ENCINITAS TO CLOSE ROAD LINK AFTER SINKHOLE FIXED

Council unanimously decided to gate the area at end of Crest Drive

A temporary, emergency roadway link that has allowed people to access the southern end of Crest Drive ever since a massive sinkhole developed on Lake Drive will close once the sinkhole repairs conclude.

That was the unanimous decision of the Encinitas City Council Wednesday after hearing from more than 30 people, nearly all of them fiercely opposed to keeping the link open.

“Your sentiments are very passionate and very clear,” Councilmember Joy Lyndes told the crowd at the end of a two-hour public hearing on the issue.

The sinkhole initially was discovered in mid-January, but became a massive repair project in late February after a substantial rainstorm struck. Because of safety concerns, Lake Drive was closed at the sinkhole site and that left residents of several housing developments near San Elijo Lagoon without a way to get to and from their homes. To resolve this problem, contractors built an emergency roadway link between Wales Drive and Crest Drive, city engineering employee Ben Stryker said.

Opening the link dumped through traffic onto the southern end of Crest Drive — a much-narrower street without sidewalks. Famed for its rural character, its hilltop location and its lush vegetation, Crest Drive has been a hugely popular destination for dog walkers and stroller-pushers for decades. People who live on or near the roadway told the council Wednesday that the new, sudden influx of vehicles completely changed Crest Drive’s character and left them feeling like they were putting their lives at risk by going for a walk.

“It literally causes me anxiety every day,” Crest Drive resident Sarah Swiss, who has a 5-monthold daughter, told the council, adding, “I’m constantly dodging cars” while pushing a stroller.

She and others said they comforted themselves with the thought that the situation was only temporary — the roadway link was an emergency situation and a longstanding development restriction would prevent it from ever becoming permanent. In the 1970s, before Encinitas incorporated, a countyapproved subdivision map declared that Crest Drive was to terminate at a set spot and through traffic was prohibited, city records indicate.

However, the sinkhole situation alerted Lake Drive area residents and city officials to the risks of only having one exit point for their community. That’s a concern because this hillside region near the lagoon is next to a high fire-risk area, city officials and Lake Drive area residents said.