We all pay the price of shipping rock

By: OLDEN "O.B." JOHNSON - Commentary | Friday, July 13, 2007 7:51 PM PDT ∞

We easily forget that modern construction still relies on the most basic materials: wood, steel, rock and sand. We forget that rock and sand ---- known collectively as aggregate ---- are the main ingredients for the asphalt and concrete we use every day to build schools, churches, roads, parks and police stations. We also forget that the cost of construction materials can sap our taxes.

Even things forgotten can have real effects. Our region is learning how real the scarcity of everyday materials such as rock and sand can be. While alarmists attempt to delay critical projects such as the proposed Liberty Quarry, our region is facing difficult choices about how to serve the public good with limited tax dollars.

Liberty Quarry opponents in Temecula, by trying to kill the project without any facts supporting their claims, have selfishly placed communities throughout Southwest Riverside County at risk.

Not having a local source of aggregate, such as Liberty Quarry, is hurting our quality of life. Increased construction costs have forced Murrieta to face the real choice between traffic reduction and public safety. The choice is not easy, nor is it easily avoided.

In less than one year, the projected construction cost of five local freeway improvement projects jumped by $40 million to a total of $125 million. At the same time the projected cost of expanding the city's police station to house a growing force jumped from $4 million to $10 million, a staggering increase of 150 percent.

The recent downturn in the housing market, which is affecting almost every city in Southern California, has starved Murrieta of taxes, developer fees and funds that could have paid the rising costs. Starved of growth dollars, the City Council was left with hard choices.

The council made its choice to proceed with four of five vital transportation projects, while delaying the police station expansion and the Los Alamos Road bridge over I-15. Despite this choice, taxpayers will still pay $40 million in bonds over the next 30 years to recover the cost. Two generations of Murrieta residents will pay for a lesson in construction costs.

Other cities are not immune from decreasing revenue and increasing costs. Temecula's taxpayers are likely to see more than $500,000 go to Murrieta to build a needed connection between the two cities.

Could we avoid such a costly lesson in the future? Yes, but it requires a regional commitment to take forward-looking action and provide local material sources. Liberty Quarry can solve aggregate needs, alleviating part of this regional dilemma. That is why I support moving ahead with Liberty Quarry, and oppose naysayer efforts to circumvent a thorough study of the project only to kill it.

Aggregate from Liberty Quarry will reduce travel distance between production site and project site. Travel distance is critical when you consider that aggregate can constitute 10 percent to 20 percent of a project's cost, and that the price of aggregate doubles every 30 miles traveled. In fact, local aggregate from Liberty Quarry will decrease cumulative truck travel on our roads and freeways, resulting in reduced harmful air emissions of 5.3 tons per day over the next 13 years.

Southwest Riverside County's sources of rock and sand are running dry. As sources run dry, we face higher construction costs, project delays, more truck traffic, great diesel emissions, increased freeway maintenance and a slower economy.

Now is the time to remember that we, as taxpayers, pay for parks, fire protection, police protection, schools and road improvements. As costs rise, we will either pay more in the taxes or see serious declines in public infrastructure. Unless we take action now to add new sources of construction materials, including rock and sand from Liberty Quarry, Murrieta will be known as the first of many cities in Southwest Riverside County to make a painful choice between traffic reduction and public safety.

Olden "O.B." Johnson is a commercial real estate broker in Murrieta.

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HA! wrote on Jul 14, 2007 7:15 AM:Apparently, OB Johnson doesn't have any clients near Liberty Quarry that want to sell their house. Perhaps this is OB's goal, allow the Quarry and then the people suffering the effects of the quarry will sell cheap and Mr. Johnson will have access to a lot of cheap land to buy. I've learned through the years that once a realtor opens his or her mouth, shut my ears. Its nothing but a sales scam.

STEELHEAD wrote on Jul 14, 2007 12:52 PM:Bring on the Liberty Quarry! It means jobs for quarrymen, truckers,day care workers, restaurant workers to feed all of the miners, lodging establishments to house the thousands of new quarry employees, shoe manufacturers to shoe all of the new miners, etc. The benefits of the quarry far outweigh the disadvantages. A little dirty air is nothing knew to most Californians--we will adapt as usual according to evolutionary theory. This granite company will also provide materials for road building as well as polished granite to beautify our homes. So get on board and join "Citizens for Granite Enhancement."

Finally wrote on Jul 14, 2007 1:43 PM:It is so nice to hear some in this region who has some for thought when it comes to fixing our lack of infrastructure issues. Without solution our problems are only going to continue to grow. I for one am not a fan of sitting in traffic due to the lack of lanes to accomodate our growing population. Thank you Olden!

Temeculian for Liberty wrote on Jul 14, 2007 1:47 PM:Hear hear Steelhead! We need more than retail jobs in this valley. We need jobs that can actually pay our mortages without having the drive SD. As you pointed out an industry like this has a positive trickle down affect. The small businessman can have a huge benefit to this too.

Tom wrote on Jul 14, 2007 1:49 PM:Granite are you hiring yet???

JOBS??? wrote on Jul 14, 2007 9:45 PM:Granite's own advertising materials state that the quarry will have about 100 jobs. Do you think those will be skilled, high paying jobs? No. I especially liked Olden's comment that Southern California is running out of rock and sand. ha! That's like saying Lake Tahoe is running out of water! Liberty Quarry doesn't even OWN that land yet. They can find rock someplace that's not right on top of a protected reserve and upwind from 150,000 people! NO QUARRY HERE - go somewhere else!

NoLibertyQuarry wrote on Jul 15, 2007 11:37 AM:We are extremely fortunate to have the dedicated city council members that we have serving us. THANKS to all of you for doing all you can to keep this quarry OUT of Temecula!!! Your hard work is very much appreciated.

Misinformed wrote on Jul 15, 2007 5:28 PM:To No Liberty Quarry...clearly you are yet another one of the misinformed. The Liberty Quarry is NOT in the City of Temecula! So your wish has already been granted. Which is another great reason to have this quarry, it is not near a large population of residents.

to Jobs wrote on Jul 15, 2007 5:32 PM:Yes, I think and know that the jobs Granite will be making avaiable will be skilled and high paying jobs! I have been in the industry of much of my life and have been able to provide a very nice life style for my family. I would love to make that life style even better by not having that communte anymore. I worked for Granite years ago and look forward to having that opportunity again!

skallop wrote on Jul 16, 2007 7:52 AM:We "naysayers" do have the facts about the negative effects of a quarry being built here and it doesn't take a rocket scientist or even an EIR to figure that out! To Misinformed - this proposed quarry is near a large population of residents - over 94,000 in Temecula alone. I hardly think the number of residents living near a quarry is the issue. We hear the ammunition tests at Camp Pendleton and that's not often. I can't imagine daily blasting right here regardless of the time of day, just to name one negative aspect of a quarry. To those of you who don't live nearby you don't have a right to say how you think this will affect those of us who will have everyday negative affects to our everyday lives. Thank you to the Temecula City Council and to all of those who rally against the quarry for all of your support.

Miss-informed wrote on Jul 16, 2007 3:32 PM:To Skallop-I do live here. As for your comments about the blasting, if you had collected information on the quarry you would know that the blasting that will be conducted at the quarry will last less than a second four times a week. Compared to your week of 604,800 seconds it will be a mere four of those seconds. Unlike Camp Pendleton who’s drills often lasts for 30 minutes at a time. Second the population of 94,000 that you mention lives more than 4 miles away from the quarry. I hardly call that living next to a quarry. Liberty Quarry will decrease the amount of daily truck trips on our freeways, resulting in reduced harmful air emissions of 5.3 tons per day over the next 13 years. Again the benefits out weigh any negatives!

Liberty Now wrote on Jul 16, 2007 3:53 PM:To skallop as a "naysayer" do you mean to imply that you blindly reject all prospects of increasing jobs, decreasing traffic, and increasing revenue for Riverside County? The quarry will provide significant benefits to the surrounding area with microscopic detriments to the environment we live in. The 150 acres of quarry is nothing in comparison with area of the mall that not only congests Winchester, Ynez, and margarita with people from all over Riverside County, but also has transformed Temecula from a farming area with sheep being herded through to an almost metropolitan area. Temecula is growing. It’s a fact. To best meet the needs of growth and provide cheap development materials, this area needs a quarry. We need a quarry, and were getting a quarry. Deal with it!

skallop wrote on Jul 16, 2007 6:10 PM:To Miss-informed & Liberty, your opinions while noted do not change that of mine. I have been educated on this issue well by supporters both for and against the quarry including reps from Granite Construction, and will continue in the FIGHT against the quarry.

Plentius wrote on Aug 10, 2007 9:57 AM:To HA! I'm a realtor and take a lot of pride in helping others. That is my primary motivation -- not money or power. I believe I speak for the many other real estate professionals as well. I do not scam in any way and never will. Close your ears if you want to; but you'll miss a lot of good and helpful information that I and others can offer. It's your loss.

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