| The Santee Quality of Life Coalition is committed to reducing traffic congestion, sustainable growth and sustainable land use that benefits Santee and our entire region. |
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| If you are not already a member of the Santee Quality of Life Coalition, please join us in the ongoing effort to protect Santee's quality of life.
Email SanteeQualityofLifeCoalition@cox.net
Tom Abshire, Chair
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| Land Use Decisions are key to Santee's Future |
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Santee, with a current population of approximately 53,000 is expected to add another 15,000 residents by 2020. Santee has over 600 new housing units approved for construction in 2004 and projects atleast several hundred more houses for 2005. Citizen inputs about how Santee grows and mitigates for growth impacts are key to protecting our quality of life!
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| City Wins Two Major Awards for Forester Creek Project |
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Thank you to the Audubon Society, Back Country Coalition, California Native Plant Society, Conservation Biology Institute, Environmental Health Coalition, Iron Mountain Conservancy, Mountain Defense League, San Diego BayKeeper, Sierra Club, Southwest Wetlands Interpretive Association, Surfrider Foundation and all individuals that signed the "Don't Channelize Forester Creek" Letter.”
Santee reversed its plan to channelize Forester Creek and is now an award winner -- This award is for you & Santee!!!
Santee Living City Newsletter & Recreational Guide
City Wins Two Major Awards for Forester Creek Improvement Project
Even before actual construction has begun, the City of Santee has already won two major awards for the concept and design of the Forester Creek Improvement Project. The awards were handed out by the Association of Environmental Professionals (AEP) for Outstanding Environmental Solution and Outstanding Environmental Analysis Document for 2003. The $27 million Forester Creek Improvement Project is the largest and most complex public improvement the City has ever undertaken. Once completed, it will dramatically re-make the undersized and neglected drainage channel which traverses the City from its southerly border near El Cajon northward to the San Diego River. Far too small to hold heavy rain flows, the creek has often jumped its banks and flooded adjacent neighborhoods. The most recent example of this was just a few years ago when the creek flooded portions of Mission Gorge Road and caused the temporary closure of the street.
The Project will include improved flood control, creation of a 40-acre natural habitat\live stream linear park, and a pedestrian\bike trail. In addition, the natural channel will act to filter out pollutants flowing into Santee from El Cajon, where the creek has been fully concrete lined. This will significantly improve the water quality of the creek as it flows into the San Diego River and eventually to our local beaches. Finally, the improvement of the creek will open up additional economic growth opportunities in nearby areas which are currently constrained due to the possibility of occasional flooding.
The AEP awards recognized the complexity, innovative design, and multiple benefits of the Forester Creek Improvement Project. This dual recognition made Santee the only community in the region to be a multiple award winner at this year’s event.
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3/14/2002
Mr. Todd Galarneau, Senior Planner
City of Santee Department of Development Services
10601 Magnolia Avenue,
Santee, CA 92071-1266
Dear Mr. Galarneau:
Please accept these comments regarding the Forester Creek Improvement Project Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Assessment: State Clearinghouse #99121014
These comments are submitted in a joint letter on behalf of the Audubon Society, Back Country Coalition, California Native Plant Society, Conservation Biology Institute, Environmental Health Coalition, Iron Mountain Conservancy, Mountain Defense League, Preserve Wild Santee, San Diego BayKeeper, Sierra Club, Southwest Wetlands Interpretive Association, and Surfrider Foundation.
General comments:
This project has the potential to become a model for creek restoration in an urban area. A well-designed project can provide economic, social and environmental benefits. Greater community involvement and input from interested stakeholders can help to maximize project benefits.
There have not been any public hearings since December of 1999. The City of Santee's website does not contain any notice of available environmental impact report, an open public comment period, nor the environmental documents themselves, as of this writing 44 days into the 45 day comment period. We did not receive written notice of available documents or an open public comment period. Becoming aware of the comment deadline one-week prior, has not allowed adequate time to evaluate the adequacy of environmental documents or proposed mitigation. Additional public hearings and an extended comment period would allow public input to be incorporated into project design.
Alternatives:
The fact that three of the four alternatives include significant areas of concrete channel, one of which is the preferred alternative, creates great concern. Concrete channels represent a complete loss of valuable riparian systems over the area they cover, with significant negative impacts for water bodies downstream. Concrete channels eliminate complex natural systems, and all of the free natural services provided, and replace them with a waste transport system. Wastes are moved downstream as rapidly as possible and then deposited at the termination of the channel. This process reduces the ability of remaining wetlands systems to adequately filter and remove wastes, slow water volumes enough to prevent flooding, and recharge ground water aquifers. High velocity wastewater surges generally degrade recreation and wildlife habitat downstream and increase risk to life and property. Concrete channels are the result of short-term thinking that does not adequately consider the free services, economic, social, recreational, and environmental values that wetlands systems provide to a community.
Additional natural channel alternatives should be explored. For instance, because this is a large multi-agency/jurisdictional Project, upstream areas of Forester Creek should be analyzed for the feasibility of channel removal that includes restoration of natural vegetation and the free services they provide. If the natural channel was extended upstream into El Cajon, could some of the impacts of the natural channel design be avoided in Santee? An analysis of how various lengths of channel removal upstream could positively impact natural channel design within Santee should be considered in a project of this magnitude.
Concrete channel is both inconsistent with the language of Prop. 13 (which is a significant portion of the funding) and Santee's own General Plan which states:
"The city should avoid concrete channelization wherever possible and promote alternative flood control designs which have open space value.
The city should encourage, where feasible, the development of an interconnected system of open spaces."
Considering the negative trend of water quality in the San Diego River Watershed that has landed the San Diego River and Forester Creek on the 303(d) list for 2002, following the City's General Plan and the intent of Prop. 13 is made all the more imperative.
None of the alternatives give adequate consideration to the Forester Creek - San Diego River junction. The natural vegetation in this area has been decimated by the construction of SR-125 and the improvement of Mission Gorge Road. Large stands of the highly invasive exotic Arundo donax dominate the site and represent flood and fire risk, as well as a seed source. This area should be incorporated into the project design and restored with natural vegetation. What are the costs of restoring the site and what are the potential funding sources? How can this area be incorporated into the project design?
Other areas of insufficient consideration:
What hazardous wastes are expected and why? How much of the additional cost estimate for the natural channel alternative can be attributed to processing hazardous waste? Who is responsible for hazardous wastes expected and what accountability is there?
A more detailed estimate of the construction costs anticipated relative to other costs and potential economic benefits for the alternatives would be beneficial.
What are the design elements for the bicycle path and vegetation immediately adjacent?
Will a park like atmosphere that increases recreation and aesthetic values, and hence property and community value, be created along Forester Creek? How is this trail connected into other existing or planned regional trails?
How will the trail be linked with trolley stations and commercial or residential centers?
What type of separation will be created to limit the impact of auto traffic and thereby promote trail use that is capable of traffic congestion reduction? Will native Oaks and California Sycamores be utilized to create separation?
What about grade changes, boulders and actual distance from the roads?
For the areas of the creek below bridges, what permeable materials might be used in place of concrete? Certainly there are many stable highways and overpasses, which are engineered to cross over rivers and creeks that have not required concrete channel of the waterway itself.
The EIR fails to consider the recent 303(d) listing of Forester Creek, and how this project could mitigate the causes for that listing.
What designs will maximize water quality and groundwater recharge?
What are the planned beneficial uses for Forester Creek and how can this project maximize those objectives?
What kinds of plans are there for mitigation, monitoring, and ongoing maintenance?
How will water quality be monitored and maintained?
What community partnerships are being sought or are under consideration for on going stewardship of the creek?
We hope that Forester Creek Improvement is much more than an auto focused Capital Improvement Project related to the extension of SR-52. It has the potential to take advantage of the unique aesthetic values and resource services that a functioning riparian system offers to a community. This project offers the opportunity to become a model for the region (in the tradition of past forward looking projects such as Santee Lakes Regional Park and Mast Park that became sources of community pride).
Forester Creek can become a project that increases the aesthetic value, desirability, and general quality of life in Santee. We hope that proposals for concrete channel do not result in a lost opportunity with ongoing long-term costs.
Thanks for your consideration,
San Diego Audubon Society
James A. Peugh, Conservation Committee Chairperson
2321 Morena Blvd., Suite D
San Diego, CA 92110
Back Country Coalition
Bonnie Gendron
PO Box 70,
Santa Ysabel, CA 92070
California Native Plant Society
Sara E. Steinhoffer, President
P.O. Box 121390
San Diego, CA 92112
Conservation Biology Institute
Jerre Ann Stallcup
651 Cornish Drive
Encinitas, CA 92024
Environmental Health Coalition
Laura Hunter
1717 Kettner, Suite 100
San Diego, CA 92101
Mountain Defense League
Richard Gadler
Byron Lindsley
Post Office Box #19852
San Diego, CA 92159-0832
Preserve Wild Santee
Kathyrn Burton
Van K. Collinsworth
Kenneth W. Decker
Ron & Gloria Gerak
Perry & Sabra Shipman
Tom Walters
Darity Wesley
9222 Lake Canyon Road
Santee, CA 92071
San Diego BayKeeper
Bruce Reznik, Executive Director
2924 Emerson St.
San Diego, CA 92106
Sierra Club, San Diego Chapter
Eric Bowlby, Co-chair Coastal Committee
3820 Ray Street
San Diego, CA 92104-3623
Southwest Wetlands Interpretive Association (SWIA)
Patricia McCoy, Vice President of SWIA
P.O. Box 575
Imperial Beach, CA 91932
The Surfrider Foundation, San Diego Chapter
Marco Gonzalez, Chairman
PO Box 1511
Solana Beach, CA 92075
______________________________________
Two Background articles
Waterway muddies plans for Route 52
Board won't OK concrete lining for Forrester Creek
By Norberto Santana Jr.
STAFF WRITER
May 9, 2002
SANTEE – Plans to have state Route 52 cut through Santee have hit a major snag.
The state's Regional Water Quality Control Board has advised city leaders that it will not certify any plan that involves lining a section of Forrester Creek with concrete.
City leaders want to build a concrete channel along one-third of the creek area near Prospect Avenue for flood-control purposes. A bridge would carry the extension of the highway over the creek on its way toward state Route 67.
But the water board's mandate to eliminate the concrete channel and leave the creek in its natural state would require longer bridges. Caltrans officials say that change would cost an additional $10 million and no one knows where that extra funding would come from.
City leaders rejoiced last November at the final approval of a $138 million funding package, which meant the freeway could be finished by 2008.
But freeway construction deadlines are linked to the creek being modified to withstand 100-year flood levels.
"Forrester Creek has to get done before 52 is done," said Joe Hull, a Caltrans project manager for the Route 52 extension. "That's a must."
Hull said the $10 million required to build longer bridges over the natural creek bed is not budgeted in the current project.
"Yeah, the price is high," said Michael Porter, who is overseeing the permit process for the water panel. "But the price of losing that creek is too high.
"This is the last stretch of Forrester Creek in urban San Diego that is not lined. As trashed as it is, it's still serving lots of functions."
While acknowledging that the regional board has approved concrete over other portions of Forrester Creek within El Cajon in recent years, Porter says the times have changed.
There has been a rising consciousness that urban creeks need to be restored to help block pollution from heading out to sea. In addition to runoff issues, there are also adverse habitat and water table effects from concrete creek channels, Porter said.
"The word is out across the nation," said Porter. "There will be no more channelization."
City planning staffers are scrambling to see if they can get the regional board to adjust its view or approve a redesign to the new channel plans. The city's development director, Doug Williford, said his staff has spent the last month looking into the other options suggested by the panel. But so far, no solution has been found.
"We think this is as much as we can do," said Williford.
For former Santee mayor Jack Dale – who spent the past seven years lobbying for the freeway extension as the city's representative to the San Diego Association of Governments – the water board's recommendations came as a shock.
"This is so serious," Dale said.
Some council members privately say the agency is retaliating against the city of Santee's action earlier this year when it joined a Building Industry Association lawsuit along with the city of San Marcos against new storm drain regulations.
Porter said the two actions are not related.
But Mayor Randy Voepel insists they are. "I think because we took part in this lawsuit we will be held up as the example of what can happen to a city for opposing the regional water quality board," he said.
Voepel and Dale both say the water board is closely coordinating its actions with local environmentalists.
Voepel said the result is a bureaucratic agency with a political agenda that now has "the power to go hunting."
"Their environmental argument has some merit," Voepel said. "But they have no concept of cost or impact. These people are working a particular political agenda.
"We're the socialist republic of California led by the commissars of the Regional Water Quality Control Board. There is no appeal and there is no hope other than going to court," Voepel said in criticizing the water board's position.
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Norberto Santana:
(619) 593-4964; norberto.santana@uniontrib.com
Copyright 2002 Union-Tribune Publishing Co.
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Cleanup plan for creek hits Santee snag
Council rejects bid for state grant, may OK it on second try
By Norberto Santana Jr.
STAFF WRITER
March 21, 2002
SANTEE Phil Griffin has spent the last decade trying to wipe out arundo reeds from Sycamore Canyon Creek, which borders his front yard.
He hasn't had much luck.
"We keep cutting them but they grow back," Griffin said.
Over the last 25 years, the tall reeds have infested creeks and rivers all over Southern California. The reeds, which resemble bamboo, spread quickly. Large clumps take up valuable habitat, block water flow and cause flooding along creeks and rivers.
When the reeds dry, they catch fire easily.
In January, Griffin came home from work to find two palm trees in his front yard lighted up like Roman candles. The arundo reeds had caught fire. The only thing that saved Griffin's trailer was the wind, which was blowing in the other direction.
Just after the fire, Griffin heard about an application being prepared for a $300,000 state grant to fund cleanup along Sycamore Canyon Creek.
Responsibility for cleaning the creek has been difficult to determine. Santee, the Padre Dam Water District and individual homeowners own easements on the creek.
"Everyone passes the buck when it comes to cleaning it," Griffin said.
The cleanup program is part of a statewide initiative to get people to appreciate the streams and rivers running through their communities.
So Griffin was stunned when members of the Santee City Council rejected the application. Over the past few months, council members and environmentalists have traded barbs over just what killed the grant application.
The two sides started as partners. Van Collinsworth, an environmental activist with Preserve Wild Santee, wrote most of the application.
But when it came before the council for a resolution of support, the city balked. First, city staff members said state officials told them the application would not be competitive against the 78 others seeking a portion of the funds for urban stream restoration.
But Bea McKamey, an analyst working with the state's Department of Water Resources, said she encouraged them to apply.
"I told them they had a viable project," she said.
City officials said later that language in the application regarding Forrester Creek would set a dangerous precedent. The city is working with the state Transportation Department to cover a portion of the creek bed with concrete to support a bridged section of state Route 52.
City Manager Keith Till said the Forrester Creek reference in the grant application as approved by Padre Dam board officials had a "fatal flaw." Till said the wording left the impression that the city intends to keep Forrester Creek in its natural state. That would require a longer bridge and more expense.
Collinsworth isn't buying any of it.
"They're looking for excuses because they had poor judgment," he said. "It's indefensible."
Just before the March 5 deadline, Till worked with Padre Dam officials to resubmit the grant, slightly altering the Forester Creek language. The most significant change was removing the city's partnership with the advocacy group Preserve Wild Santee.
City officials have asked the San Diego River Park Foundation to act as the grant's administrator instead. Santee Mayor Randy Voepel said with the change, he'll approve the grant application when it comes back to the council Wednesday for a resolution of support.
Voepel said Preserve Wild Santee is full of "no-growth" political activists, not environmentalists. The group spearheaded the successful campaign against a 3,000-home development on Fanita Ranch in 1999.
"I am eternally at war with Preserve Wild Santee," Voepel said. "The Palestinians and Israel will have peace before we do. It's that bitter now."
Norberto Santana:
(619) 593-4964; norberto.santana@uniontrib.com
Copyright 2002 Union-Tribune Publishing Co.
(Newspaper also contains two photographs and a map/graphic describing problems in the Creek – Front East County Section)
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