by David Dilworth
Hatton Canyon (green vegetation) to the right of Highway One (yellow)
In 1952 California’s evil Dept of Transportation (CalTrans) announced intention to destroy a quiet, spearmint-scented Forest Canyon next to Carmel-by-the-Sea to build a 3-mile, 4 lane City freeway in Hatton Canyon.
The faceless Sacramento bureaucrats and technocrats (e.g. Greg Albright) recklessly decided to destroy 21 acres of a serene forest; home to deer, Mountain lions, and protected red-legged frogs which eventually received Endangered Species Act protection. The forest destruction proposed chainsawing some 31,000 native (many ancient) Monterey pine trees along with 10-12 acres of wetlands. (Final EIR)
It took 48 years of tremendous controversy and powerful opposition and a successful lawsuit for the awful project to die, or at least get buried, when the Governor Davis signed the 2000 state budget authorizing purchase of Hatton Canyon for California State Parks.
At the time of agency approval the Sierra Club along with the City of Carmel opposed the Hatton Canyon Freeway. They had both reversed their positions, with the City of Carmel reversing its position on the Hatton Canyon Freeway five times. Incidentally, Caltrans also reversed its position twice.
Their opposition was improved thanks to a local group of caring residents, led by Noel Mapstead operating as the Sierra Club Transportation Committee. This group rose up to protect the lovely native canyon with public education campaigns and including teaching science, law and leading nature hikes through the Canyon.
A collaborative group, Hatton Canyon Coalition, organized the winning lawsuit featuring the City of Carmel, the Sierra Club and the Monterey Regional Parks District. A local group led by Lois Starnes (who lived next to the existing Highway One) fought to support the freeway.
Key events —
1953 Caltrans formally designates Highway 1 past Carmel (Not Hatton Canyon) as a Freeway
1953 Carmel Village votes to Oppose the Freeway – led by Councilman Jaques and a “storm of citizen protest”
1954 Caltrans provides Hatton Canyon Alternative – the Carmel Village supports.
1957 Monterey County supports Freeway in Hatton Canyon; formally entered into a Freeway Agreement with the State Department of Transportation embracing the Hatton Canyon alternative
1960’s – 1970s Carmel Mayor Gunnar Norberg led opposition to the freewway.
1970’s and early 1980s Carmel Pine Cone Publisher Al Eisner and Michael Kelly fought HC Freeway
1982 Caltrans tries to scrap the Freeway in Hatton Canyon, but Sierra Club members Roy and Charlotte Anderson living along Highway One get Sierra Club to Support the Hatton Canyon Freeway and then get Carmel Village to do the same.
1983 Caltrans included the project in its 1983 Improvement Program, for construction in 1988.
1986 Caltrans and DoT release Draft EIR with “every public entity supporting it”, accompanied by another Storm of opposition.
1986, December 11 Caltrans specifically identified LOS C as the project goal (Bad goal, which ultimately lost them the lawsuit)
1987 (6 January) Carmel Village votes to Support the Hatton Canyon Freeway based on the Draft EIR
1987 (January 7) Sierra Club letter Supporting the Hatton Canyon Freeway based on the Draft EIR (pushed by Roy and Charlotte Anderson who lived next to Highway one)
?1989 Sierra Club Transportation Committee formed by Noel Mapstead (organizer), Susan Resendez-Davis (Den Mother) & Paola Berthoin (artist, author & World class cook)
1989 Sierra Club changes position now Opposes Freeway in Hatton Canyon
1990 (March) Carmel Village reverses, votes to Oppose the Freeway
1988 Hatton Canyon Coalition organized by David Dilworth at his Carmel Woods home.
Skip Lloyd agreed to serve as Chairman.
? Press Conference exposing how State Funding for Hatton Canyon could be transferred to Prunedale Bypass organized by David Dilworth & Paola Berthoin at Highway one intersection with Carmel Valley Road.
1991, October 7 US-Dept of Transportation certified the Final EIS/R
? and CalTrans approved Environmental Impact documents
1993? Caltrans’ Plan to 4 lane Big Sur Highway is uncovered.
1996 (Sept. 13) Legal Victory: State Appellate Court rejects the Hatton Canyon CEQA Environmental Impact Report (2-1) – for failing to discuss Cumulative Impacts of past, present and future projects plus the Hatton Canyon freeway on the wetlands, Monterey pine and Hickman’s onion.
? date? California Legislature improves who makes transportation project decisions from un-elected State Bureaucrats to Local Elected Officials – called Transportation Agencies.
1999 Monterey Transportation Agency (TAMC) votes to move all Hatton Canyon funding to the Prunedale Bypass.
1999 (Feb 19) CalTrans and Fed Highway Admin Rescind their approvals of Hatton Canyon freeway, and intend to voluntarily rescind the Coastal Commission approval. Army Corps of Engineers reports they have stopped processing their permits.
2000 Governor Gray Davis signed the state budget authorizing $2.5 million purchase of Hatton Canyon for California Coastal Conservancy. It is ultimately given to California State Parks.
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References:
Appellate Court Decision
https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F3/123/1142/624985/
