Coastal Commission Says No to the 241 Toll Road

By Mike Sappingfield
Chair, Angeles Chapter

Sierra Club's Friends of the Foothills campaign won a major victory on Wednesday, February 6th when, after over 12 hours of testimony from all sides, the California Coastal Commission voted 8-2 to reject the Federal Consistency application filed by the Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA) for the Foothill-South Toll Road. The proposed Foothill-South Toll Road, if built, would cut through the heart of San Onofre State Beach located in South Orange County. The road would destroy nearly 60% of the park, affecting a popular campground, pristine watershed, and world-renowned surf beach. The road would also cut through the Donna O'Niell Nature Conservancy and adversely impact at least 5 endangered species.

Photo courtesy Chay Peterson Activists demonstrate at the February 6 Coastal Commission hearing.

Originally scheduled for hearing at the Oceanside City Hall, a venue which seats less than 200 people, in a last minute decision, the Coastal Commission decided to move the hearing to Wyland Hall at the Del Mar Racetrack, the first great decision by the Coastal Commission on this issue. We got the word out, as did the Transportation Corridor Agency (TCA) and its supporters. As a result, over 3000 people attended the meeting and almost 2000 requested the ability to speak before the commission. The extraordinary turnout was materially helped by activists from the Angeles Chapter's Friends of the Foothills task force, its chair, Bill Holmes and Sierra Club's staff members, Robin Everett and Elizabeth Lambe. Among other things, they conducted a very effective organizing meeting on January 28th for over hundreds of activists to ensure we were focused and ready for the upcoming hearing. Three busses were provided to transport our members to the Del Mar location and many others carpooled directly there.

Angeles Chapter activists and supporters who were observed in the hall included Al and Barbara Sattler, Rudy Vietmeier, Celia Kutcher, Todd Van Etten, Penny Elia, Alex Mintzer, Merri Levy, Paul Carlton, Marni Magda, Gail Prothero, Jon and Kelly Achee, Bob Fraser, Dave Perlman, Ed Schlegel, Jerry Collamer, Jack Eidt, Russ Brown, Al & Yvonne Cullen, Karen Phelps, and many, many more, too numerous to mention.

One of the highlights of the meeting was the testimony from Rebecca Robles, chair of our Sacred Sites Task Force and representative from the Acjachemen nation, who eloquently explained the importance of the Panhe site adjacent to the proposed toll road alignment. Her testimony was specifically mentioned by one of the commissioners as the critical item in her decision to reject the TCA's application.

Our volunteers were especially delighted to greet Brittany McKee, former Sierra Club staff member who worked with the task force for the past eight years, who flew back from her new home in Kansas to participate. 'I worked so hard on this campaign and wouldn't miss it for the world,' she shared with her many friends on the task force. All in all, a long, but wonderful day, made wonderful by the thousands of supporters who took the time to attend the hearing and by a Coastal Commission who cared enough to vote to support the Coastal Act. They did so in spite of pressure to do the contrary by many politicians, including the Governor, who sent a personal letter to each of the Commissioners urging them to support the completion of the Toll Road. Last week proved that our voice can truly make a difference!