We call on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission to deny approval of NCER Project PDS 2008 3500 08 015 – a concrete crushing and wood chipping facility on Mesa Rock Road.

The Hilltop Group, Inc. is seeking approval of a concrete/asphalt crushing and wood chipping facility on Mesa Rock Road, adjacent to the west side of the I-15 and numerous communities. Our families are very concerned about:

• Noise, dust, pollution and health impacts from concrete crushing and grinding six days a week, including detrimental effect on health caused by silica dust (silicosis)
• Blasting with bulk industrial explosive, 2.5 tons per detonation, 132 times, to excavate 245,000 cubic yards of rock for roadway and site preparation
• Potential fire hazard from combustible piles of wood debris/ chips and fire spreading rapidly toward residential communities during Santa Ana winds events
• Noise, dust, and safety hazard from big haul trucks on local streets
• No Site-Specific Environmental Impact Report provided for this project
• Lack of automated monitoring – neighbors have to monitor for violations

Due to the project’s proximity to our neighborhoods, the negative impact of the project could affect thousands of Escondido residents in the Montreux, Emerald Heights, Twin Oaks, and Hidden Meadows communities as well as residents of Mesa Rock Road, Rockhoff Road, Jesmond Dene area, Woodridge, and parts of Country Club. The proposed industrial recycling project is simply not compatible with the residential communities that surround it.