Caltrans Caltrans Caltrans Caltrans
As those at the community meeting heard on Wednesday night, ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC ON HIGHWAY 94 is the greatest concern to all Jamulians.
The most telling speaker of the evening was Principal Eileen Poole of Steele Canyon High School. She had two points she wanted to make. The first, stating that when she saw the JIV "Traffic Study" for Cougar Canyon Dr., the wait time on Highway 94 was 3.02 seconds. What? That can't be right. But there it was in black and white. And the reason it was stated at 3.02 seconds?The "Traffic Study" on Cougar Canyon Dr. was done on a Saturday. Yes, a Saturday. And, wait for it..., at 9PM. Yes, 9PM as in at 9 o'clock at night on a Saturday!!!! Principal Poole wonders "who" actually did the traffic study.
As anyone who has ever driven on Highway 94 knows, the "wait time" around Cougar Canyon Dr. in the morning, the afternoon, the evening, and anytime there is a football game, soccer game, basketball game or any other event at Steele Canyon High School, that "wait time" can turn into 5 minutes or more. Now imagine adding 5,000 to 10,000 more cars a day with a casino!
The second point and a huge concern of Principal Poole is the 400 first time driving 16 yr old's every year at Steele Canyon and the 400-500 17 yr. old drivers with only one year of driving under their belt. Scary thought, isn't it? But what made everyone in the audience gasp... In the 7 years that Ms. Poole has been Principal, she has had to give out 6 posthumously diplomas at the graduation ceremony. That is one for every year she has been the Principal. As you can imagine, she would rather not have to give out another one ever again. But with the recent proposal and the ABSURD "Traffic Study" she is afraid the number will only increase.
More on the Community Meeting as the information is circulated.
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An article on the Union Tribune website regarding visiting Tecate... http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/apr/19/just-across-the-border-treasures-of-tecate/
Just across the border: Treasures of Tecate (written by Wendy Lemlin)
If you go ...as you head out scenic state highway 94, past 4,000-foot-high mountains and rugged canyons. (I don't recommend driving this winding, dark road at night, however.) About 18 miles past Jamul, take state highway 188 to Tecate... Now add 5,000 - 10,000 more cars! Highway 94 won't be so scenic.
Please sign the Petition at www.jacjamul.com. Click the link in the righthand column.
Questions that still need answers:
Where are the Caltrans Permits?
Whiere is the Caltrans Traffic Study?
Who actually gets the say on the Permit for access to Highway 94?
Who's going to pay to make all the massive and needed improvements to Highway 94?
Please cc: jacjamul@yahoo.com on all your emails. Thanks.
Pam Scanlon - SANDAG Public Safety Committee Project Manager
Laurie Berman - San Diego Caltrans District 11 Director - 619-688-6668
Bill Figge - San Diego Caltrans District 11 - Planning Deputy District Director - 619-688-6681
Gus Silva- San Diego Caltrans District 11 Tribal Liaison - 619-688-6807
Trent Clark - San Diego Caltrans District 11 Tribal Liaison - 619-688-3140
Lonora Graves - Caltrans Sacramento - Branch Chief, Native American Liaison Branch - 916-653-6315
Malcolm Dougherty - Caltrans Acting Director Sacramento
Lorrie Lau - Federal Highway Administration - Tribal Office of Planning, Environment, and Realty
Wade Hobbs - Federal Highway Administration - California Field Office Tribal Contact
Arsenio Mataka -
Assistant Secretary for Environmental Justice and Tribal Affairs
Boards, Departments, and Offices Tribal Liaison Contacts:
Air Resources Board - Sylvia Oey
Department of Toxic Substances Control - Patrice W. Bowen
State Water Resources Control Board - Gita Kapahi
Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment - Amy Dunn
Where are the DFG and BLM permits to build adjacent to a Ecological Preserve?
Can SDG&E's system handle the load for additional power?
Will Jamul have brown outs and black outs from the drain?
Will Rancho Jamul Estates lose water pressure?
Will Whispering Meadows and Melody Rd area residents lose water pressure?
When will the CEQA process begin?
Have the families of those buried at the cemetary been notified of the proposal to build a 10 story parking garage less than 10 feet from their relatives?
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Respones from the Jamul/Dulzura Planning Group to the tribe's last EIR's. They can be found here:
The current "EE" addresses some of the issues but does not show the issues that need mitigation... TRAFFIC ON HIGHWAY 94
Links to the Draft "EE" can be found here: www.jacjamul.com right column under JIV proposal. (large files, may take time to load)
Caltrans has yet to produce their Traffic Study. The tribe hired Kimley-Horn and Associates for the traffic portion of the EE. The traffic study Appendix 10 can be found on the website www.jacjamul.com. The study is 801 pages long but still does not address the danger of Highway 94.
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Amicus Brief - April 24th, 2012 - U.S. Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the United States granted a oral arguements hearing on the case Salazar v. Patchak. Patchak, a homeowner in the State of Michigan filed a lawsuit against the Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, stating that a tribe that was not a federally recognized tribe in 1934, does not have the right to take land into trust and "A PRIVATE CITIZEN HAS A RIGHT TO OBTAIN JUDICIAL REVIEW OF FEE-TO-TRUST CONVERSIONS IN HIS OR HER NEIGHBORHOOD".
JAC was contacted by Cheryl Schmidt of Stand Up for California in January 2012 to join in an Amicus Brief to be read into the oral arguements. 28 community groups in California joined in support of the brief. It's time the Supreme Court enforce their decision on Carcieri v. Salazar.
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The fight is not over!
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