Encinitas Unified School District threatens to sue to turn Pacific View into high-density condos.
Despite state code allowing the school rezone, Barth said, other laws, such as the Coastal Act, may take precedence. City Council member reasoning for the denial varied: Jerome Stocks said he could not support the rezone until further studies were done. Maggie Houlihan said Pacific View is a “jewel” integral to community character. James Bond said it is wrong for the district to sell its assets to help cover current expenses.
Hey, we found a way to unite Stocks and Barth! All it took was an out-of-control school district trying to sell a prime coastal asset for cash to blow on operating expenses.
Bond is right. Tim Baird is pulling a Schwarzenegger, selling off irreplaceable assets to plug a budget hole for a few years because he can't control his expenses. He's already soaked us in 30 years of Prop. P debt, much of which is being blown on operating expenses. What happens when he runs out of assets to sell and he needs more money while the citizens are still paying off Prop. P?
Stocks and Bond came out against the rezone mesure merely as a face saving gesture; they knew the vote was tied and that it was dead in the water. They are not suddenly anti-high density development mentalities for the Pacific View property; they know the issue is just momentarily stalled. Since Stocks has further political ambitions, it would have been insane for him to have backed this highly unpopular rezoning measure with a room full of citizen political activists stating cogent reasons why this community property should be saved. Stocks works behind the scenes - don't expect him to do anything to save this valuable community asset.
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