2 Toll Road Bills Sail Through Panel With Land Deal Amendment

Legislation to move Orange County’s proposed toll roads a step closer to construction breezed through an Assembly committee Thursday after Sen. John Seymour (R-Anaheim) amended the bills to remove objections from key lawmakers.

The two bills were approved by the Assembly Transportation Committee on identical 8-1 votes after a hearing that lasted less than a minute. The measures now go to the Ways and Means Committee.

The legislation designates the Eastern and Foothill transportation corridors as state highways, ensuring that the roads can be turned over to the state for maintenance after they are built with money from tolls, developer fees and the federal government. The third corridor, the San Joaquin Hills, is already designated as a state highway.

Although the content of the bills themselves has never generated much controversy, Seymour has faced obstacles at every turn from legislators who tried to extract concessions from him after they realized how badly the bills are wanted by Orange County officials and the major developers whose projects would be served by the roads.

Amendment Accepted

And so Thursday, Seymour accepted an amendment that will scuttle the bills unless the Irvine Co. agrees within 90 days after the bills take effect to donate as open space up to 5,300 acres of land in Limestone Canyon east of Orange. That amendment was demanded by Assemblyman Richard Katz (D-Sepulveda), chairman of the Transportation Committee and a bird lover who wanted the land set aside as a home for birds of prey.

Seymour said he accepted the amendment because the Irvine Co. was prepared to forfeit the land anyway. But he said he did not like the idea of writing the deal into state law.

“I think it’s bad public policy to in the state Legislature extract private property. That should be done in the environmental impact process,” Seymour said. “It’s a local matter to be determined between the Board of Supervisors and the private property owners.”

Seymour accepted another amendment Thursday that would allow the state to pay for maintenance of toll bridges, just as it would for the toll roads if his bills pass. That amendment was designed to overcome the objections of two powerful Bay Area senators who threatened to block the bills unless they contain concessions for that region’s bridges.

By accepting the toll bridge amendment, Seymour may also have helped himself overcome yet another problem with the bills, the opposition of Sen. Daniel E. Boatwright (D-Concord).

Opposition Vowed

Boatwright, whose support was crucial to the bills’ passage in the Senate, has vowed to oppose both measures because last week Seymour backed away from his earlier pledge that no state funds would be used to plan or build the Foothill or Eastern toll roads. That provision, which was inserted into the bills at Boatwright’s insistence, was removed by the Transportation Committee at Seymour’s request Thursday night.

Seymour said he abandoned the guarantee after he saw a preliminary study conducted for the Transportation Corridor Agencies. The study concluded that state funds might be needed to help repay the bonds that the agencies will sell to finance construction of the roads.

Seymour noted that Boatwright may find it more difficult to oppose the bills now that they would provide money to maintain the Bay Area bridges, some of which are in his district. “If he votes against the bill, he’s going to be voting against his bridges,” Seymour said.

Boatwright could not be reached for comment Thursday night.

Although Gov. George Deukmejian has taken no position on the two bills, Seymour said Caltrans has assured him that the department will recommend that the governor sign the bills.