Comment period extended for 710 extension project

The offices of two California assemblymen announced this week that the California Department of Transportation has decided to extend the public comment period on the still-unreleased Environmental Impact Report for its 710 Freeway extension project.

News releases — one Tuesday from Assemblyman Chris Holden (D-Pasadena) and another Wednesday from Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Glendale) — stated that Caltrans will offer the public 120 days to comment on the project, as opposed to a previously mentioned 90-day period.

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FOR THE RECORD: An earlier version of this story misstated the titles of Assemblymen Chris Holden and Mike Gatto.

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“I believe Caltrans’ actions reflect a genuine desire to engage the residents of the San Gabriel Valley in a thoughtful and open discussion on the best course of action regarding the 710,” Holden stated in his release.

Local 710 activist Jan Soo Hoo, who organized a workshop Saturday with the city of La Canada Flintridge to teach residents how to effectively comment on the EIR, reacted to the news Wednesday.

“The extension of the review period is no doubt a result of the pressure exerted on Caltrans, the lead agency for the Environmental Impact Study,” Soo Hoo said in an email interview. “(But) while the extension is great news, there is more to be done. We have to have additional public hearings beyond the two Caltrans has scheduled.”

The first public hearing on the EIR is scheduled for April 11 at East Los Angeles College’s Rosco C. Ingalls Auditorium, where a map viewing from 10 to 11 a.m. precedes a public hearing that lasts until 4 p.m. The second hearing takes place April 14 at the Pasadena Convention Center, with a map viewing from 5 to 6 p.m. and a public hearing from 7 to 9 p.m.

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