Melrose Road Extension

The settlement of our lawsuit with the city of Oceanside over the Melrose Extension project is a great example of how our efforts benefit the priceless natural resources of this area, the nearby residents who end up paying the price for poorly planned projects, and the taxpayers who foot the bill for it all. Through our efforts this project will cause a lot less damage- and save taxpayers from $ 5-10m dollars. The proposed extension of Melrose Drive from N. Santa Fe to Spur was a 124’ wide 6-lane divided highway with costs estimated up to $ 30m. Our settlement agreement included the following changes : project delayed until after City Council hearing is held on the Circulation Element and a Parkland Conversion Plan is prepared; the extension of Melrose will be reduced from 6 lanes to 4 lanes and right-of-way from 124’ wide to 84′; other roads effected by the project will also be designed to reduce wetland impacts; the wildlife movement corridor will be improved through culvert design, fencing, signage, and protecting the connection under Guajome Lake Road to the east; run-off control will use low impact design and be properly maintained; invasive species will be removed within construction and staging limits and native plants will be used for project landscaping; construction traffic plan will be prepared; better air quality mitigation will be provided during project construction; a cowbird trapping program will be provided; and conservation easements will be applied to all property acquired but not used for the road to protect agricultural uses.