Politician and Developers Attempt to
Force Loop 202 on Gila River Indian Community after Voters Say ‘No'
By No South Mountain Freeway
www.nosouthmountainfreeway.wordpress.com
nosouthmountainfreeway@gmail.com
Pangea Deception in ‘No Build’ Option
PHOENIX, AZ — Developers behind Pangea Corporation and Phoenix District 6
Councilmember Sal DiCiccio have threatened construction of Loop 202 freeway
through Gila River Indian Community (GRIC) regardless of a recent vote against
the proposed freeway.
Joey Perez, of Tempe based corporation Pangea, recently deceived the public
on the status of the proposed Loop 202’s extension.
In a May 20 Arizona Republic article titled Gila River tribe may hold vote
on Loop 202 freeway effort, Perez stated, "I've talked to community
members and I've talked to landowners, and a vast majority of them ultimately
feel very deceived by the no-build group and the community for not
communicating correctly that if the 'no build' won, the freeway would still be
built."
Perez, a Gila River Indian Community member and partner at private land development
corporation Pangea, called the original referendum flawed because an option to
vote "no build" was insufficiently explained.
Sal DiCiccio, District 6 councilmember, also provided misinformation in the
same article regarding the freeway’s status. According to the Arizona Republic,
DiCiccio and “others” have said, “’No Build’ was never a valid option.”
The Arizona Republic article further reported, “Officials from the Maricopa
Association of Governments (MAG) have said planning for the $1.9 billion, 22-mile
freeway will continue despite the vote.”
On February 8, 2012 GRIC members voted for the “No Build” option for the
proposed202 freeway to prevent desecration of South Mountain, which has been held
sacred since time immemorial. South Mountain is an area full of cultural
significance to the Akimel O’odham and the Pee Posh, the two tribes that
comprise that Gila River Indian Community.
“The fact of the matter is that it is not currently nor has it ever been
predetermined for the Loop 202 to be expanded,” said Jezz Putnam. “A vast
majority of community members from Ahwatukee, Laveen and GRIC have opposed
freeway expansion. Due to widespread opposition, the Loop 202 has yet to be
expanded since the nearly 30-year-old plans for expansion originated.”
“The fact that a corporation such as Pangea is now heading the efforts to
expand the freeway through GRIC should also raise concerns,” said Putnam. “It
has been the tribe’s formal decision through resolutions and voting to oppose
the freeway. Why is a corporation leading the discussion on pushing the loop
202 on GRIC residents?”
Perez’s petition also raises many questions.
Where would the promised $2,000 for GRIC members each come from? How can
Pangea, a private corporation, guarantee that payoff from the federal
government? IfPangea has secured those funds, why couldn’t that money aid the
construction of healthier alternatives to freeways that residents in Laveen and
Ahwatukee have asked for? Another question regarding Pangea’s statements about
their petition is how exactly could Pangea limit truck traffic from using the
freeway if it were to be expanded.
In Arizona Department of Transportation’s (ADOT), Frequently Asked Questions
pertaining to the Expansion of the Loop 202 ADOT says: “As the process moves
forward, ADOT and MAG will continue to coordinate with the Community [GRIC] on
remaining concerns and potential methods for mitigating those concerns.”
We ask, why should the process move forward at all? The concerns of the Gila
River Indian Community have not been addressed by ADOT.Paloma Allen, a member
of the Gila River Indian Community and a volunteer with Gila River against Loop
202 noted, “As 202 stakeholders, ADOT has violated our rights. It’s been about
25 years we’re waiting on that EIS [Environmental Impact Statement] from them.
It’s required by law, and we have every right to know how our land would be
impacted. I feel no vote, no Pangea petition, no further discussion about the
202 is warranted until we all have the basic facts about what the freeway could
do to our clean air, our health, and our heritage.”
Why hasn’t GRIC been respected for not wanting the freeway on their land?
And, most importantly, why would anyone be expected to vote on freeway
expansion prior to seeing the Environmental Impact Statement?
