Two items submitted to the City Council on Sept. 4 may start the process of building a bridge over Rose Canyon in University City, igniting a controversial project that has been splitting a community.
Some residents do not want to see Regents Road extended through University City, since it will pass across Rose Canyon Nature Reserve. But others say the bridge will relieve traffic congestion, especially for emergency vehicles, where time wasted on the street can mean the difference between life and death.
To be four lanes across Rose Canyon, the bridge will run for about 870 feet.
The City Council approved the City Auditor and Comptroller to increase next year’s budget related to the Regents Road Bridge to $2 million dollars. The council then authorized the money, to be used “for the purpose of a consultant agreement for the Regents Road Bridge and Limited Roadway Changes Project,” as written in the Sept. 4 City Council agenda. The money that was proposed to come out of the 2009 budget would be taken from “currently available funds.”
Furthermore, the council adopted additional phrasing under Subitem A regarding the bridge, “stating that this activity is not a ‘project’ and is therefore exempt from California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines Section 15060 (c) (3).”
In December of 2005, the first issue of cost came up, according to the City Council, when council members looked at alternatives to the original proposal. Also, they had to pay consultants to respond to the more than 3,000 comments they received on their first EIR draft.
On Aug. 1, 2006, the City Council chose the Regents Road Bridge Alternative, and began to move forward with the project.
The Friends of Rose Canyon group, which has been against the Regents Bridge from its conception, said the city did not conduct a proper environmental impact report. In an Aug. 31, 2007 letter to the City Council, the FRC reiterated its concerns about building the bridge, including environmental concerns.
The City Council also introduced another item at the Sept. 4 meeting, allowing the mayor to form an agreement with Project Design Consultants for the purposes of the Regents Road Bridge and Limited Roadway Changes Project. This would authorize almost an additional $5 million to be used as long as it is in deposit inside the city’s treasury.
For more information, visit http://docs.sandiego.gov/, or call Dave Zoumaras, (619) 533-3138.