Action on Coast Highway had been delayed by the absence of Mayor Jim Wood after his May 2017 stroke, and the potential 2-2 split on key issues. After Wood announced his resignation on December 13, the council voted 3-1 on January 24 to appoint Pete Weiss to serve out Wood’s term, which expires in 2020. Weiss worked for the city of 27 years, retiring in 2013 after seven years as city manager. Leaders of Save South O met with the mayor last month to discuss our concerns about how the Coast Highway plan would impact South Oceanside.
The city voted in February to update its EIR to address Caltrans concerns about the impact on I-5 onramps and offramps. The council also authorized studying a new option, ending the Road Diet and Incentive Districts south of Morse Street.
The position of Save South O remains unchanged: we believe the community is best served by no developer incentives south of Oceanside Blvd., and keeping (and restoring) Coast Highway to four lanes south of Oceanside Blvd. Bicycle access should be solved by completing the safer (and faster) Class I “Rail Trail” across Loma Alta Creek.
After the new EIR is released and has public comments, the council is expected to vote on one option in the fall. We will keep supporters updated as to the public comment options.
May 7 Planning Commission Meeting
At the May 7 Planning Commission Meeting (6pm at City Hall), agenda Item #5 is seeking Planning Commission ratification of the city’s FY2018-2019 Capital Improvement Program as being in conformance with the city’s General Plan. This includes the Coast Highway plan, which is described as follows:
Coast Highway Corridor Study
This project consists of EIR-level transportation and land use studies to change Coast Highway to a single lane of vehicle travel in each direction. The alternatives analysis includes multiple intermediate alternatives with single-lane travel extending southward to Oceanside Boulevard or to Morse Street, and both with or without development incentives. The EIR also includes a “no-build” alternative with Coast Highway remaining as four lanes. The studies examine the advantages and disadvantages of the single-vehicle lane and having additional street width available for alternative uses such as onstreet parking, bicycle travel, and pedestrian-friendly environment. The EIR document will also consider traffic displaced onto parallel streets.
The Circulation Element identifies Coast Highway as a four-lane secondary collector on the basis of current traffic demand. The Coast Highway Corridor Study fulfills specific Policy #2.5: “The City will strive to incorporate complete streets throughout the Oceanside transportation network which are designed to serve all users of streets … ” The traffic study for the Coast Highway Corridor promotes the action items in the “Planwide Initiatives Table” in the Coast Highway Vision and Strategic Plan approved by the Planning Commission on February 23, in 2009. These studies work towards the goals of complete streets and street circulation capacity, and provide clarity on General Plan issues.
A public workshop for the Coast Highway Corridor Study was held on March 29, 2017, and the initial draft EIR was circulated last summer. On February 7, 2018, the City Council authorized additional work to add alternatives for the development incentives and a second Response to Comments when the EIR is re-circulated . The revised EIR is anticipated to be available for public comments in mid-summer. After the public comment period and new written responses to the comments, staff will take the EIR to the Planning Commission for a recommendation on their preferred alternative.
Save South O 