Community Corner
Lawsuit Seeks to Stop Highway 1 Widening
The project would widen the highway from four to six lanes through a portion of Pacifica.
Written by Rob Klindt
A lawsuit seeking to block a planned construction project that would widen portions of Highway 1 through Pacifica has been filed against the city.
The complaint, Peter Loeb vs. City of Pacifica, was filed July 10 in San Mateo County Superior Court. The suit contends that the project, which would add two lanes to a 1.3-mile stretch of roadway on Highway 1 between Fassler Avenue and Reina Del Mar, is inconsistent with the city’s general plan.
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According to the plan, and a related Local Coastal Land Use Plan (LCLUP), improvements to Highway 1 in the area cannot increase road capacity. The area includes that Sharp Park Municipal Golf Course-West Fairway Park, Mori Point-Rockaway Beach neighborhood, and the East Fairway Park-Vallemar-Rockaway neighborhood.
The LCLUP plan was adopted in 1980 but has had few major amendments since then. Before filing the lawsuit, Loeb sent a letter to the city council on June 4 regarding the inconsistencies in the plan, but has not yet received a response.
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In a written response to Loeb's attorney on July 12, Pacifica City Attorney Michelle M. Kenyon said the city is evaluating Loeb's concerns and looking into options with regard to the project's consistency with the city's general plan and the LCLUP.
She went on to say that the complaint doesn't state any viable claim and lacks merit, and that the demand to stop moving forward on the project is unreasonable. Because of this, Kenyon asked that the suit be dismissed.
Kenyon did not immediately return a call from Patch seeking comment about the lawsuit. However an associate in Kenyon’s office said the city routinely does not comment on pending litigation.
The project is part of a $57 million Highway 1 modernization and traffic relief project lead by the California Department of Transportation and paid for with Measure A funding.
Loeb also was a signatory on a March 6 letter to the Pacifica City Council that was also signed by more than three dozen local residents requesting the city closely scrutinize the plans for the project developed by Caltrans. Among the issues they felt were not adequately addressed in the plans were:
- Plans for providing a smooth flow of traffic during construction.
- Plans to provide continuous access to affected businesses along Highway 1 and the Rockaway Beach area.
- The visual impact of the project including sound walls and retaining walls.
- The post-construction impacts on businesses.
A draft environmental impact report identifies the project as State Route 1/Calera Parkway/Highway 1 Widening Project and states that the project would widen the highway from four to six lanes in the City of Pacifica.
Patch will provide updates on the lawsuit and construction project as they become available.
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