County does not have roundabout funding as reported

Rancho Santa Fe Association Planning Director Tom Farrar reported at the May 5 board meeting that San Diego County may have the funding to build the Rancho Santa Fe Association’s three requested roundabouts on Paseo Delicias/Del Dios Highway by the first quarter of 2017. However, according to Alex Bell, communications officer for the county, that is not correct.

“We haven’t identified any funding for that beyond the EIR (environmental impact report),” Bell said.

Earlier this year, the county requested $60,000 from the Association to “refresh” and certify the expired roundabout EIR. The cost to refresh the expired EIR is a total of $75,000, of which the county had $15,000 remaining for the project.

According to Farrar, the county accepted the Association’s $60,000 to update the EIR for the roundabouts project and they are working together closely as county staff finalizes the EIR.

Farrar said the EIR could be finalized by the end of May and the County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to accept the EIR on Sept. 28.

“They understand how important this is to our community and how much we’re obligated and dedicated to get this done,” Farrar said.

In May 2015, the Association approved traffic signals over roundabouts for the three intersections at Via de la Valle, El Montevideo and El Camino Del Norte. However, public opposition to the board’s decision led to a community-wide survey in the fall in which 73 percent voted in favor of roundabouts. The board then forwarded its request to the county for roundabouts instead.