Filner snubs port of entry
discussion in Campo
By Christy Scott
The Alpine Sun
CAMPO — More than 50 people filled the seats at the Campo Community Planning Group meeting held Monday, Aug. 22. Many attended to take part in a discussion with District 52 Congressman Bob Filner about a new border crossing in Jacumba. Filner, however, did not show up at the scheduled meeting, sending a representative from his Chula Vista office in his place.
People came long distances to talk with him,” said chairwoman Bev Esry. The commitment, she added, had been made at least three weeks before and county planner Stephanie Gaines had called Filner’s office that day to confirm.
“We want to hear your comments and possible concerns about opening a new crossing at Jacumba,” said Mario Lopez, an aide to Filner. “We want to know if this is even something that people out here want.”
The plan for a new border crossing in Jacumba has been discussed for many years, but little progress has been made: “We’ve been talking about this crossing for five years now,” Lopez said. “We still haven’t really got any kind of plan.”
Lopez estimates that such a project could take 10 to 15 years to complete: “We’re seeing an increased number of trucks and shipping in this area,” said Bob Shea. “This could help some of that traffic.”
Several audience members agreed that the new crossing would affect traffic. They argued that truck drivers headed for the eastern United States would use the eastern crossing rather than chance the traffic closer to San Diego.
There are not many options for crossing the border into the United States, forcing truck drivers or regular travelers to expend more fuel driving to distant crossings. The San Ysidro crossing is open 24 hours, but other crossings in the county are not. Otay Mesa is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., while the Tecate crossing is open from 6 a.m. to midnight.
Officials at the Tecate point of entry have pushed for an extension of the hours of operation, but other than that, the site has reached its maximum size, according to Lopez.
“Tecate can’t really expand, they have nowhere to go,” Lopez said. “They’re land locked in on either side. We won’t see any more lanes at Tecate.”
Almost everyone present at the meeting voiced support for the new crossing: “There are lots of people in this community who think that it’s really the best idea to get that crossing open,” said Campo resident Mike Thometz.
Also present at the meeting, specifically for this agenda item, was the Chairman James Callahan of the Jacumba Community Sponsor Group, who expressed the support of his community for the project.
“Everyone out in Jacumba really wants to see this crossing,” Callahan said. He also said that a new crossing could boost Jacumba’s economy and help revive and even expand its downtown core.
“As a community, we would like to be involved in the planning for this border crossing,” he added.
According to Lopez, Filner is willing to help bring a crossing to Jacumba.
“If this is something that people out here want then we would try to do whatever we could to make it happen,” Lopez said.
Planning group chair Bev Esry will reschedule a meeting with Filner so that the group and the public can further discuss the new crossing.
Esry spoke to the concerns of many residents who had attended the meeting to address plans for Buckman Springs Road. Some were concerned that widening BSR would result in the county buying up their front yards, or worse yet, use eminent domain to take them.
According to Esry, county officials do not normally use eminent domain to get property. County officials voted to limit their powers after the recent Supreme Court decision on the issue.
The current designation for Buckman Springs is a four-lane road, as per the general plan created in 1979. However, on the ground, the road is only two lanes.
“At the time, planners really thought that there was going to be a lot more development out here,” Esry said. “Now the county is re-looking at it and seeing that we just don’t need four lanes on Buckman.”
“With the current GP 2020 we’re finding that no, we aren’t going to see any huge developments out here,” Esry added. “Don’t worry that you’re going to have a four-lane highway cutting into your property.”
One agenda item, which drew several participants, was the discussion of a new development project known as San Diego Mountain Ranch. The representatives for the project, TRS Consultants, didn’t show up at the meeting and the agenda item was dropped.
This project proposes a resort on approximately 110 acres and approximately 95 residential lots on 910 acres. The property is just north of the vineyard on Highway 94.
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Christy Scott
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