SAVE TRESTLES! Stop the Toll Road Public Meeting Info

WHEN, WHERE?The hearing will be held on September 22, 2008 in O’Brien Hall at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, 2260 Jimmy Durante Boulevard, Del Mar, CA 92014.
WHAT TIME? The hearing will begin at 10:30am, and end promptly at 8:30pm. Public should arrive by 10am. Come for two hours, four hours, or the entire day if you can.
MOTOR HOMES, RVSYes, but be advised that front row parking can not be arranged in advance. To ensure the best possible front parking, we recommend that large vehicles arrive before 9am.
WHO SHOULD ATTENDYou and everyone in your company. Give staff members some time off to travel and stay at the hearing at least two hours. The “sweet spot” will be from 10:30am – 1pm. We need to have a strong showing right at the beginning.
WHO WILL SPEAKOnly those who have requested in writing to speak will be allowed time at the podium – 3 minutes for individuals, 5 minutes for representatives of organizations and elected officials. Dick Baker has requested to speak on behalf of SIMA. The Department of Commerce will post the list of speakers later this week. Once that list is published, I will forward a link to the site so you can see if you are on the list. I would appreciate hearing from you if you will be speaking. Just email to my address (robertmignognacox.net).
MORE SCHEDULEA 30 minute intermission will be called at 2PM and again at 5PM. Other recesses may be called as necessary by the hearing officer,
HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL BE THEREThe venue holds 6,000 people, considerably larger than Wyland, which held 3,500 max. That means we need TWICE as many representatives from the surf industry. Please determine how you and your company can contribute to achieving our increased attendance goal.
WHAT WILL HAPPENThe Department of Commerce will be sending legal representatives from NOAA, which is a division within DoC, who will chair and conduct the meeting. They will hear from the public but will not make a decision at the meeting. Rather they will return to Washington D.C. and report to the Secretary of Commerce. He will make the decision and respond to TCA before the end of November. If he refuses TCA’s appeal to overturn the CA Coastal Commission’s decision, the alignment on the table will be dead. If TCA wants to pursue another alignment, they will need to create a new process to do so. In other words, the Save State Parks – Save Trestles campaign will have been won. However, if the Secretary of Commerce approves TCA’s appeal, then TCA will continue on its path to build the road, which means it will still need approval from seven other government agencies before construction can begin. One of those seven agencies is the CA Coastal Commission (again). The road could get shut down at that juncture but we do not want it to go that far. WE WANT THIS STOPPED NOW. Your attendance next Monday in Del Mar will help achieve that goal.