|
Date: |
September 16, 2026 |
04 |
Title
Set a Hearing for October 28, 2026:
Ashwood Street Corridor Improvement Project and Right-of-Way Acquisition - Set a Public Hearing to Consider Adoption of a Resolution of Necessity and Related CEQA Findings (District: 2)
End
Overview
Ashwood Street is a key transportation corridor in the community of Lakeside. Designated as a major road in the County of San Diego’s General Plan, it stretches just over a mile and serves as an important connection between neighborhoods, schools, parks, and SR67. It also links the community to nearby tribal facilities, including the Barona Reservation and the Barona Resort and Casino along Wildcat Canyon Road. The Ashwood Street Corridor Project (Project) will widen 1.3 miles from Mapleview St. to Willow Rd. The Project will improve safety by adding left-turn lanes and new signals at El Capitan High School and Ashwood St./Willow Rd, as well as improve pedestrian and bicycle facilities and trails.
Construction of the Project requires acquisition of property rights from eight properties to widen the existing right-of-way within the Project area (see Attachment B). All required rights are partial acquisitions, generally consisting of linear strips of property parallel to the existing road and driveways, which do not impact any residential homes or business structures. Three of the eight properties are owned by public entities, and the required property rights will be acquired through donation and/or declaration as part of a future Board action. The remaining five properties are privately owned. To date, three of the five private property owners have signed real property contracts agreeing to sell the required interests to the County. Those three contracts have been approved under the authority of the Director of the Department of General Services. Contracts to acquire property interests from the remaining two private property owners are outstanding. Over the past two years, staff have made substantial efforts to reach agreements with these property owners, including dozens of calls and meetings to address their concerns regarding minimizing impacts to the properties and tenants and providing compensation for perceived damages. While negotiations with the remaining property owners will continue, the design and environmental reviews are complete, and the Project schedule requires that the Board set a hearing at this time to consider commencing an eminent domain action.
This is a request for the County Board of Supervisors (Board) to set a hearing for October 28, 2026, to consider adoption of a Resolution of Necessity to initiate an eminent domain action for the property rights required for the Project. An eminent domain action is needed in order for staff to maintain the Project schedule and avoid delays that would increase construction costs and postpone critical roadway safety and mobility improvements for the Lakeside community.
Ashwood Street currently functions as a narrow, winding, two-lane road with limited pedestrian accommodation. The corridor passes through hilly terrain with steep slopes and rock formations that restrict options for safe travel. With increased residential development in the area, school related traffic, and casino generated trips, the roadway has faced ongoing congestion, delays, and safety concerns for many years.
The Project will enhance safety, reduce congestion, and improve mobility along the corridor. The Project includes widening and straightening portions of the roadway, adding a northbound left turn lane, installing new traffic signals at Willow Road and the El Capitan High School entrance, reconfiguring striping on Mapleview Street, and widening Willow Road to support intersection upgrades. These improvements will reduce traffic congestion and delays on Ashwood Street, Mapleview Street, and Willow Road, while enhancing multimodal access through new sidewalks, a multiuse trail, upgraded bicycle facilities, and stormwater features such as vegetated bioswales to protect nearby creeks.
Body
Recommendation by Chief Administrative Officer:
1) Find that the currently proposed action is not considered a project under CEQA Guidelines section §15378(b)(5). Today's action is limited to setting a public hearing for October 28, 2026, at which time the Board of Supervisors will consider whether to adopt a Resolution of Necessity for acquisition of the subject parcels, and directing the Clerk of the Board to give the required notice. This action constitutes an organizational or administrative activity of government that does not approve, authorize, or commit the County to the acquisition of property, physical development, construction activities, or implementation of the underlying project, and therefore will not result in a direct or indirect physical change in the environment.
2) Declare the Board’s intention to consider the adoption of a Resolution of Necessity to initiate an eminent domain action.
3) Set a public hearing for October 28, 2026, to consider adoption of a Resolution of Necessity for the Ashwood Street Corridor Improvement Project for the following parcels: 2016-0281-A, -B (CARV), and 2016-0285-A,-B1,-B2,-C1,-C2,-D1,-D2,-E (Nelson).
4) Direct the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors to send a "Notice of Hearing Regarding County of San Diego's Intention to Consider the Adoption of a Resolution of Necessity to Acquire Property By Eminent Domain" to each person whose name and address appears on the last equalized County assessment rolls for the following parcels 2016-0281-A, -B (CARV), 2016-0285-A,-B1,-B2,-C1,-C2,-D1,-D2,-E (Nelson).
End
Equity Impact Statement
The transportation system must be safe for all road users and modes of transportation in all communities. The Ashwood Street Corridor Improvement Project will improve multi-modal safety and access along Ashwood Street for all users, including children, older adults, and persons with disabilities. Specifically, the project will enhance pedestrian and bicycle facilities, making those transportation modes safer and more attractive. The project will also add left-turn lanes that will make it safer and easier for vehicles to turn. The turn lanes have the added benefit of improving safety for pedestrians and cyclists when they cross driveways by giving drivers more time and space to safely make turns into the high school and the park on Ashwood Street. Given the project’s location next to El Capitan High School, the project will have an outsized impact on improving safety and mobility for children. Additionally, the project will be constructed to the latest ADA standards, ensuring that all road users have access to travel on the roadway. During construction, traffic management measures will provide access routes so travelers can reach their destinations.
Sustainability Impact Statement
Today's proposed actions support the County of San Diego's Sustainability goals such as protecting health and well-being, providing just and equitable access to transportation, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, by advancing transportation improvements that promote safe, accessible, and connected communities. Today’s action will allow the Ashwood Street Corridor Improvement Project to proceed, facilitating the timely implementation of transportation infrastructure improvements that enhance public safety, mobility, and community connectivity. The Project will improve traffic operations and pedestrian access along the corridor, which may help reduce vehicle idling and associated greenhouse gas emissions while improving mobility and access for the surrounding community.
Fiscal Impact
There is no fiscal impact associated with today’s request to set a hearing for October 28, 2026. Should the Board adopt the Resolution on October 28, 2026, funds for this proposal are included in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026-27 Operational Plan in Department of Public Works, Road Fund. If approved, this proposal will result in costs and revenue of $209,900 for the acquisition of the parcels included in the Resolution. The funding source is TransNet. The total Ashwood Street Corridor Improvement Project estimated costs are $43,000,000 which includes costs for design, environmental review, right-of-way acquisition, construction, and construction inspection. The funding sources are TransNet ($35,750,000) and Intergovernmental Improvement Funding Agreement with Barona Band of Mission Indians ($7,250,000). There will be no change in net General Fund costs and no additional staff years.
Business Impact Statement
N/A
Advisory Board Statement
N/A
Background
Ashwood Street is a key transportation corridor in the community of Lakeside. Designated as a major road in the County of San Diego’s General Plan, it stretches just over a mile and serves as an important connection between neighborhoods, schools, parks, and SR67. It also links the community to nearby tribal facilities, including the Barona Reservation and the Barona Resort and Casino along Wildcat Canyon Road. The Ashwood Street Corridor Project (Project) will widen 1.3 miles from Mapleview St. to Willow Rd. The Project will improve safety by adding left-turn lanes and new signals at El Capitan High School and Ashwood St./Willow Rd, as well as improve pedestrian and bicycle facilities and trails. This is a request for the County Board of Supervisors (Board) to set a hearing for October 28, 2026, to consider adoption of a Resolution of Necessity to initiate an eminent domain action for the property rights required for the Project. An eminent domain action is needed in order for staff to maintain the Project schedule and avoid delays that would increase construction costs and postpone critical roadway safety and mobility improvements for the Lakeside community.
On May 4, 2020, the Director of the Department of Public Works certified the Final Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) for the Project and authorized the negotiation and acquisition of right-of-way required for construction of the Project. To accommodate the improvements proposed by the Project, the 1.1-mile segment of Ashwood Street and Wildcat Canyon Road will require the existing right-of-way, typically 60 to 102 feet wide, to be widened to a variable width right-of-way. The proposed widened right-of-way must be in place prior to the start of construction. Slope and drainage easements (S/D) are also necessary for long-term maintenance of the road and drainage facilities, as well as temporary construction easements (TCE) allowing for the necessary space for the contractor to construct the Project. These additional easements vary in width and are included in the total cost of right-of-way. All the required rights are partial acquisitions, consisting generally of linear strips of property parallel to the existing road and driveways, which do not impact any residential homes or business structures.
Construction of the Project requires acquisition of property rights from eight properties within the Project area. Three of the eight properties are owned by public entities, and the required property rights will be acquired through donation and/or declaration as part of a future Board action. The remaining five properties are privately owned. County staff hired an independent appraiser through a competitive bid process to determine the fair market value of the property rights for the Project, and sent initial compensation offers to the property owners at various times, starting in September 2022. Staff worked with the appraiser and property owners to enter into real property contracts for three of the five properties, agreeing to sell the required interests to the County. The contracts were executed under the authority of the Director of the Department of General Services and document the negotiated acquisition terms between the respective property owners and the County. Contracts to acquire property interests from the remaining two private property owners are outstanding. Staff have made substantial efforts over the past two years to work with the two remaining property owners to address their concerns, including more than 60 calls and meetings.
County staff will continue to work with the remaining two property owners to resolve their issues related to the required acquisitions, however the Project schedule necessitates that the Board set a hearing to consider commencing actions in eminent domain at this time. Title 7, commencing with Section 1230.010 of the California Code of Civil Procedure, requires a public hearing at which time affected property owners will be entitled to offer testimony that the Board must consider when determining whether to proceed with an eminent domain action(s). In accordance with California Code of Civil Procedure, Section 1245.235, Clerk of the Board will send via United States Postal Service first-class mail the Notice of Intention to Adopt a Resolution of Necessity (Notice) to the remaining property owners of the parcels not yet acquired and affected by the Project, whose name and address appears on the last equalized County assessment roll. A hearing date of October 28, 2026, will provide the property owners with a reasonable time after receiving the Notice to respond and plan their attendance.
At the hearing on October 28, 2026, the Board will consider adoption of a Resolution of Necessity for the following parcels:
|
Owner |
Assessor’s Parcel Number |
County Parcel Number |
Easement Size/Type |
Appraised Value |
|
Carv Properties, LLC |
394-480-43 |
2016-0281-A, -B |
A: Road (1,177 sq. ft.) B: TCE (4,653 sq. ft) |
$152,950 |
|
Robert C. Nelson |
392-130-43 |
2016-0285-A, -B1, -B2, -C1, -C2, -D1, -D2, -E |
A: Road (18,612 sq. ft.) B1: S/D (436 sq. ft.) B2: S/D (2,898 sq. ft.) C1: Sub (8,635 sq. ft.) C2: Sub (25,655 sq. ft.) D1: TCE (9,985 sq. ft.) D2: TCE (1,484 sq. ft.) E: Access (5,851 sq. ft.) |
$56,950 |
Ashwood Street is classified as a Major Roadway (4.1A) in the County of San Diego (County) General Plan Mobility Element and is a heavily traveled 1.1-mile road in the unincorporated community of Lakeside. The roadway provides essential access to residential neighborhoods, recreational and equestrian facilities, schools and tribal communities. The roadway currently exists as a two-lane road with limited pedestrian facilities, winding through often hilly terrain containing rock formations and steep slopes along its eastern edge. The majority of the corridor lies between Mapleview Street to the south and Willow Road to the north, both of which provide direct access to State Route 67 (SR-67). The corridor regularly experiences significant traffic congestion and commuter delays during peak travel periods, particularly during morning and afternoon drop-off and pick-up times at the El Capitan High School (School). Major facilities along Ashwood Street include the School and County-owned Cactus County Park, among others. North of the intersection of Willow Road, Ashwood Street transitions into Wildcat Canyon Road, which parallels SR-67, provides access to the Barona Reservation and Barona Resort and Casino, and serves as secondary access from Lakeside to Country Estates in Ramona. Vehicular traffic generated by Barona Resort and Casino operations further impacts local County roads, particularly at the intersection of Ashwood Street and Willow Road, where all-way stop sign control and the absence of dedicated left-turn lanes exacerbate delays and safety concerns. For many years, the Lakeside Community Planning Group (LCPG) has advocated for improvements to address the corridor’s ongoing congestion and vehicular safety concerns.
The Department of Public Works (DPW) is proposing the Project to help alleviate many of LCPG’s and the Lakeside community’s concerns. The Project will improve 1.1-miles of Ashwood Street and Wildcat Canyon Road from Mapleview Street to approximately 400-feet north of Willow Road, including widening and straightening portions of the road, adding northbound left-turn lanes and adding traffic signals at the intersection with Willow Road and at the school entrance. The Project also includes reconfiguring striping along Mapleview Street and widening Willow Road to accommodate the intersection improvements. The improvements will enhance traffic flow, mobility and safety by reducing queueing and congestion throughout the corridor.
The proposed project will enhance multi-modal access by improving pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure. Improvements include building missing sidewalk along the west side of Ashwood Street between the School and Cactus County Park, adding a multi-use trail along the west side of the road between the El Monte Valley River Trail up to and around Willow Road, and replacing the existing bicycle lanes in both directions. The Project also proposes adding storm drain facilities to adequately convey stormwater runoff along Ashwood Street. In addition, the Project incorporates water quality drainage features like vegetated bioswales to capture and treat stormwater runoff, removing pollutants before they reach nearby creeks.
DPW sought public input from LCPG and the broader community to ensure the Project reflects community priorities. The Project resulted from a request by LCPG and has undergone several major design revisions over time as additional stakeholders, including adjacent property owners, were consulted to ensure the Project continues to meet the needs of the community. On August 5, 2015 (2), the Board of Supervisors (Board) authorized the Clerk of the Board (Clerk) to enter into an Intergovernmental Improvement Funding Agreement (Agreement) between the County and the Barona Band of Mission Indians (Barona) to pay fair share costs of roadway improvements within the Project limits. On December 9, 2020 (11) the Board approved the First Amendment to the Agreement and also the execution of a Memorandum of Understanding between the County and the Grossmont Union High School District, related to the transfer right-of-way to the County at no cost for widening the road on the School property, wherein the County agreed to include the traffic signal and other improvements in the road right-of-way at the School entrance with cost savings resulting from avoiding the difficult and costly excavation of the easterly slope of Ashwood Street.
Environmental Statement
The proposed action to set a hearing is not a project under the California Environmental Quality
Act (CEQA) (CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(5).) The proposed action is limited to setting a public hearing for October 28, 2026, at which time the Board of Supervisors will consider whether to adopt a Resolution of Necessity for acquisition of the subject parcels, and directing the Clerk of the Board to publish the required notice. Today's action is administrative in nature and does not approve the acquisition of property, authorize construction, or commit the County to implementation of the Ashwood Street Corridor Improvement Project.
Linkage to the County of San Diego Strategic Plan
Today’s proposed actions support the Sustainability, Community, and Equity initiatives in the County of San Diego’s 2026-2031 Strategic Plan by providing funding for infrastructure that strengthens the local economy and providing improvements to ensure safe and livable communities for all residents.
Respectfully submitted,
Dahvia Lynch
Deputy Chief Administrative Officer
Attachment(s)
Attachment A - Vicinity Map
Attachment B - Property Map