OCEANSIDE — The city is exploring several options to improve access to and from the Capistrano neighborhood, a community directly in front of Camp Pendleton’s main gate.
For years, residents of Capistrano — a small neighborhood immediately east of Interstate 5 along Oceanside’s boundary with Camp Pendleton — have faced difficulty entering and leaving their community because its only access points are near or directly in front of the Marine Corps base’s main gate.
During periods of heavy traffic, entering or exiting the neighborhood can be nearly impossible.
While the access issues frustrate residents, they also raise public safety concerns about whether residents could safely evacuate during an emergency such as a wildfire.
“My 8-year-old son sleeps with his stuffies in his suitcase in case they have to evacuate,” said Diana De Rosa, a longtime Capistrano resident.
In April, the City Council directed staff to study secondary access and emergency evacuation options for the community and return with recommendations. Engineering staff worked with police, fire and Camp Pendleton representatives to evaluate 10 alternatives. Staff presented its findings to the council Sept. 2.
The alternatives identified several potential new entrances and exits for the community. The first option examined connecting Capistrano Drive to Prince of Peace Abbey, but the project would take an estimated 10 to 15 years to complete and cost the city approximately $175 million in today’s dollars.
The second option examined connecting Capistrano Drive to San Luis Rey Drive through a sewer easement with an exit-only road, but the Fire Department does not favor that alternative.
Other options included building bridges over Interstate 5, connecting Santa Rosa and San Simeon streets to Airport Road, and adding an emergency exit through Camp Pendleton. However, police, fire or base officials opposed some of the alternatives, while others were deemed too costly or time-consuming.
Ultimately, the council narrowed the alternatives to three options for staff to study further:
Option 6 would connect North Loretta Street to state Route 76 with a two-way access point using the existing signalized intersection at South Loretta Street. Staff estimates the project would cost about $90 million and take seven to 10 years to complete.
Option 7 would connect North Loretta Street to SR-76 with an exit-only on-ramp, helping prevent through traffic from entering the neighborhood while having less impact on SR-76. The project is also estimated to cost $90 million and take seven to 10 years to complete.
Option 8 would create a two-way access road connecting Capistrano Drive to SR-76 at the existing Loretta Street intersection. The project is estimated to cost $60 million and take approximately the same amount of time as the other two alternatives.
As part of the council’s direction, Councilmember Rick Robinson asked staff to determine what would be required to add another Interstate 5 off-ramp to separate drivers heading to the base from those returning home to the Capistrano neighborhood.
According to base representatives, the first eight options could qualify for up to $20 million in federal funding through the Defense Community Infrastructure Program.
The base would not support Option 9, which proposed connecting Capistrano Drive to Carnation Street on the base. Additionally, Option 10, which proposed opening the main gate to evacuees during an emergency, could occur only under “extreme evacuation scenarios.”
Robinson, who served as Oceanside’s fire chief before his election to the City Council in 2022, also emphasized the need to establish a defensible space where residents could gather during an emergency while the city pursues a long-term solution.
“If we can’t get cars out, we need a place to move people out of the way,” Robinson said.
At a resident’s request, staff will also evaluate access to fire hydrants in the neighborhood.
