The final City Council hearing and vote for Oak Creek will take place at 4:30 this Wednesday, March 4th. Information can be found here March 4 Hearing Action Alert
Last Chance to Speak out against
Oak Creek Housing Project
Urge the City Council to Vote NO on Oak Creek
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
4:30 pm
Escondido City Council Chambers
ENU Members submitted the following Community Commentary to the San Diego UT. It was published Saturday but, since the link is not available, we have provided our submittal below FYI.
Residents call for action to stem
tide of water, development woes
tide of water, development woes
By Fred Progner and Ron Forster,
Members, Escondido Neighbors United and residents of southwest Escondido.
Members, Escondido Neighbors United and residents of southwest Escondido.
We live in a beautiful rural, oak-studded neighborhood near Felicita
Park in North County. But, pollution and
development threaten our area and we aren’t getting help from local and state
government.
Park in North County. But, pollution and
development threaten our area and we aren’t getting help from local and state
government.
We are
struggling to stop the flow of legacy pollution from the Chatham Barrel Yard, a
State ‘superfund’ site, first discovered over 30 years ago. Industrial waste from Chatham has contaminated
groundwater and plumes now extend over a mile from the original dump site. Plumes have traveled under many properties
and contaminated local irrigation wells.
If it keeps going, it could reach Lake Hodges, an emergency water supply
reservoir.
struggling to stop the flow of legacy pollution from the Chatham Barrel Yard, a
State ‘superfund’ site, first discovered over 30 years ago. Industrial waste from Chatham has contaminated
groundwater and plumes now extend over a mile from the original dump site. Plumes have traveled under many properties
and contaminated local irrigation wells.
If it keeps going, it could reach Lake Hodges, an emergency water supply
reservoir.
Also, Oak
Creek, a gated housing development proposed on farmland adjacent to Felicita
Park will soon be voted on by Escondido City Council. It turns out Oak Creek is not good for oaks
or creeks or us. The proposal will
cause the destruction of hundreds of native oak trees and the dense development
footprint adds to threats of erosion and runoff downstream where impacts are
already severe. County Parks
Department’s concerns about potential impacts to Felicita Park have yet to be
addressed.
Creek, a gated housing development proposed on farmland adjacent to Felicita
Park will soon be voted on by Escondido City Council. It turns out Oak Creek is not good for oaks
or creeks or us. The proposal will
cause the destruction of hundreds of native oak trees and the dense development
footprint adds to threats of erosion and runoff downstream where impacts are
already severe. County Parks
Department’s concerns about potential impacts to Felicita Park have yet to be
addressed.
Also
troubling is that past sampling shows the Chatham plumes are under about a
third of the Oak Creek site. However,
conditions cannot be fully known because the property owner refused access to
technical consultants for scheduled testing of wells on-site. One of the wells has measured multiple
contaminants in the past so needs to be tested.
Soil vapors and groundwater pollution were measured within the property
and some of the new homes are proposed over plume areas.
troubling is that past sampling shows the Chatham plumes are under about a
third of the Oak Creek site. However,
conditions cannot be fully known because the property owner refused access to
technical consultants for scheduled testing of wells on-site. One of the wells has measured multiple
contaminants in the past so needs to be tested.
Soil vapors and groundwater pollution were measured within the property
and some of the new homes are proposed over plume areas.
Although the
State Department of Toxic Substances Control said the pollution is adequately
characterized and will degrade given enough time, this contradicts facts on the
ground. The most recent monitoring shows
pollution entering Felicita Creek at the highest levels to date, contamination
has spread to new wells, and wells on the Oak Creek site were prevented from
being tested. Having lived with this for
20 years already, we question whether the agency charged with protecting human
health from toxic effects is doing enough.
State Department of Toxic Substances Control said the pollution is adequately
characterized and will degrade given enough time, this contradicts facts on the
ground. The most recent monitoring shows
pollution entering Felicita Creek at the highest levels to date, contamination
has spread to new wells, and wells on the Oak Creek site were prevented from
being tested. Having lived with this for
20 years already, we question whether the agency charged with protecting human
health from toxic effects is doing enough.
Oak Creek is
also heavily reliant on constructed storm water features to address increases
in runoff. The City assures us we can
trust that compliance with the storm water permit will ensure no downstream
erosion. However, last week the Regional
Water Board filed an official Notice of Violation against the city of Escondido
for many failures to enforce the storm water rules. We no longer trust that we can rely on City
oversight.
also heavily reliant on constructed storm water features to address increases
in runoff. The City assures us we can
trust that compliance with the storm water permit will ensure no downstream
erosion. However, last week the Regional
Water Board filed an official Notice of Violation against the city of Escondido
for many failures to enforce the storm water rules. We no longer trust that we can rely on City
oversight.
Our community
group, Escondido Neighbors United, is calling for action.
group, Escondido Neighbors United, is calling for action.
We call on
the City of Escondido to deny Oak Creek, require a less dense alternative, get
serious about enforcing storm water rules, and require remediation of pollution
before annexation.
the City of Escondido to deny Oak Creek, require a less dense alternative, get
serious about enforcing storm water rules, and require remediation of pollution
before annexation.
We call on
Department of Toxic Substances Control to require testing of all wells,
treatment systems for contaminated irrigation wells, and precautionary measures
to reduce risks.
Department of Toxic Substances Control to require testing of all wells,
treatment systems for contaminated irrigation wells, and precautionary measures
to reduce risks.
Until then,
we will continue to stand up and defend our creek, our beautiful park, and our
community.
we will continue to stand up and defend our creek, our beautiful park, and our
community.