Cyndy Stauffer, San Clemente, The Reserve board vice president
Our communities need some muscle to grow our small voices. My neighbors are feeling the panic of what the future holds with these proposed toll road pathways.
I am one of thousands of people who are extremely concerned with the Transportation Corridor Agencies’ intent to run a freeway through and over the top of our residential areas of mid San Clemente to Pico or through San Juan Capistrano.
We have very little open space here in the middle and north of San Clemente where this path is proposed. Our close neighboring communities were designed carefully to preserve this open space as such, and we are all concerned with the fragile habitats and our physical quality of life.
San Clemente has huge traffic problems. Millions of dollars are being spent on the I-5 freeway widening project that’s currently under construction. Unfortunately, with the curves I-5 takes through our towns, it will most likely remain an area where the freeway slows and traffic will never be great.
Bringing in a toll road through San Clemente to Pico or north would dump traffic right in the middle of town. How does that help any traffic problems for anyone? It will literally destroy what San Clemente’s reputation is to California as small seaside town.
The connection of La Pata has helped us, but it also affected us greatly with increased traffic patterns and the dirt and dust in the air, and now they want to put a toll road through?
Our small coastal cities must work together and not become the expendable piece to the large corporation and its just-put-it-through mentality. Please, don’t put our physical health along with the visual impact of putting a freeway directly in the middle of our small seaside town on the chopping block. We must find a way to stand together with a big voice.
It is my understanding that the Save Trestles lawsuits and its said impact are somewhat misleading statements to the true factual impact of a properly constructed roadway south around San Clemente, meeting up to I-5.
Please help us find a way to go around San Clemente, demand more studies and truthful information of safely putting the road closer to Camp Pendleton—something that would actually help the traffic problems.
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