CARMEL VALLEY — The latest meeting of the Interstate 5/Highway 56 connector project steering committee, held Nov. 15 at the Carmel Valley Library, was much more crowded than usual as dozens of local residents voiced their concerns to engineers and Caltrans representatives.

One of the two design proposals discussed at the meeting revealed that the number of homes which would likely be bulldozed has more than doubled since the last time the plans were presented in mid-August.

According to Chris Johnson of Dokken Engineering, the firm in charge of designing the project, the goal of the Interstate 5/Highway 56 connector project is to reduce traffic congestion, travel times and accommodate the expected growth in the number of commuters over the next 20 years.

Johnson said there are two main alternatives proposed for the project — the Auxiliary Lane Alternative and the Direct Connectors Alternative.

The Direct Connectors Alternative, which might be more effective at easing congestion, would feature one bridge that would allow traffic to flow directly from Interstate 5 south to Highway 56 east, and one bridge from Highway 56 west to Interstate 5 north.

But according to the latest design presented Nov. 15, the Direct Connectors Alternative would result in the demolition of approximately 30 homes on Portofino Drive, just west of Interstate 5 in the Torrey Pines area. About 20 more would lose a backyard or other property.

“It would be a significant impact,” Johnson said. “Not only will you have the widening of the freeway, but the necessary retaining walls will have tiebacks that go into the hillside behind them.”

The Auxiliary Lane Alternative would involve construction of an auxiliary freeway lane from Carmel Valley Road to Del Mar Heights Road, with a northbound Interstate 5 ramp at Carmel Valley Road.

Johnson said that this alternative would likely effect two homes along Portofino Drive. “It’s too early to know the specific impact, but the project footprint will be much smaller than with the Direct Connectors Alternative,” he said.

The owners of any homes taken through eminent domain would be compensated by the fair market value of their home. But one resident asked if there would be any compensation for homes adjacent to the ones that are acquired, raising the issue of potential losses in property value.

Arturo Jacobo of Caltrans said that federal regulations do not allow compensation for adjacent homeowners.

Doug and Cheryl Harvey, residents of Portofino Circle, are concerned about the potentially negative effect on property values and the increase in traffic noise in the surrounding neighborhoods.

“My main concern is that we didn’t hear about this way earlier,” Doug Harvey said. “The taking of any homes is a very serious issue.”

Allan Kosup of Caltrans said that the next Interstate 5/Highway 56 Steering Committee Meeting will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. Feb. 21 at the Carmel Valley Library. That meeting will include traffic study data which he says will aid in further comparing the two alternatives.

“‘No build’ is an option,” Kosup said. “If all the stakeholders want it then we’ll go with ‘no build.’”

Morton Printz, chair of the Torrey Pines Community Planning Board, said the board’s next meeting will provide the opportunity for local residents to speak to representatives from Caltrans and SANDAG regarding the project. That meeting will take place at 7 p.m. Dec. 13 at Del Mar Hills School. Printz has said that the board is completely against the taking of homes.

For more information about the project,

visit www.sandiego.gov

/engineering-cip.