PIPELINE 5 HEAVY EQUIP. ON SUMAC
CBS 8 News Coverage of Sage Road Closure
and the Garden Fire
PIPELINE EQUIPMENT BLOCKING ROAD 1 DAY PRIOR TO GARDEN FIRE
Formed in 1968, yet most current property owners were unaware of PRD 13A at the time of purchase, with no clear disclosure in escrow or title documents. Residents reasonably believed these were County-maintained roads.
That recently changed, when San Diego County Department of Public Works notified residents of deteriorating road conditions requiring $3.6 million in repairs. Following public virtual meetings, the County initiated a vote to begin collecting long-established but historically uncollected assessments (capped at $50 per benefit unit(click) under the County Service Area structure). These revenues proved insufficient to fund meaningful repairs, while failing culverts increasingly diverted existing funds to emergency fixes.
In June 2025, the SDC Department of Public Works (DPW) informed residents at Fallbrook Library meetings that (click) approximately $5 million for “critical repairs” would need to be raised over the next 10 years to resurface 5.99 miles of PRD roads and replace 22 failing culverts.
Click here to view Ordinance 9171 for more information about benefit units.
WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?
Road Deterioration
Disclosure to new property buyers
CHALLENGES
Funding
Communication to property holders
Over decades, PRD 13A has faced compounding issues:
Chronic underfunding: No collection of even the $50 per benefit unit until 2022. Funding has relied on 1% ad valorem general property tax. Click here to see current ad valorem revenue.(described in document as Portion of Countywide Property Tax Revenue) - standing at $97,535 for FY 2025-26)
Utility companies pay nothing: for their use of our roads, even if they own parcels within PRD
Delayed collection: County did not begin consistent collection until after a 2021 ballot vote, which resulted in collection in 2022 forward property taxes.
Deteriorating infrastructure: Roads and culverts allowed to degrade until culvert collapse forces emergency repairs.
Lack of oversight: Minimal collaborative monitoring of road conditions or on third-party impacts
Lack of Communication: with property owners about their financial (assessment/tax) and practical (vegetation encroaching roads) responsibilities
By 2025, conditions had declined to the point where major repairs — not routine maintenance — are required.
HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?
FAILURE WITH:
Timely Assessments
Monitored Road Use
Road Leadership/Management
Our research indicates systematic failures over decades, including:
Failure to collect agreed-upon assessments in a timely manner
Lack of proactive road inspection and maintenance
Inadequate communication and transparency with residents
No enforcement requiring:
Utility companies
Developers
Contractors
to repair damage caused by heavy equipment and infrastructure work on PRD roads.
SAN DIEGO COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY PROJECT SUMMARY DOCUMENTS PREPARED BY CSPRD - Click Below