Toll Road Is Not Wanted, Not Needed

* I certainly hope that Senate Bill 1277 [to block a preferred toll-road route], sponsored by Sen. Tom Hayden, will be passed.

The destruction of the inland portion of San Onofre State Beach by the extension of the Foothill South toll road from Oso Parkway to Interstate 5 would be most detrimental.

The San Mateo Campground is a most pleasant and highly used camp. Additionally, as has been pointed out time and again, the whole area where the Transportation Corridor Agencies wants to run this toll road is environmentally most sensitive.

There are six endangered species residing in this area that would be imperiled. The toll road would isolate the Rancho Mission Viejo Land Conservancy, which was established as mitigation for the construction of the huge new Talega tract, which will bring 4,500 additional homes into inland San Clemente.

Now the Land Conservancy is both a wonderful place to visit and a home for many species. Mountain lions and deer are regular visitors.

The toll road will cut off their access to the Land Conservancy and ruin it as both a home for wildlife and as a wonderful natural spot to visit.

Even worse, the toll road would undoubtedly bring even more development in the remaining undeveloped portions of Rancho Mission Viejo.

A Times poll in Orange County a few months ago showed that two-thirds of county residents did not believe that there would be sufficient open space in the coming years.

It is too bad the people of Orange County don’t have the unlimited funds and organization that the TCA appears to have in its propaganda campaign pushing for this unneeded toll road, which will bring the unwanted development.

PAUL CARLTON

San Clemente

* The recent article which pointed out that if Tom Hayden’s bill is passed, toll roads would not be able to be built through state parks goes to show how backward-thinking some people can become.

They can’t see the tremendous benefits of legislating to save our state parks and protect our open spaces for future generations to enjoy.

What we currently have is an out-of-control Transportation Corridor Agencies trying to build the southern section of the Foothill toll road at the expense of the environment before even proving and demonstrating the need for it.

The people who live in San Diego don’t need this section of the toll road to get to the Riverside Freeway; they have Interstate 15.

The people who live in Mission Viejo don’t need it. There aren’t enough people in San Clemente who might use it.

All that should be done is to connect a 1 1/2-mile section of La Pata Avenue in San Clemente to the other end at the Prima Deschecha landfill in San Juan Capistrano, which already connects to Antonio Parkway at the Ortega Highway and the existing toll road.

GEOFF HARRIS

San Clemente