COUNTYWIDE : Tollway Board Votes Today on 3 Issues

Nearly unanimous approval of the environmental impact report for the state’s first toll road is expected in a vote today by the 11-member tollway board of directors.

Board members of the Orange County Transportation Corridor Agencies polled Wednesday said the vote will likely also favor connecting the $680-million San Joaquin Hills tollway to Interstate 5 in San Juan Capistrano, over the objections of the San Juan Capistrano City Council.

The board will vote on three issues today: the environmental impact report, where to connect the tollway to Interstate 5 and plans for a light-rail system.

“All the feedback we’re getting is that our residents are very much in favor of the project,” said Mission Viejo Councilwoman Sharon Cody, a board member representing one of four South County cities that have recently come out in favor of the toll road.

Tollway opponents conceded that the board is almost certain to approve the environmental impact report, which was prepared to address potential harm to the environment.

“It’s a done deal,” said Russ Burkett, an anti-tollway activist from South County. “The arm-twisting has already been done behind the scenes.”

While the board’s approval is likely, the tollway is still not entirely a “done deal.” The environmental impact report must pass federal scrutiny before construction of the toll road can begin.

The city councils of Irvine, Dana Point and Laguna Niguel voted this week to approve the 17.5-mile corridor’s environmental impact report and to approve a plan called Alignment 1 that connects the toll road to Interstate 5 in San Juan Capistrano rather than in Laguna Niguel. The San Clemente City Council came to a similar conclusion during a work session Wednesday, although it did not take a formal vote.

Only San Juan Capistrano Mayor Kenneth E. Friess said he would vote against approving the tollway environmental impact report. He also said he would vote against Alignment 1 and vote instead for Alignment 2, which calls for the tollway to connect to Interstate 5 in Laguna Niguel. Friess said he expects to wind up on the losing side.

“It could be 10 to 1” in favor of Alignment 1, Friess said. “I’m not the least bit surprised. I’ve seen this coming for about a month. The folks in Laguna Niguel did an excellent job of playing politics, and that’s the way the system works.”

Laguna Niguel officials had argued for Alignment 1, claiming it would be cheaper to build and cause the least disruption to city businesses.

“It is a million-dollar question for us,” said Laguna Niguel City Manager Tim Casey. He said Alignment 2 “would eliminate $1 million of our tax revenues, which for us, as a brand-new city, is about 16% of our general-purpose tax revenues. No other city is being asked to make similar sacrifices for the benefit of this project.”

The only other city affected by the connection of the tollway and Interstate 5 is Mission Viejo, whose representative, Cody, said Wednesday she would abstain on the alignment vote. But she said that while she favors Alignment 2, she objects to its cost, an estimated $82 million more than Alignment 1.

“I believe Alignment 2 is a better solution, and yet the economics of it are preventing us from voting for it,” Cody said.

Unanimous approval is also expected on the third board vote to be taken today, which calls for a six-lane tollway design leaving room for light-rail corridors.