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Neighbors concerned about access to homes in Santa Margarita

December 2, 2024

By KAREN VELIE

A sign posted as you leave or enter Tassajara Creek Road in Santa Margarita informs residents their only access to their homes will be closed from 8:30 a.m to 4:30 p.m. for the next three days for construction of a new bridge.

More than 50 households depend on Tassajara Creek Road for a road in and out of the canyon. Several neighbors have voiced concerns about their ability to access or leave their homes during the next three days.

San Luis Obispo County Public Works staff plans to allow groups of cars to move over the work area throughout the day as they make needed repairs to the bridge.

 


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It reads, without saying, that a temporary bridge will be laid between 4:30PM, and 8:30AM. While terribly inconvenient, passage on the road can be done after, and before, work hours. 3 days is not very significant, considering a new bridge will withstand fire and flood a great deal better than the old crumbly and rotten one.


I also have no doubt, the residents knew of the bridge plan, and were given ample time to adjust schedules or shopping.


This is also one of “those things” you signed up for, when you bought your hidden canyon home.


0

If this is a public road/bridge (and it must be or they wouldn’t be repairing it), I would think that it would be illegal to close it to so many people for such long periods of time. What about emergency services? Are 50 people essentially left without access to 911 for hours at a time? It appears to me that the county is putting taxpayers at great risk should some event result in injury or worse. Does their insurance company know about this?

I worked on bridges for many years, and I don’t recall a road ever being completely closed for more than a few minutes when it was the only access. There was always provision for passage.

In the construction industry, things that are difficult to accomplish are often characterized as “impossible” instead of the far more accurate term “expensive”. I can immediately think of a couple of solutions which would not be inexpensive, but would be far less expensive than some future settlement.


4

Let’s not forget the Hwy. 41 fire that burned 45,500 acres between Santa Margarita and Morro Bay, August 1994. 37 homes lost most in Tassajara Canyon. I recall the horrific interviews of residents that just made it out as the canyon burned on both sides. Have we learned nothing, we still have a one lane bridge leading out.


3

Unfortunately the sign did not explain how the access needs would be accomplished during the project. It seems odd that such a large number of residents would have to depend on a wooden one lane bridge encroachment onto a state highway. God help them if there is a fire and help is going in while the residents are leaving. It is controversy like the millions of tax transportation dollars allocated for a stretch of the Bob Jones trail while this danger goes unremedied.


11

I’d like to hear some of these specific concerns. Can we get an update on the article please?


3