council to ONLY support Alternative No. 1- the NO BUILD Option.
3) Please ask the OCTA for an extension of their Scoping period for the public to submit their public comment, which ends on August 15 at 5:00 pm.
4) Please ask the City Council to have a Town Hall meeting, where all the major stakeholders will be present to listen to voice our concerns about these destructive plans.
5) We need a Town Hall meeting for the OCTA to thoroughly explain which San Clemente lands they will be taking thru eminent domain by Alternative 2-Build Alternative.
It was discovered that there is an OCTA map which shows where the encroachment of San Clemente lands would be. For instance this includes the encroachment on SCHS Triton Baseball Field, the Track and Field, and SCHS upper campus.
Please say No to HOV lanes that will cause the expansion of the I-5 freeway in San Clemente!
According to the OCTA webpage,
"Alternative No. 1 ( No Build) Alternative 1 proposes no improvements on the I 5, maintaining the four general-purpose lanes throughout the project limits in the northbound and southbound directions. The freeway facility would remain as is, with the exception of other proposed projects that are either underdevelopment or currently under construction.
Alternative No. 2 (Build Alternative) proposes to add an HOV lane on the I-5 in the northbound and southbound directions within the project limits. The new HOV lane would connect to the HOV facility to the north of the project study area and extend south to the San Diego County/Orange County line. The existing southbound inside general-purpose lane would be converted to an HOV lane between Avenida Pico and Avendia Presidio, the proposed southbound HOV lane would require outside widening to reestablish the fourth general purpose lane between Avenida Presidio and the San Diego County/Orange County Line, where the southbound HOV lanes would become the inside general-purpose lane, and the outside general-purpose lane would transition to an auxiliary lane and ending south of the southbound Cristianitos Road exit ramp at the County Line. In the northbound direction, I-5 is proposed to be widened to the outside to accommodate the additional HOV lane. The additional HOV lane will tie into the existing HOV lane at Avenida Pico. To accommodate the freeway widening, the widening or replacement of the several bridges would be required." (OCTA webpage)
Here is the following link:
https://www.octa.net/Projects-and-Programs/All-Projects/Freeway-Projects/Santa-Ana-Freeway-(I-5)/I-5-(County-Line-to-Avenida-Pico)/?frm=14426&fbclid=IwAR17r_NEQwm_MzBs2i5x5-FLGbX5cdh-Ha5I5pgTy3ZmXg2oigjS9h5fU4E
However, previous OCTA studies of 2019 have shown that HOV 2+ lanes do not meet the Federal Standards. In the summary findings of that it Does Not meet federal standards due to overuse. In their presentation notes it states, that,"When considering how managed lanes will operate in 2040...We see the HOV 2+ policy will continue failing to meet the standard."
This information was from an OCTA presentation given by the OCTA at the San Clemente City Council on January 15, 2019 at the time frame of 25 minutes and 58 sec. (25:58) presented by Mr. Kia Mortazavi. I brought this presentation with me and a OCTA representative at the scoping meeting was surprised that I had it. Please see the city council meeting:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31B38RbFRow
According to the Aerial Map of this expansion of the I 5 of adding HOV/HOT lanes, it shows the encroachment onto many properties all the way down to the County line.
This OCTA's Aerial map was NOT presented at the OCTA's Scoping meeting on July 28th , which was held at San Clemente High School. The OCTA had a duty to have this map present for everyone to see which properties/lands would be affected. There is another problem with the map because a person cannot use this map effectively to zoom in/out to see if their property will be affected. This is not a transparent process!
Please look at the following link on the OCTA webpage and click on the "Project Location Map."
https://www.octa.net/Projects-and-Programs/All-Projects/Freeway-Projects/Santa-Ana-Freeway-(I-5)/I-5-(County-Line-to-Avenida-Pico)/?frm=14426&fbclid=IwAR17r_NEQwm_MzBs2i5x5-FLGbX5cdh-Ha5I5pgTy3ZmXg2oigjS9h5fU4E#! Resources
The ONLY option that San Clemente residents should be supporting is Alternative No. 1 the NO BUILD OPTION!
Our San Clemente Village by the Sea will be changed forever!
Here are some contacts to consider:
• City Council (includes all 5 of them in a group): CityCouncil@san-clemente.org
• Council members separately:
— Chris Duncan: DuncanC@san-clemente.org
— Steve Knoblock: KnoblockS@san-clemente.org
— Mark Enmeier: EnmeierM@san-clemente.org
— Victor Cabral: Victor Cabral: CabralV@san-clemente.org
— Rick Loeffler: LoefflerR@san-clemente.org
• City Manager: Andy Hall: HallA@san-clemente.org
OCTA representatives:
OCTA CEO Mr. Darrell Johnson:
Government Relations Director Lance Larson:
San Clemente residents please come together and oppose Alternative 2!
Thank you in advance for all your support in helping to protect our Spanish Village by the Sea.
Please visit our fb page https://www.facebook.com/No-to-Alertnative-2-HOV-Lanes-on-I-5-in-San-Clemente-112203004917295
Please note this is a new group and info will be added asap. Thank you for your understanding