Part of Montecito Road dropped from map
San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 Sept. 16 to remove a portion of Montecito Road from the Circulation Element of the county’s general plan.
“It was necessary to provide continuity and safety for the airport,” said county Department of Public Works Deputy Director Mike Robinson.
The removal of the portion between Montecito Way and Rangeland Road from the Circulation Element allows County Airports to make operational improvements to Ramona Airport which will allow for the airport expansion as well as compliance with existing Federal Aviation Administration and Federal Transportation Security Administration standards.
“We now have good access,” said County Airports Director Pete Drinkwater.
The Circulation Element had listed Montecito Road as a light collector between Main Street/State Route 67 and Rangeland Road.
Approximately 4,000 feet of that existed as a planned road and another 1,900 feet existed as a dirt path.
The portion to be removed from the Circulation Element was to run for approximately 8,700 feet, or 1.65 miles, from a point approximately 1,000 feet west of Montecito Way to Rangeland Road.
Although most of the planned adjustments to the county’s Circulation Element will be handled during the update of the county’s General Plan, the early removal of the Montecito Road portion from the Circulation Element will allow County Airports to implement safety improvements as early as possible.
The Ramona Municipal Water District owns several parcels between the airport’s western boundary and Rangeland Road that are used for wastewater disposal spray fields. Other nearby parcels are now part of the Ramona Grasslands open space preserve, and traffic studies indicated that the portion of Montecito Road west of Montecito Way would no longer be needed as a Circulation Element road.
When airport improvements are constructed, Montecito Road will likely be a cul-de-ac at the airport. Any improvements will consider surrounding properties, according to the county.
“We want to make sure that the actions do not negatively affect the adjacent parcels,” Robinson said.