FALLBROOK — Sage Road, a key connection for Fallbrook-area residents to state Route 76 and an alternative fire evacuation route, is expected to reopen after repairs are completed later this month.
The road has been closed since heavy rainstorms caused the culvert beneath it to collapse last winter, forcing its closure for safety reasons.
The yearlong closure has been a source of frustration for residents and raised serious concerns when the Garden Fire recently broke out, leaving only one evacuation route in the fire-prone area.
Sage Road falls under a private special district called a permanent road division (PRD), established and funded by property owners along the road. The county does not maintain or fund the road, leaving residents in the district responsible for financing repairs through assessments or special taxes.
Any changes to the funding or approval for repairs require a majority vote by property owners.
“Think of us as a contractor only doing work for them when requested and paid for,” said Miles Himmel, communications director for Supervisor Jim Desmond’s office.
The district, known as Pala Mesa 13A, which oversees Sage Road, has been underfunded since 2020 and currently faces an estimated $5 million in road maintenance needs. Earlier this year, residents were informed of the necessary repairs and costs.
While the county encouraged residents to apply for a loan to help fund the work, a lack of consensus among property owners prevented action.
“It would be like someone coming onto your property, doing construction, and forcing you to pay for it when you didn’t ask for it,” Himmel explained.
Sage Road, a secondary exit for the neighborhood, also serves as an alternative fire evacuation route. When it was closed, residents were forced to use only one other exit, which caused great concern when the Garden Fire broke out a few weeks ago.
“We just don’t want to die in a fire up here,” Susie Pusch, a Fallbrook resident who lives on Sumac Road with her husband, told CBS8 in November.
Recently, the county identified a more cost-effective way to complete the repairs, reducing the cost to $77,144, which the PRD’s funds can cover.
Crews will work 12-hour days between Dec. 16-20 to reopen the road.
While Pusch welcomed news of the repairs, she expressed concern about ongoing construction to repair a water pipeline in the area. The San Diego County Water Authority began the $42 million project about a month ago, staging heavy equipment along Sage Road, which Pusch said is causing additional wear and tear on the already fragile route.
“We never received a notice about the project,” Pusch said. “The day before the fire, a massive truck got stuck in front of our house for about a half-hour, blocking neighbors from leaving and entering.”
Pusch and others on the PRD road committee have raised questions about who authorized the project given Sage Road’s damaged state.
“We are concerned more damage will be done and we will be left to foot the bill via PRD taxes,” she said.
Repairs to Sage Road are expected to alleviate some immediate safety concerns, but residents still face challenges navigating ongoing infrastructure issues in the area.
