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No to a Santa Margarita quarry

February 11, 2015

Santa MargaritaOPINION By TE KINDERKNECHT

Dear San Luis Obispo community, I write in response to the gross misinformation being shelled out. I challenge any of the supporters of the Santa Margarita quarry to post their address, even just their street. I am betting that these folks do not live on the proposed route of the double diesel trucks running by every two and a half minutes if this horror of a quarry project had been approved.

I also challenge the Coles and the Souzas to take my challenge, and have one of their double loaded diesel trucks drive by their residence every two and a half minutes for even a single day – which is exactly what the residents of Santa Margarita would be forced to live with all day every day – get this point clearly, we residents would be living with doubled loaded diesel trucks driving by every two and a half minutes!

To say that traffic is mitigated by that quantity of diesel trucks driving down I Street, a residential street, every two and a half minutes is ludicrous. I also point out that there is not a single parent of a child attending Santa Margarita Elementary School who would support such a ridiculous plan as to have this kind of traffic endangering the children and the residents of this precious town.

Furthermore, it is obvious who has read the EIR and who has not read the EIR. It would be ethically and morally corrupt to have read that report and still support this project.

And yes, Highway 58 has been in existence for quite a while but suppose we all think about how the town of Santa Margarita has changed in the last 100 years? How could anyone possibly think that the roads/infrastructure that existed 100 years ago would support not only the increase in population growth/residential traffic during that time, but a project of this magnitude as well?

As you read this, ask yourself honestly – how would I feel if a double loaded diesel truck drove by your home every two and a half minutes all day every day?

TE Kinderknecht has lived in San Luis Obispo County for more than 40 years with the last 10 years on I Street in Santa Margarita.


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“Every two and a half minutes…” Whenever I encounter a gross exaggeration in any argument, I automatically go with the other view point. Assuming you are counting one truck each direction, there is no way possible that a quarry can load a truck every five minutes! Get real, and then maybe I will listen to your rants….


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I challenge any of the “NO” supporters to rebuild their houses with no materials from a quarry, no concrete, no stucco, no bricks, no asphalt for a driveway, the list can go on an on……


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I don’t live anywhere near it. But it seems like logical location with as safe an entry and exit as you will ever get. It will be an interesting first test of the new, transparent board.


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Your scare tactics and mis-information don’t even make sense. The Coles do live on Hwy 58, so that challenge has been accepted way before you moved to town and trying make your changes. Since you have only lived there the past 10 years, they were there well before you!


There is no such thing as a “double loaded diesel truck”, all trucks in California are loaded the same 80,000 lb max.


One truck every 2.5 seconds? Really?? So since there will be a new aggregate quarry, there will automatically be an increased demand? You obviously have no concept of supply and demand. Supply increases and demand remains the same, prices go down. If there were enough demand now for a truck every 2.5 seconds, you can bet the current mine operated by Hanson would be supplying it and you would have that problem now regardless of the new quarry.


Hwy 58 has only been around for the past 55 years, not 100, and it was build by the State to transport goods. Like me, If you don’t like the idea of living by a State Highway then you should have made that decision when you were house shopping 10 years ago.


Due to the lack of people in this area understanding the economy and fighting every single project that gets proposed, we are in a state of emergency with construction aggregates. The entire state only has a 30% supply of permitted aggregates that will be required over the next 50 years. SLO county is close by at 33%. With over regulation in California and local politics, we are reducing local aggregate supply rather than increasing as we should. Get ready for a huge jump in construction cost and paying 500% more for a load of concrete!


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B.S. The Coles live on a hillside OVERLOOKING Highway 58; the Souzas live no where near it. And the Coles chose to send their kids to Atascadero for school in recent years so they don’t have to worry about traffic at SM Elementary.


The article says minutes, not seconds, btw.


Every person who got up and spoke in favor of this quarry at the Planning Commission meeting stood to gain financially. I know most of them. Truck drivers, developers, grandmothers of truck drivers, etc. And all of a sudden they are absolutely passionate about aggregate! They don’t show up when the government is discussing the plight of the homeless or underfed children but – oh, boy – aggregate!


Nobody who truly cares about this unique little town wants the quarry. Only those who stand to make a buck.


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No one likes changes but the site was approved for this years ago by the state. We are facing a tremendous shortage of aggregate statewide. The EIR had to list the maximum impact. Remember, a truck does not leave full of aggregate unless it has been ordered for a specific job. If we want to reduce impacts, we should be approving more quarries, not denying them.


I can’t help but think there are some ways to make this palatable to residents. There was a big outburst by some citizens regarding the solar farms, remember? Guess what, they have been built, traffic was managed, jobs were created, and the community got a lot of $$$ out of the solar companies for their schools.


I think this is a good project and just for the record, there is no guarantee it will be profitable.And regrettably the last time I checked you can’t choose the location of the rock. It is where it is.


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I’m guessing you don’t live out here if you believe “traffic was managed.” Not one truck I ever saw fully stopped at the 58/229 intersection. And there were a number of traffic-related deaths. The roads are an absolute mess, especially along the edges where they meet the shoulder. Many of the jobs were held by workers from out of area. I met them. And, yeah, the schools are now swimming in cash. (sarcasm)


Has Hanson ever said they cannot keep up with demand? if they have, I haven’t heard it. I always understood that this was about market share.


Oh, and by the way, Cole Farms truck drivers caused me to have to slam on my brakes NUMEROUS times as they were leaving their old, illegal operations on 58 near the their family home. They would look right at me as I pulled around the Salinas Bridge corner and then pull out.


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