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House appropriations legislation making its way through Congress currently includes more than $22 million in funding to largely support infrastructure projects in North San Diego County, along with Dana Point and San Clemente, Rep. Mike Levin’s office announced last week.
Levin, a Democrat whose district includes South Orange County and North San Diego County, secured the funding for several projects in the bill that was recently approved by an appropriations subcommittee.
If the bill is approved by the full appropriations committee and passes both the House and Senate chambers, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers would receive more than $9.3 million to begin construction on the San Clemente Shoreline Protection Project.
“My top focus is delivering results on our local priorities, and I’m proud to secure this much-needed funding that will address some of the challenges facing North County San Diego and South Orange County,” Levin said in the announcement.
“With funding for three projects to address coastal erosion—including more than $9.3 million to begin construction on the San Clemente Shoreline Protection project—we are making critical progress to protect lives, property, and infrastructure from bluff collapses and erosion,” he added.
The Shoreline Project is meant to provide protection for the Los Angeles, San Diego, San Luis Obispo Rail Corridor (LOSSAN Corridor) tracks, which operate along the San Clemente coast, Levin’s office explained.
“The project is designed to protect this asset while also protecting roads, buildings, and other infrastructure, as well as maintain recreational use of San Clemente’s coastline,” the office said in its announcement.
About 251,000 cubic yards of sand is expected to be placed on a roughly 3,400-foot stretch of the city’s beach, from Linda Lane to T-Street. The sand will help widen the beach by about 50 feet, providing storm drainage reduction, plus safety and recreational benefits, Levin’s office stated.
Another $1.87 million would also go to the city of Dana Point for its Doheny Village Connectivity Improvement Project, which looks to add bicycle and pedestrian amenities, such as sidewalks, lighting, bike lanes and landscaping, to enhance the safety of the roadways, Levin’s office explained.
More funding would also go to other cities including Oceanside, where its police department could purchase vehicle cameras and the Oceanside Museum of Art could provide literacy programs for underserved children.
“I’m also proud to secure funding to ensure Oceanside police officers have vehicle cameras that improve transparency and accountability, provide a new shelter for homeless individuals in Oceanside, and help the North County Transit District transition to cleaner buses,” Levin said in the announcement.
Levin’s office noted that the inclusion of the funding in the appropriations subcommittee-approved bills is the first step in the funding process, as the bill must also be considered on the House Floor before undergoing negotiations with the Senate.
“All of these projects will strengthen communities in our district, and I will continue to fight for this funding throughout the appropriations process,” Levin said.
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