The San Benito County Board of Supervisors approved an option to
construct a new bridge over the San Benito River at Hospital Road
on Tuesday.
A portion of the road, as well as the crossing, was washed out
during the 1998 storm event. Due to environmental and financial
concerns, restoration has been delayed, said Arman Nazemi of the
Public Works Department.
The San Benito County Board of Supervisors approved an option to construct a new bridge over the San Benito River at Hospital Road on Tuesday.
A portion of the road, as well as the crossing, was washed out during the 1998 storm event. Due to environmental and financial concerns, restoration has been delayed, said Arman Nazemi of the Public Works Department.
Nazemi presented the Board with four options concerning the crossing over the river at Hospital Road: to abandon the crossing, to construct a seasonal low water crossing over the river, to construct a permanent low water crossing or to construct a new bridge.
The destruction of the crossing heightened the dependence on the only other accessible east-west connection at Union Road, Nazemi said.
With housing developments completed over the last several years on the west side of the San Benito River, Union Road has been increasingly impacted by the additional traffic created from the developments, he said.
“It is important to highlight the public safety aspect of this… During the wet season, the Union Road bridge is the only east-west connection serving developments along the west side of the San Benito River,” Nazemi said. “This means Union Road provides the only bridge/river crossing for police, fire and other emergency services.”
Nazemi presented an in-depth discussion on the advantages and disadvantages of all four options that were presented before the Board, summarily stating that it was the Public Work’s recommendation that the board choose the final option – the construction of a new bridge.
Construction of a bridge would incur the least cost to the county’s General Fund because of a written commitment they have with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Office of Emergency Services (OES) to reimburse the county for 100 percent of all construction costs, he said.
“Construction of a new bridge will generate very low maintenance costs,” Nazemi said. “The general fund will still escape significant funding obligations years after the project is completed.”
A new bridge would also meet current seismic codes and other structural and environmental requirements, he said.
Because of the significant cost of a new bridge, Supervisor Reb Monaco asked that the Board wait and investigate the construction of a permanent low water crossing before making a decision about the bridge.
“Even if it’s paid for by tax payer dollars from some other source, it’s still tax payer’s dollars that are paying for it,” Monaco said. “I guess what I’m saying here is that I’m not completely convinced that a permanent low river crossing wouldn’t suffice in that particular crossing.”
Monaco cited another low water crossing in Tres Pinos, which functions well and doesn’t require too much maintenance, he said.
Because the crossing is in dire need of repair and a new bridge would be paid for, the county should not take the frugal way out, said Supervisor Ruth Kesler.
“It seems to me that in this county, as long as I’ve been here… we seem to go the cheapest way that we can possibly go,” Kesler said. “Let the people have a nice bridge, instead of going the cheaper way of letting them run through the river.”
Capt. Vic Loftin of the California Department of Forestry, also voiced his concerns before the Board of the importance of a secure crossing at that area.
After doing a recent time study by going down Union Road to Cienega Road, and then back up Cienega, he found that the response time was lengthened by three to five minutes, he said.
“Timing is a very important thing to us,” Loftin said. “With a heart attack, three minutes and you’re clinically dead; five minutes you’re biologically dead. Currently we’re extending that time by going up and around Union Road.”
The Board approved the option to go forward with the construction of a new bridge by a 4 to 1 vote, with Monaco casting the dissenting vote.
In other business:
– County Administrative Officer Gil Solorio, who is resigning from his position, was honored by community and Board members at the end of the Board’s meeting on Tuesday.
Supervisor Richard Scagliotti presented Solorio with a plaque, thanking him for his hard work.
Assemblyman Simon Salinas sent a plaque, the California State Assembly Certificate of Recognition, honoring Solorio’s dedication and commitment. Because Salinas was unable to attend, one of his aides presented Solorio with the award.
Former Board member Ron Rodriguez also thanked Solorio for the long hours he worked and his availability to people he worked with. “I don’t think he ever went home some nights,” Rodriguez said. “Every dime and every dollar the county invested in Gil was well spent.”
– Supervisor Bob Cruz was selected as the new chair of the Board. Supervisor Pat Loe nominated Cruz, which was unanimously approved by all the members.
Cruz takes over for Supervisor Richard Scagliotti. Scagliotti nominated Supervisor Ruth Kesler as vice chair, which was also unanimously approved by the Board.
