Area’s elected leaders, citizens hash out differences at public
forum on proposed four-lane roadway
A special joint meeting of the San Benito Board of Supervisors,
the Hollister City Council and the San Juan City Council was
convened July 16 to reopen a discussion on the Hwy. 156 improvement
project, a proposed four-lane roadway through prime agricultural
land that would be south of the current highway.
Area’s elected leaders, citizens hash out differences at public forum on proposed four-lane roadway
A special joint meeting of the San Benito Board of Supervisors, the Hollister City Council and the San Juan City Council was convened July 16 to reopen a discussion on the Hwy. 156 improvement project, a proposed four-lane roadway through prime agricultural land that would be south of the current highway.
Open to the public, the three-hour meeting was attended by nearly 60 residents and it started out on a contentious note.
“We got a report that I felt was incomplete,” Supervisor Anthony Botelho said of the project’s environmental impact report, which was presented to county supervisors in fall 2008. “We took a vote on something that we were not thoroughly clear on…From my perspective the project is poorly designed.”
Richard Rosales, the project manager for Caltrans District 5, put together animated renderings of the project from the point of view of a driver on the road as well as a bird’s-eye view of the east-west corridor.
“This meeting is not intended to make comments on the EIR,” said Lisa Rheinheimer, the executive director of the Council of Governments.
“The comment period has already closed. Richard and the team prepared a video that will show what it looks like to drive on the roadways.”
Project design under way
The final EIR, a 400-plus page document, is available online at www.sanbenitocog.org/hwyprojects.php.
The nearly $70 million project, which is fully funded, is still in the early phase of design, according to Rosales. He said the team is working on a drainage report that should be before the board in September.
The team has plans for a bridge across San Juan Creek and ditches to run alongside the road to collect water. The team is also working on the right-of-way phase of the project, or land acquisition.
“The first step is appraisal,” Rosales said. “We are looking at 12 parcels, three that are county-owned. Between the next two to three months – coming up pretty soon – we will deal with utility relocation.”
Some of the utilities that need to be moved for the new four-lane roadway include high-pressure gas lines, fiber-optic lines and utility poles. The existing roadway would become a northern frontage road.
The planned roadway stretches for 5.2 miles from just past Mission Vineyard Road to the Fourth Street exit toward Hollister. It will have an eight-foot shoulder with a five-foot inside shoulder and a nine-foot sound wall. The roadway will be elevated three to five feet above the ground.
While Rosales showed the video and talked about features of the roadway, audience members shouted out questions to him. One man asked if Caltrans had ever considered using the existing roadway, but Rosales declined to comment.
“This meeting is to discuss the current project design,” he said. “The environmental report was completed in October.”
Local leaders divided
At the end of the public comment period, each city council member and supervisor present took a few moments to offer their thoughts on the project. The Hollister City Council members present spoke in favor of it, while members of the San Juan City Council spoke against it; supervisors’ opinions were split.
“We understand safety is so important – it looks like everybody understands the need for some improvement on that road,” said Pauline Valdivia, a Hollister city councilwoman. “If Caltrans could at least look at traffic lights, and how to turn into different roads it looks like this project would be viable.”
Doug Emerson, a Hollister city councilman, spoke in favor of the project.
“I do understand concerns of agriculture and that safety is important, but I am a strong supporter,” Emerson said.
Reb Monaco, a supervisor, still had questions about the project.
“Based on what we saw today I am concerned about what it has morphed into,” Monaco said. “I am also concerned that we originally approved the smallest footprint and this doesn’t represent the smallest footprint possible.”
Monaco and Botelho both worried about the thin strip of ag land that will be trapped between the existing Hwy. 156 and the new project, which they said may not be viable for farming.
Supervisor Jamie De La Cruz stated a few safety issues, but added, “We also have to look forward. We have plans for the future. We need to work together to reach some kind of compromise.”
Supervisor Pat Loe, a member of COG who has been involved in many meetings on the Hwy. 156 project, expressed frustration.
“This is an issue we talked over and over,” Loe said. “Most people in the audience know I support this road. I still support it. It is frustrating that everyone says we need to do something for the last few years, but that seems to change. It seems like every time we address an issue, there is a new issue.
“I encourage people to come up with something, and let’s talk. But we have to work together and we have to talk about it. We have to decide what we want.”
Maggie Bilich, of the San Juan City Council, said she was concerned about the safety of crossing the roads and losing farmland.
Rick Edge, San Juan’s mayor, said he also opposes the project.
“We need to start over on this thing. I object to putting a new four-lane road through the valley.”
Botelho encouraged residents to continue to speak out against the project.
“We have a lot of influence,” Botelho said. “If the board and city asked legislators for assistance to ask Caltrans to re-evaluate…We have to be very vocal. Talk to Assmembly[woman] Caballero, [State Senator] Jeff Denham, and whoever gets those offices.”
Project costs:
$3.7 million environmental impact review completed in Oct. 2008
$3 million design projected completion in Oct. 2011
$15.6 million right of way (land acquisition) projected completion in Jan. 2012
$47.2 million construction start projected completion Oct. 2012
$69.6 million total cost projected completion Oct. 2014
