We have been up to our eyeballs this past year taking tours of potential developments, interviewing developers, reviewing environmental impact reports, and editing letters from naysayers of said projects. With local housing and commercial projects seemingly being presented at every turn, it’s no wonder locals feel inundated. As journalists, we have to keep up-to-date on potential projects, but we wonder how the public fares?
In an article about Caltrans removing popular pullouts on the West Shore for water quality improvement projects (see here), backcountry enthusiasts lamented over not being informed about the project or having a say in the decision. However, there was a public comment period — in 2009. Caltrans and the other agencies involved are just following the process laid out by the California Environmental Quality Act. But that process is long and convoluted, and it’s difficult to follow, especially if projects take a while to break ground (which they always do).
Typically, the public gets fired up when a project is proposed, as is the case with Brockway Campground (see here), but that particular project is at the very beginning of the process, with several more steps, including a public comment period, still to take place. Other projects, as is the case with Canyon Springs in Truckee (see here), stall several times throughout the process and the public gets weary writing letters and commenting again and again.
From proposal to breaking ground to completion, the California Environmental Quality Act process can take several years. It’s no surprise that the public has no idea how or when to effectively comment on projects that are in the pipeline.
There seems to be a line somewhere between the public paying attention and the involved agencies reaching out. Exactly how does the public find out about these projects? Unless you are a loyal newspaper reader or are on every agency’s email list, it can be difficult to stay current about local development. Most agencies and organizations list on their websites, or send out to their constituents, when a public comment period is happening. But what about those citizens that don’t have the time to be hyper aware?
A Caltrans spokesperson did say that better outreach “should have occurred to include input” from interested parties on their improvement project. This is refreshing to hear from a public agency. It would behoove local agencies to directly reach out to impacted communities, but it is also the public’s responsibility to stay informed.
Because in the end, the time to speak is when a project is still a thought in the air. Because when it is in the ground, it’s too late.
