County’s public works plan to establish a Union Road Benefit
Area doesn’t bode well with residents
Many residents who could end up within the boundaries of a new
benefit area are not thrilled with what the concept is supposed to
benefit.
County’s public works plan to establish a Union Road Benefit Area doesn’t bode well with residents
Many residents who could end up within the boundaries of a new benefit area are not thrilled with what the concept is supposed to benefit.
During a public hearing Tuesday on the proposed widening of Union Road from two to four lanes, residents of the area told county supervisors they didn’t like the idea of a major highway cutting by their homes. Landowners opposed the proposed $6,925 fee that would be assessed on all new construction in the area to help fund the project.
“I travel that road every day,” said Dr. Ken Kovanda. “I don’t see the traffic you’re talking about. Our gasoline tax is supposed to pay for the roads.”
The widening would occur be between Cienega Road and Highway 156.
“I’ve seen the increased traffic for the last 10 years,” said Bob Hogeman. “But I don’t see the benefit of this.”
Hogeman questioned why Union had to be widened, but not Fairview, and said that the plan would only create a bottleneck east of the San Benito River Bridge, where the road would remain two lanes.
In the end, the supervisors directed Public Works Director Doug Koenig to take the idea back to the drawing board to re-adjust the cost-per-lot fee for new builders and to do more research on how the project will affect the blue valve water pipeline that runs parallel to the road. The matter will be taken up again at the last meeting of February.
The project would widen Union Road from the San Benito River Bridge to the intersection at Highway 156, a distance of 20,000 feet. The project would require the reinforcement of the San Felipe water pipeline that runs adjacent to the road, which would cost $1.6 million. The entire project is estimated to cost $8.5 million, and the new benefit area is expected to fund a third of that.
Another misgiving was the possibility of landslides, vocalized by resident Sandy Rose.
“I really feel that the widening of Union Road would be detrimental to the entire county,” said Rose. “There is major leakage from the San Justo Reservoir.”
That leakage, she added, can only cause further instability to the slide-prone hill next to it, which would have to be cut into to widen the road.
San Juan Oaks Vice President Scott Fuller mentioned that the fee assessment for his development project was miscalculated because county staff hadn’t taken into account that many of his parcels are not slated to be developed but will remain intact as open space or grazing land. Koenig agreed it was an oversight and said the figures needed to be reworked.
Concerned citizens didn’t get much resistance from their supervisors, especially from Ron Rodrigues.
“This is something that should have been designed 30 years ago,” said Supervisor Rodrigues, a resident of the proposed benefit area. “Now that pipeline will have to be moved. And I personally have witnessed a lot of slides. The traffic is caused by Kaufman and Broad, Ridgemark and Cielo Vista. I’m really not in favor of the benefit district until everything is in order.”
Rodrigues also suggested that Koenig and other county engineers involved in the concept meet with the water district regarding the project and its affect on the pipeline.
He made a motion that the concept go back to staff for further review, and when the supervisors were asked for a calendar date to bring the subject back to the board, Rita Bowling said, “After I retire at the end of the year.”
The comment bought the one moment of levity of the afternoon.
