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REQUEST TO COMMENT This form will be included with the record of the meeting as a public document -: '!'' I Date: Agenda ltem # L I ln Favor n Opposed Name to be called I Representing Address (optional): Phone (optional) Email(optional) Regue st to Speaki lt:l 'Yes No (z nilt lf you do not wish to speak, you may write any comments below: 1207 r0t8 Please Submit to the Clerk REQUEST TO COMMENT This form will be included with the record of the meeting as a public document. r'l Date: Agenda ltem #: cr.--\ ! ln Favor I Opposed Name to be called Representing c Address (optional): Phone (optional): Email (optional): Reguest to Speak: n Yes Alo p-cim(li'"t.cr. I g 11 i lf you do not wish to speak, you may write any comments below: e \rr:t 1207 rWtS (sAlupAG Please Submit fo the Clerk 3 Lirnited evacuation routes add urgency to SR-57 widening -8Y JULIE GALLANT of Govemments (SANDAG), utging Recent.news reports identifying Ramona as County Fire Siege Fire Safety Review - an analpis Association * one of the top tluee San Diego County of the area response to the Cedar Fire - and the the group to widen SR-67 to a total of four lanes communities with the worst emergency book, "The Fire Outside My.Wi:rdow," that tells two in each dtec$on - before thd scheduled evacuation routes brings to light gaps in wildfire author Sandra M, Younger's fusthand account of 2036-50 timeftame in the San Diego Forward: and natural disaster preparedness and attempts surviving the Cedar fue ftom the perspecdve of a The Regional Plan. The length of thewidening to fill the crad<s Ramona resident. suggested by the Highway 67 Ad Hoc Committee The study hi ghlighting evacuation He also reviewed the Ramona Cornmunity is from Higtrland Valley/Dye Roads to Saipps deflciencies was a. [/54 Tb day-CdJfiomia' Planning Area Community Protecdon and PowayParlcway, Network analysis of Califomia commrrdties Evacuation Plan of October 2005, wtrldr was One of the main goals of widening SR-67 is that compared number of roadwaylanes revised inJanuary 2011 and updated again in imploving ingress and egress to Ramona in available forthe size of community May 2014. Secfion E of the plan describes ernergency situildons. T1uee lanes could be used populations. Data from the U,S. Census Bureau, recommended exit routes and suggests which to evacuate people leavingRamona and one lane Cal Fire and OpenSteeMap were iombined to interiections should be staffed with a taffic could be used to allow emergency vehicles to pass determine the greatest number of people living con[ol officer. throggh and enable people separated from their in the highest risk areas with the fewest number Cooper said only one document he came families and animals to retum.to town. of lanes to leave in anydi:ecdoir across addresses solutions requlred to keep the Cooper said a monkeywrench hasbeen Ramona and sunounding areas in the 92065 vehicle evacuadon gridlock ftom reoccurring. thrown in the process with SANDAG's recent ZP code were idendfied among the wotst 1 Thatis the SanDiego Emergenry Opaadons Plan proposal to divert TransNet tax funds intended percent in the state when it comes to' . September 2018 Armex Q. The document. for elgansioas and improvements to maior population-to-evacuation-route raUos, contains a formula for determining evacuadon roadways. SAI.IDAG's proposed plan.for the funds The findings come as no surprise to Ramona times. Evacuaflon times are calculated by collected ftom a half-cent sales tax approved by Ieaders who are engaged h efforts to improve dividing evacuaflon population average vehicle voters ln 2004 is building a network of hundreds evacuaflon conditions and prepare the occupancy by roadway capacity. of miles of high-speedtansit. The population for safe edts or, altematively, Cooper said he applied the formula in infomnal i environmentally-friendly proposal unveiled by sheltering in place. calculations based on a population of55,000 and SANDAG Executive Director Hasan Ikluata Amongthem is Ramona residentJirh Cooper, y ehicle occupancy of four to five people per encompasses most of the countybut does not who chairs the Ramona Community Planning vehide. A definidve populadon count was extend east beyond Poway. Grorrp's Transportation and liails unavailablg partly due to outdated available The county Board of Supervlsors voted 3-2 on Subcommittee, He saw how Ramona residents Census data of20L0. Apdl 30 to oppose the tansit plan. Supervisors experienced roadway gridlock during "A quick and unprofessional application ofthis DianneJacob, Jim Desmond and Kristin Gaspar evacuadons for both the 2003 Cedar fue and formula reveals that SR-67 would hold a static voted in favor of reJecting the plan based on thei: 2007 Witch Creek fire; Evacuees spent hours on vehicle capacity of about 1,650 vetdcles versus view it behays the public trust as voters wele the two main artedes out of Ramona - state the Ramona population demand of roughly promised improved highways and roads in Routes 67 and 78 * with some drivers running 7,500 vehicles," Ramona Community Plaruring exchange for a tax lrcrease. SupeMsors Greg Cor out of gas en route to safer communifles. In some Gtoup (RCPG) members said in aprepared andNathan Fletcher voted in opposidon, cases, people were hindered ftom retuming to presentadon to the San Diego County Board of Cooper said the hansit proposal delays town to rescue family members and animals. Supervisors on April 30. "While this number SANDAG'S 2020 RegionalTransportation Plan to "Everybody in Ramona has a story and none of represents a static road capacity, vehicle 202L. them are good," said Cooper, whose wife spent movement must go at a rate of four times or "The transportation hub has not been fleshed seven ltours, from 3:30 to 10:30 p,m,, in gridlock more to come near this vehicle demand - and out, nor have costs been assigaed to lt," Cooper on state Route 67 while attempting to flee the SR-67will not cunentlysupport this demand. iaid, "That's why the transportation plan has Witch Creek fire, "We in Ramona know that SR-67 cannot meet been postponed to 2021. kr the meandme, we're Cooper became serious about researching the evacuatlon demands for the next fire. We in a holding pattem (with SR-67 widening evacuation capabilities in an attempt to find have experienced it tr^/ice. But without the results plans)." solutiohs beginning in spring 2018, FIis quest of scientific modeling studies, no facts exist Itisti Mansolf, president of the Ramona West focused on evidence-based informadon, which zufificient to develop an evidence.based .r- End Fire Safe Council formed a decade ago, said he found to be lacking, requirement for expansion of SR-67.' that inr recent years an evacuation map oeated in deparftrent has "Ibegan to Google road modelingprograms to The RCPG has sent lette$ to county staff conjuncHon with the sheriffs determine the static veblcle capacity of the roads, requesting they provide thg planning group with been dishibuted i:r theXanrona Senfinel. She said whlch means cars dre not movlng" Cooper said. evacuadon modeling studies. at one time 11,000 copies were distdbuted. The map identifies wtrlch evacuadon routes to "I approached lt from the penpecdve of llighway Tht RCPGhas also made headwaywith lts the 67 to determing 'What is the capacity of the Highway6T Ad Hoc Committee. The committee use dependtng onwtrich direcdon fue is I approaching ftom. The two-sided handout roadway as far as evacuations?"' consisting of Dan Summers, RobinJoyMaxsory Cooper also began to collect data. Among the Dawn Perfect, Torry Brean and Cooper, has made includes detailed information about steps to take resources he found were the 2003 San Diego several presentations to the San Diego before and during an evacuadon and tells what persons can do if they are unable to evacuate. "Depending on ctcumstances, there maybe The map identifies state Routes 67 and 78 as time to collect valuables, or the evacuadon primary odt routes, but some people have advisory may be urgent where there is only time suggested Highland Valley Road could be used as for evacuees to get into their vehdcle and follow an altemate route if no fue is occuning in the the route that the deputy provides. This area. MansolJ said she plans to discuss the map unde$cores the importance of preparation on with Ramona sheriffs Lt. KenJones, the part ofresidents," Mansolf said the issue of evacuating Ramonans Informafl on about Ramonars Community safely should be looked at ftom a variety of \Mldfire Protecdon Plan is available thrcugh the angles, In addition to determlning adequate road Fire Safe Council of San Diego County's website, capacity and road conditions, consideradon FlreSafeSDCounty.org, Click on "Fire Safe should be $ven to Fotecting people's safety, she Councils" then "Community Wildfi re Protection said. Plans." A link to Ramona's plan is under "CV/PPs "As far as shelteringpeople in Ramona, the in San Dlego County." - ' high school and (I believe) the middle school have been opened ir: the past for shelters, but no shelter of anykindwas set up in Ramona in 2007 be'cause the fire was moving too fas!" Mansolf said. Cal Fire Public Informadon Ofiflcer Issac Sanchez said heavywinter and spring rain means the region will be susceptible to a huge fire risk in the coming months. Because of the continuous nature of the ris}s, Cal Fire no longer identifies fhe seasons. He said Cal Fire adjusts staffing levels based on'immediate threats year-round. "Vegetaton is dying and i! won,t take long to get rightback to where we were with vegetaflon readyto bum," Sanchez said.