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June 12, 2008 - 6:58PM
Pinal supervisor opposes southern freeway routes
Jason Massad, Tribune
Pinal County Supervisor Sandie Smith said she is opposed to two potential corridors for the Williams Gateway Freeway that could run up the gut of suburban and ranch subdivisions east of Queen Creek.
Proposed freeway corridors rile Q.C. residents
No easy answers in setting Gateway freeway route
The long-standing politician said the two corridors are too far south. Two other potential corridors don't have near the impact on already established communities.
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"I think it would be devastating. It would isolate communities ... it would go through and take away homes," said Smith, D-District 2.
The two options she opposes spur off Loop 202's Santan Freeway and run south, jogging east of Queen Creek before connecting to U.S. 60 south of Gold Canyon.
Two other options make a more direct east-west connection to U.S. 60. One traverses state trust land entirely, without affecting any homes or schools.
Smith said she doesn't understand why the southern corridors are being considered when signs already seem to mark a different path. She said signs mark Ellsworth Road between Pecos and Williams Field roads as the future home of the freeway.
She said Mesa, Apache Junction and Pinal County officials are in agreement that the more east-west corridors would serve the area better.
"Already the government entities have said that (option) 1 and 2 are best," she said.
Meanwhile, concerned residents who recently found out about the four corridors are putting their support behind the two alignments that would not come near their neighborhoods.
Julia MacDougall, who owns a 10-acre mini-horse ranch with her husband, said she wants to be sure her neighbors know she is aware of how important a freeway would be.
She said she is not opposed to a freeway in the area, just the southern corridors that could affect homes and schools that have already been paid for with a tax increase.
"There are hundreds of miles of vacant state land just a stone's throw from here," she said.
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