Read all about it at The Coast News.
Given the lengths of raiding other city accounts and taking on additional debt that the city had to go to just to come up with $15 million to build the Hall Park, it's remarkable that Barth and Vina are so complacent about being $39 million past due deadbeats on our pension obligations.
As long as Gus gets his, everyone else be damned.
ReplyDeleteTeresa has become Gus' puppet. Like someone said about a different council member-- her strings are showing!
It amazing that there have been so very many poorly informed commenters lately.
ReplyDeleteOr informed individuals spreading BS.
Mike?
Enc is doomed. Streets suck and the city is run by idiots with popcorn for brains. I can't wait to leave but I am stuck here for another 15 years. Bankruptcy anyone?? Watch as more and more city workers retire and get their share before it all falls apart. Pity, it could be a nice town...Mayberry by the sea.
ReplyDeleteLisa Shaffer and Tony Kranz both promise to address this pension issue. Where are they today on this issue? Can you say Desert Rose and Right to Vote Initiative? All good campaign promises!
ReplyDeleteHope and Change!
DeleteTony Kranz is no different than Dan Dalager. Both hated the pension, until they started receiving the benefits.
ReplyDeleteI think that's a little unfair. The pension for council is tiny (though it obviously should be zero). A man would have to be pretty low to sell out for the measly pension a one- or two-termer councilman gets.
DeleteWhat do they get, $15,000 or $20,000 while in office? Multiply that by 4 years x 2%, and you get $1600 a year pension. Not exactly champagne and caviar money. Jerome gets a better deal because he voted himself up to 2.7% per year and he served two or three terms.
That said, it is time for Kranz and Shaffer to put their money where their mouth is and live up to their campaign promises.
Kranz and Shaffer are laughing at you WC. Open your window listen carefully. The sound you hear is the council laughing at you.
DeleteI like W.C. He can keep his anonymity, just as we can. I think he's a good blog moderator and posts interesting, topical stories, providing a forum.
DeleteMy understanding is Council Members can't get a pension from the City until after having served five years. So a Council Member would have to be elected twice. That is unlikely to happen for Tony Kranz, in the opinion of many.
No one here posting as anonymous, or under a pseudonym has the right to "call anyone" else out for not posting under his or her "real name." Don't be a hypocrite.
Council Members do make most of their money from sources other than their Council salaries. Lisa gets additional monies from SANDAG, Tony, from NCTD, Mark from MWD, and Kristin from Encinas Wastewater District. I hope they are all disclosing the free lunch they got at the Golf Course, for their strategic planning session on April 3. If they didn't pay for their own food, and it was "comped" , the lunch and any other "gifts" should be listed on their financial disclosure sheets.
With the exception of Tony and Kristin, all the other Council Members get healthy pensions, I believe. Lisa Shaffer just retired from UCSD, right? Between her and her husband they get at least three pensions, probably four. Plus all Council Members get an extra $100 stipend for attending each SDWD meetings, as the Board of Directors, and probably additional money for attending the Housing Authority meetings, or the Cardiff or Encinitas Sanitation District Meetings. They are all well reimbursed for their part time jobs.
There should be a provision that for malfeasance in office, such as Dan Dalager's conflicts of interest, a council member would lose all pension benefits.
R U kidding me? W.C. Varones is a plant for Tony and Lisa - this I know to be factual. He wouldn't say anything bad about them if they betrayed a neighborhood or turned against an initiative drive group they once supported.
ReplyDeleteW.C. Varones quit it already, go away. Use your real name, if the above is not a true statement.
WC, DON'T go away. I love your blog. I think that you are the most fair of all of the bloggers in Encinitas, and for entertainment value if nothing else, I LOVE Encinitas Undercover!
ReplyDeleteW. C blog is by far the best source of recent accurate news for Encinitas. Its more accurate and reliable than the horse shit Doug Manchester Developers rags, and Encinitas patch is slow to publish and is filled with feel good stories.
ReplyDeleteThis blog keeps me up to date on all the relevant news in Encinitas.
It's this special.....
DeleteA new planning director has been chosen. More backroom deals.
ReplyDeleteI heard that he came from the same school, Cal State Pamona, as Patrick Murphy. I hope that it was a character issue with Murphy and not the training that he got in school.
DeleteThe selection process was rigged.
ReplyDeleteHere's the committee that selected Jeff Murphy, graduate of Cal Poly Pomona. as the new Planning Director:
ReplyDeleteTechnical Panel
JoAnn Shannon - Chairperson, Encinitas Planning Commission
Ivan Holler - Covenant Administrator/Planning Director, Rancho Santa Fe Assoc.
Peder Norby - Highway 101 Coordinator, SD County Planning Commissioner
Larry Watt - City of Encinitas Interim Planning Director
Community Panel
Rachelle Collier - Leucadia Resident - Leucadia Town Council
Keith Harrison - Olivenhain resident, Harrison Properties
Peder Norby - Highway 101 Coordinator, SD County Planning Commissioner
Larry Watt - - City of Encinitas Interim Planning Director
Send In The Clowns
DeleteNorby was on both committees? He is far too biased in favor of a generic "Mainstreet Association" style planning, as is Teresa and Diane Langager. Rachelle Collier and Keith Harrison are all 100% behind taking away the community character of Leucadia, adjacent to N101, by installing 5 roundabouts, which local RESIDENTS don't want!
DeleteAllow a public vote; that's the best way to have a true needs assessment. Roundabouts were voted down in Del Mar and the City of Cotati during the last General Election. Solana Beach decided against them. They are NOT recommended by the U.S. Dept. of administration for three way intersections, or alongside railway corridors.
Did Norby accompany Teresa Barth to New Orleans for the Mainstreet U.S.A. convention? She said her registration and airfaire were picked up by the city, Was part of her room and food costs picked up by the Encinitas, Cardiff and Leucadia Mainstreet Associations, which the City highly subsidizes? If Norby did go with her (Barth said about seven people from the Mainstreet Associations went) was part of his cost picked up by the Mainstreet Associations, part of his room cost? He is actually being paid $105,000 per year for a part time job, acting as a lobbyist, for roundabouts. Downtown Encinitas and Cardiff, on 101, didn't have roundabouts forced on them!
Peder did not go to MainStreet Conference this year.
DeleteGuess which person on the panel is from Carlsbad and is paid $105,000 a year to be the 101 czar.
ReplyDeleteGuess which person on the panel has developer interests and sells real estate.
Guess which person on the panel could make a profit of millions of dollars if his project is approved.
Guess how many on the panel are in or were in county positions.
That includes the new planning director, Jeff Murphy.
God help us. They were able to count Norby twice, and he doesn't even live in this City but is paid to degrade it!
ReplyDeleteWho run Barter Town?
ReplyDeleteDevelopers run Barter Town.
With multiple pension costs and numerous jobs changing hands at City Hall in the comiing 20 years, maybe at least we can clone Richard Phillips for all those positions. He's pretty damn depenable, sticking with his Encinitas job for decades, and doesn't make waves.
ReplyDeleteIn line at the post office not long ago, I was talking with the man behind me in line and curious why the US Post Office is LOSING a staggering 47 million dollars per day. Especially with postage rates higher and online sales like ebay and others doubling their business in the last 10 years. "Pensions" he said. "They can't afford their own pensions". I think he's right. Makes me wonder who's responsible for not seeing that problem coming long ago, and preventing it from happening. Probably a pattern problem with every kind of government job. Not just with cities.
Richard Philips may be a good clerk, but he offers no good solutions to any of our problems. He's nothing special and not worths his cost. I say deadwood.
ReplyDeleteWhat's the planning ike in Pomona
ReplyDeleteAny relation between Jeff and Patrick Murphy? Same tree, different apples? - same law (Murphy's Law)
ReplyDeleteNorby should go back to baking cakes and leave Encinitas alone.
Now the Czar of 101, a Carlsbad resident, is representing us to hire a new planning director?. God help Encinitas, abandoned by bully/back stabber Tony and fence riders Shaffer and Barth.
Start a city 401K now to save our city finances.
Why did I never hear about how to get on the resident committee for the new planning director? I thought the new council was promising transparency! And what the heck with Peder Norby not even living in Encinitas? Why is he counted as a resident?
ReplyDeleteThe three stooges (Barf, Krudz, and Shafter) are becoming the most hated people in Encinitas.
Who ever thought we could dislike them as much as Mooer and Gasp?
Funny, but true. Do you think the three stooges know how they are viewed? They are so incredibly disappointing and quite frankly not all too bright. Encinitas deserves better. Looks like we will have to get rid of them at first chance.
DeleteAnon 10.04, I hate Gus and Norby more than the new Council, but it is close!
DeleteGus Vina is sneaky and Barth is desperate and foolish to be enamored by him. Tony is a friggin' bully and Schaffer can't hide behind her ethics cloak anymore now that she has shown to be untrustworthy. Muir and Gaspar, well you know their history.
ReplyDeleteI support Tony, Teresa, and Shaffer. The best part is they know how to distinguish intelligent positive suggestions from the dumbass, lame suggestions and rants from the KLCC like above.
ReplyDeleteFinally a council majority with integrity and smarts. Keep up the good work!
Gaspar- Fall inline or return to your night job.
Muir- Keep enjoying that huge Tit feeding every month...... Mmmmmm $14,0000 a month forever is some yummy tax milk. :0
What do you support? Their lack of leadership in dealing with Gus? Their mealymouthed attitude in accepting whatever the staff gives them? All five solidified their subservient place in city government when they became pawns in Gus's strategic planning - what a laugh - meetings for them.
DeleteAs a group, their former supporters feel betrayed. It isn't even as much about Desert Rose and the Initiative as it is that they ran on a set of campaign promises that WE believe in, then left them at the door as soon as they started. It is so difficult to trust people who violate their own values.
DeleteI think that Tony showed us his "smarts" in the Desert Rose exhibition. Lisa showed her "integrity" by not even going on record with a vote in Desert Rose.
DeleteTony Kranz told numerous people what a great guy the developer is and how he coached his son, and attends the same church, and took him out to lunch a few days before the hearings. How is that relevant to Tony's judiciary role in this matter? This is like Jim Bond and Jerome and their cozy ties with some of the other developers all over again!
DeleteI thought he was supposed to have made decisions based on the materials and testimony that are listed in the resolution--not on a personal realtionship with a developer! He was supposed to consider expert witnesses. Since when did Encinitas planners and engineers become experts?
Some have compared Lisa's refusal to vote to when Krisin Gaspar recused herself from voting on Pacific View. If she would have had the courage to vote no, she would be the only respected member on the Council right now.
DeleteI hope they are reading this and know how much they are letting us down. They meaning Barth, Kranz, and Shaffer. Let them deny it all they want, but they are royally screwing it up for the city. So many things so far could have been handled better. They don't care about their community, just themselves. Selfish, ego-driven, narcissistic people. And pathetic for being led around by the less than ethical city manager. I am ashamed to admit I voted for them.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree the whole strategic planning thing is a total bad joke, just like Guss.
ReplyDeleteYea, don't plan for stuff. Planning is for chumps.
ReplyDeleteAnd no one on council cares for anyone. And they all are stupid and hate dogs and children.
I wouldn't say dogs. Dogs won't have to pay for their pension mess.
DeleteThe council is being played for chumps by the city manager and some city staff. 5:41 PM summed it up about the council - They don't care about their community, just themselves. Selfish, ego-driven, narcissistic people.
DeleteCalling something 'strategic planning' doesn't mean that that is what they are actually doing or even if they know HOW to do it. Stategic planning should involve citizens and should start out with a baseline of who our community is and what our needs actually are.
DeleteAll I see happening is that Encinitas so- called strategic planning is about how Gus, Sabine, and our failed council can take our resources to change their images in the community. Stategic planning is not about US, it is about THEM. Our role in the exercise is to PAY for it. What has come out of the 1st session is that they need to hire a PR person to make them all look good. Instead, how about honoring the campaign promises Council members, and how about thinking of others besides yourselves and your pensions City Manager, City Attorney and City Staff?
Strategic planning at the City is another attempt by an insecure city manager to get more power. He and the COuncil have all earned the reputations that they have now, and they can't buy their way out with new consultants.
DeleteOur current Council doesn't trust the people to be able to vote; we can't trust them. They are wanting to increase the budget for the Special Election to $500,000 for more "educational outreach" and "informational services." Contracted city attorney Glenn Sabine's "impartial analysis, was NOT impartial, fact-based or accurate. It closely reflects Council's advocacy AGAINST Prop A.
DeleteCheck out Item #7 on the April 24 Agenda. "Translation" costs should be included in the Registrar of Voter's estimate of $300K to $350,000 for the Special Election. Wasn't Gus Vina Financial Director for the City of Stockton that went bankrupt?
Oh yea, Norby has destroyed all of Encinitas,too.
ReplyDeleteAgree wholeheartedly with the comment above. Let him go back to making cookies!
DeleteIf promoting and helping facilitat better sidewalks, safer bike routes, smoother roads, lower speed limits, pop-outs for pedestrian safety, restoring authentic and identical attractive streetlamps to 101, restoring the ENCINITAS sign, promoting the Facade Grant program, facilitating better commerce for merchants, adding more parking for all, working with the county and NCTD on special projects, mentoring all business groups and baking great pasteries has destroyed Encinitas, I'm with you.
DeleteOpps, and spending a lot of his time helping make sure the awesome Encinitas Library stay in it's rightful place.
DeletePrior to Mr. Norby, the trend of coastal businesses was that hardward outlets, the post office, banks and food markets were all moving inland away from the coast. The library was also a target to be moved inland. Previous DEMA leaders could not keep these useful and convienient businesses downtown and lost Community Market, Dixieline, the Post Office, Bank of America and gas stations. The retention of these businesses has been a boon to downtown (save the US post office)and largely due to Peder. The ONE gas station Encinitas has on 101 (in Leucadia) is the ONLY survivor for 25 miles and once again was promoted by Mr. Norby. Thanks Peder.
DeleteNorby is well paid by the city and taxpayers for his "contributions" to Encinitas. What was his final salary at DEMA -$80,000 a year? He now makes $105,000 a year as the 101 czar.
DeleteFred, you're right to support the initiative, but you've been completely bamboozled by Norby. He's a great schmoozer, but please use your intelligence.
DeleteWhy should the business associations get so much money through city subsidies, including the facade grant program? Why don't the older homes get offers for the City to help finance their "facades" or roof repairs? Norby got in with DEMA when he owned Marvelous Muffins. He was a good baker, but an example of the "Peter Principle" in effect; he has risen to his level of "incompetency," in that he is not fairly representing the entire community, but mainly real estate interests. He has a "vision" of generic main streets, which he has sold to Teresa Barth and Dianne Langager.
How is the foundation for the Boathouses set up? Does Norby get part of the rents? The City paid for at least half of the purchase price. It should already be on title along with the foundation. Why is the L101MA office not actually in Leucadia? Why is it almost never open? Why has its officers refused to share their financials? What is the weblink where we can look up, "through the State," their financials through its non-profit, 501(c) status?
Fred, why weren't you protected when 33 ft. structures weren't supposed to be built next to single story structures on North 101?
Why was Norby so ready to facilitate the sale of Pacific View through and to John DeWald, former president of DEMA, now known as Encinitas 101 Mainstreet Association, the new "rebranding?" Where was Norby when the issue of First Amendment rights came up under Stocks, when Jerome banned all banners in the city, including for the Leucadia Artwalk last August?
Why was Norby pushing for the demolition of the former Artists Colony at A Street, which was replaced by Moonlight Lofts, which went bankrupt? Why didn't Norby act to protect our view corridor, with respect to Moonlight Lofts, which blocks one's view of Moonlight Beach, when walking, bicycling, or driving west on Encinitas Blvd? The view corridor is supposed to be protected in the 101 Specific Plan.
Fred, you say that overdevelopment will choke out the character of Leucadia. You're right. Roundabouts are all about mitigated negative impact declarations for developers, because the roundabouts would supposedly be "traffic calming." What they would do would be to limit BOTH SIDES OF THE HIGHWAY to a one lane, in each direction, north and south, as they are one lane traffic circles.
I hope people will be smart enough to vote yes on the right to vote on upzoning initiative, Prop A, come June 18, or before, by absentee ballot. Council can find ways to get around its own rules. They can eliminate the 4/5 majority loophole, but use other loopholes to deny us our ability to vote, such as saying that something under five acres won't be allowed a public vote, or something, like Pacific View, which goes to a "lower intensity of use," would not require a public vote. From public/semi-public to residential should require a public vote. Staff begged to differ, in the past, and Teresa Barth has said the same thing.
The people in the Community Advisory Boards that worked on the N101SP wanted to limit development along N101 to TWO STORIES, AND 30 FT. Council overrode that, with Sheila Cameron voting NO!
You are all frinking wacked. The KLCC hate Peder because Peder means a more positive quality of life. Anyone who supports the KLCC club is ignorant and loves 25 years old rusted old chairs, a 18 year old totaled Camero, and piles of recycled car parts, and crack whore as your neighbor.
DeletePeder has a fresh brain and has great vision. All the nay sayers are burnt out and brainless losers.
Did you ever watch any of the KLCC?
Keep Leucadia Funky. Norby gets a more positive 'quality of life" for himself and his biz associates, including commercial development interests . . . Norby doesn't get credit for all the "worthy community events." He deserves no credit whatsoever for planning, and hasn't been trained in that field.
DeleteYea, nobody wants a good tax base, award winning planning, over two hundred worthy community events, co ordination with the city and all those other wonderful civic events.
ReplyDeleteI don't like anything good
As hard as it is to imagine, there are many people who don't care a bit about community events. When we find out that we have to use taxpayer funds to pay for them--we REALLY don't care about them, and in fact, would rather not have them at all.
DeleteThere are more than a few people who have jobs in this city that are paid for under the umbrella of community events. The truth is, we can't afford a lot of them, and we certainly can't afford some of the people who we are paying like Norby.
It seems like 'community events' seem to be diversions for Encinitas City staff, PR opportunities for council members and El Presedente Gus, and promotion events for certain businesses. A few community participants are citizens and vendors, but all in all, I question if most of these things are worth the taxes.
DeleteNo tax dollars go to pay for DEMA events. They pay for themselves.
DeleteThe public pays for the events, through subsidies through the City to the various business groups, and through consumer dollars. The events don't "pay for themselves," people do!
Deleteanonymous 8:26 AM - HA HA HA HA - Yes, the council will have a good tax base once the council votes in the 5 story buildings and higher densities.
ReplyDeleteSome of the council lives in lala land.
People is all about MONEY!!! Gotta have a lot of money to pay those salaries and pensions.
ReplyDeleteFIRE THEM ALL and hire new at a 50% reduction in pay and pensions.
Gus keeps bringing in more and more employees to create new layers between himself and the citizens. I thought that he would fire people since many at the city have deserved if for a long time.
DeletePretty much all politicians suck! No how is that for a generalization?
ReplyDeleteAt least the five on this council suck. Gus is staying as the city manager. He just doesn't understand what the council wants from him. Maybe, perhaps, could be - Gus and Sabine will have a performance evaluation in the summer. The council is working so hard to help him understand what they want from him.
ReplyDeleteUpdate - Cancel the performance evaluation for summer. Vina and Sabine might have the review in fall/winter.
DeleteIn the meantime ------
11:08
ReplyDeleteYou REALLY don't know what you are talking about.
What community events are you talking about that are funded by your taxes?
Notby and MainSteet have proven that they have increased revenues to the city. They have accomplished this with caring citizen volunteers.
Please, 11:08 share with readers what you have ever done for the community cause? Nothing? Zip? Nada?
Really? Nothing but bitch about those who care enough to offer their time and energy?
If this is true, perhaps you should re evaluate yyou're supported stance
Taxpayer money that went to these groups that run the events --
DeleteCurrently -
Leucadia 101 $30,000
Downtown Encinitas Mainstreet Association $20,000
Cardiff $20,000
Previously -
Encinitas Chamber of Commerce $90,000
Downtown Encinitas Mainstreet Association $50,000
****
DeleteEncinitas Chamber of Commerce got $94,000 for moving to its "new headquarters" on 2nd Street, which closed down, correct? The volunteers had preferred the previous headquarters, less expensive, and with better parking, easier access to the Freeway near Cottonwood Creek Park, in the old Smart and Final Shopping Center.
DeletePeder Norby subsidizes deals whereby Leucadia 101 Mainstreet Association gets half of the rents from vendors at the Paul Eckce Central School Farmer's Market, which is also not "technically" in Leucadia, according to a few "diehards" on the biz ass.'s board of directors, who don't live adjacent to North Highway 101, either! They merely have commercial interests, including real estate interests, there.
The Leucadia biz ass. also gets money from vendors whenever there's an "event" such as Artwalk. Captain Keno's Jerry donated the water last year. Volunteers do a lot of the work. The money that goes into the biz ass is spent for employees, one full time. We're glad Paula Kirpalani is retiring. The Leucadia biz ass. wants to take all the credit, when it IS actually the volunteers that do the work.
A lot of this is actually about a few businesses getting more parking and higher property values. Norby was one of the big pushers for a Redevelopment Agency, a RDA, fully intending to BLIGHT Leucadia. Now he and his biz ass. buddies are getting what they want, without having to blight. Unfortunately, for them, the City doesn't have the money for their plans to force generic roundabouts on us.
Leucadians and all Encinitans do want to preserve and enhance the canopy. Some of us have asked for some u-turn lanes and possibly another stop sign, besides the one at Marchetta and 101. That was not an alternative offered at the bogus "workshops" sponsored by the City , but facilitated by roundabout and lane elimination lobbyists.
The City, on 7/18/12, in its Staff Report, said that health and safety, as in traffic collisions (INCLUDING BICYCLE COLLISIONS), compiled for ten years, and compared to similar intersections (presumably alongside railroad tracks) DID NOT MERIT stop signs. Our N101 intersections rate better than others, in terms of all collisions, for safety, so a lane did not have to be taken away from motorists.
Why aren't Tony and LIsa prioritizing the dedicated bicycle lane that is already on the books from Chesterfield to La Costa, and already exists from A street to Marchetta? Why can't that be maintained and extended, north?
At the January 30 Council Meeting, after which our lane on N101 was taken away from us, now being appealed by and before the Coastal Commission, residents adjacent to N101 were bullied and Council "bought into" one single accident, caused by a probably drunk, hit and run driver in April of 2011. The driver ended up being sentenced to two years. The accident occured at 1:00 A.M., when a driver drifted into lane from the left hand lane.
Bicyclists, rallied that night and the night before by the Leucadia biz ass., repeated this one "horror story" over and over, without disclosing that they were doing so, or stating their city of residence. Charles Marvin lied about all his "alleged" bicycling accidents, not giving the date or location of any of them. None of the bicycle members described where accidents they described took place, or gave their cities of residence. Many or most of them were from outside of Encinitas, and primarily ride on North 101 on weekends, going south, according to them. They were using other routes to go north. No bicycle count was done. . . No community needs assessment was done to balance the needs of residents, local motorists, commuters, and bicyclists.
1:20
DeleteHello again - you famiiar voice in the wilderness, you.
2. L-101 does not get "half" of the rent from the Farmers Market. Where did you get that?
3. What map exactly are you referring to that claims Paul Ecke Central School is NOT in Leucadia?
4. Unfortunately, Paula, who's done a superb job at L-101 (even helping your spy recently, gobbling up a few hours of her time) is retiring from our association, but she was NOT full time. Who told you that?
5. Of course money we raise in part goes to employees. But generates a lot of local business and good times as well. We also promote and help facilitate the local Facade Grant program with the city.
6. As far as "a lot of this is about getting more parking for a few businesses" I find that laughable. So far our group collectively has done nothing but unintentionally inhibit parking with: A: Streetscape removing over 200 parking spaces on the east side of 101. B: Removing 24 parking spaces in front of Cabo Grill with the new bike lane striping. C: Seeking a unanimous vote of board members to oppose Prop A and by doing so, ushering in yet more 3 story dysfunctional work/live lofts that are happily approved by the Planning Commission - each project with the built in problem of vastly eliminating public parking (and most of the "work/live lofts" where even the few who live there ever work there, are going bankrupt for lack of interest). Yes, that's my sole gripe presently with my friends at L-101. Plus, the alleged "40" parking spaces that Streetscape "adds" to the west side of 101, didn't pencil in that 40 of the spaces will be strictly ADA, and that 24 west side spaces would be eliminated with a bike lane. So please perish the argument that ANYONE at L-101 "just wants more parking" besides me! (And the one parking place I have is sufficient for my customers who don't hang around long at our small businesses.)
7. Some people have not only asked for another stop sign, one local requested many stop sign intersections. Not me. Making cars slow, stop and accelerate, collectively robs YEARS of the people's precious time; creates dirtier air; gobbles gas and makes for a lot of unnecessary wear and tear on vehicles.
Roundabouts vastly reduce those issues. Stopping cars when not necessary is what's bogus, not the Streetscape workshop conclusions that will eliminate 18 or so of them (and at the same time create many stop-free U-Turn capabilities where currently you can't even make a U-Turn . Not to mention that roundabouts experience far less collisions and pedestrian deaths than do intersections. (1000 pedestrians were killed last year in intersections. Not one in a roundabout.) How can you ignore these values?
8. Thanks for changing the Swarzman death from being caused by "a drunk driver" to "probably a drunk driver" in your opinion. The man got 2 years for a hit and run. Not drunk driving. But that was BEFORE a safer bike lane was designated, and we have yet to be able to see anything on dark nights on that stretch of highway becaue the majority of our Streetscape street lamps do not all exist yet.
9. The northbound lane you mention that was "taken away from motorists" runs for only a quarter lenght of the 2 mile project and is not needed. A safe bike path is. The Swarzman death was not the only bike collision with cars on 101, just the most recent. I'm with you IF bikes could be put on the RR property, but they have turned us down after tests were done a debris flew in the air when their fast trains go by. They don't want the liability.
This map, which LB says is from the city General Plan, cuts off Leucadia at Union Street.
DeleteI prefer to include Baja Leucadia all the way to Encinitas Boulevard. Cap'n Keno's and Jamroc are definitely Leucadia.
Someone at the city drew those borders on that map after 1993. Wait till I tell Dolores Welty she lives in Carlsbad. Or is it Leucadia Norte now?
DeleteNames are transient with us humans. People's, country's, street's, you name it. For whatever reason(s), it is evident that someone behind the scenes is always trying to make the territory of Leucadia smaller than the drawing board of dirt paths its founders carved and named. How? By renaming parts of it and it's streets. As Leucadians were here first and theme named the initial streets after Greek mythological gods, the original locale or venue of Leucadia is still easy to trace by these street names- especially from Batiquitos Lagoon, extending south all the way to at least Santa Fe Dr. where Vulcan Ave. "becomes" something else (i.e. San Elijo Avenue). Plenty of other Leucadia streets became something else too. For example, the west portion of Orpheus became Marcheta St. after the railroad interrupted it in 1881, and most of Fulvia became "Leucadia Blvd" after incorporation in 1986.
DeleteStudying these streets compellingly shows that the first ones connected to each other alphabetically A to Z, And although "Zeus" is the premier name missing from Leucadia roads today, it was more than likely where either Saxony or 101 are now. The creative thing about Leucadia's alphabetized street system is that they were not linear like usual settlements, but they meandered. When viewing Leucadia's original streets alphabetically from a birds eye view, one finds these first 9 blocks:
LATERALLY south to north:
Athena
Basil
Cadmus
Europa
Fulvia
then ASCENDING west to east:
Glaucus
Hermes
Hygeia
Hymettus,
Orpheus
The extremities of these first blocks (facing "Lefkada" in Greece)form a large "L" from above. (By design, or coinkydink?)
Not long after Leucadia was established , founders of Encinitas, with their flatter canvas obviously preferred the usual linear approach to their street names of their neat and tidy blocks with First, Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth, intersecting with A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,J,K
As Leucadia grew, and the orignal plan for these alphebatized streets was either forgotten or lost significance, new streets were made and named. But only after that point were Roman mythological names of gods were added. As interest wained in continuing the tradition, regular names like Andrew, Sanford, Avocado, Grandview etc appeared on Leucadia's map.
Long portions of some streets completely disappeared altogether, leaving only deep contiguous scars that are still easily seen on Google Earth. (Follow the straight line from 1470 Neptune to the 400 block of E. Glaucus - which includes "Patty Lane" and the road that preceeded the buildings jumps out)
The guy was probably a drunk driver, hence he "hit and ran." The accident happened at 1 a.m. when the driver drifted, according to witnesses, from the left hand lane into lane two (righthand lane). Having only one lane for motorists would not have prevented the tragedy, which is the ONLY bicycle collision going northbound of record for the section of highway where the road was eliminated for motorists.
DeleteThe July 18, 2012 staff report, for the date when Council approved Sharrows on both sides of the highway and a lane diet from Leucadia Blvd north to La Costa, stated that collisions for a ten year period on that stretch of highway were less than comparable throughout the state of California. Statistically, according to Encinitas Traffic Engineers, that section of the highway is safer, thus safety was not the true motivating reason. Safety was the fake reason supported by the Biz Ass. that rallied bicyclists, mostly from outside of the City of Encintas. We all do support bicycle safety. We also support a dedicated bicycle lane within the railway corridor, which should be maintained and extended to La Costa ASAP.
How much money per year does the Leucadia Biz Ass. get from the deal set up by Norby re the Sunday Farmers Market, and WHY shouldn't the school district get more of it? My understanding is that the rental money from the vendors is split between the PTA and the Leucadia Biz Ass. If you would like to clarify, then please provide the financial breakdown for this "non-profit" organization, or the link to the State website where they can allegedly be found.
I never heard that the bicycle lane was "turned down" in the railway corridor after tests were done. Why do other cities, like San Clemente have such a lane? Why is the dedicated bicycle lane in the RR corridor on the books here, and ALREADY EXISTS from A street to Marchetta, and points south, and has been partially funded, through the Bicycle MasterPlan, since 2005?
DeleteTaxpayers fund Peder Norby. He sets up deals for the Leucadia Biz Ass, such as the "payoff" from Paul Ecke Central School. So Paula K. was not full time. I thought the report provided to the City stated that the Leucadia Biz Ass. did have one full time employee? Who was it? Why is one necessary? Why is the Leucaida Biz Ass. headquarters almost always closed when we walk by? Why isn't it in "Leucadia proper" according to the Union St. cut off that is pushed by some members of the Leucadia Biz Ass., to make others feel excluded?
Taxpayers currently additionally fund the Leucadia Biz Ass. $30,000 per year, in addition to paying Norby's salary. Did Norby go to the New Orleans Mainstreet U.S.A. convention? How many members of the Leucadia Biz Ass went? If any went, did they individually pay for their flights and their hotels rooms and food, for their registration? Did the LBiz Ass. pay for any of Mayor Barth's food, car rental, etc? All that should be disclosed by the Mayor.
Also disclosed should be the amount that LBiz Ass. gets per year from vendors, for rents from the Sunday Farmers' Markets at Paul Ecke Central, vendors from the Artwalk, and all other "community promoted events." These monies seem to be mainly spent on promoting roundabouts and taking away a lane. What do the volunteers do to actually help members of the community, in particular residents adjacent to N101 who don't want roundabouts and don't want a lane eliminated for motorists?
Fred, you say there were 1000 pedestrian deaths last year? Was that nationwide? Were there ANY pedestrians involved in collisions with cars on the intersections where roundabouts are planned on N101?
DeleteWhy did the staff report on 7/18/12 for the Agenda Item for Sharrows and Lane Elimination (we support Sharrows on BOTH sides of N101) say that the intersections on N101 had a safer 10 Year history, with less collisions of any kind, with other cars, bicycles or pedestrians than other similar intersections throughout California?
Your logic is false, as you consistently try to compare apples to oranges. Pedestrian fatalities taking place ANYWHERE in the country is NOT the same as your not being able to Google any pedestrian fatalities in roundabouts. Can you GET THAT? A reading of the FACTS of the staff report proves that safety considerations do not justify lane elimination for motorists. Neither do safety concerns justify roundabouts, by the same, irrefutable logic.
Motorists' collisions with bicyclists actually have a record of having increased, nationwide, in roundabouts, as opposed to the same intersections before roundabouts were installed.
There may be more collisions involving accidents on North 101, but NONE are documented Northbound, other than the one tragic fatality that involved a HIT & RUN driver drifting to the right hand lane at 1 in the morning, which would NOT have been prevented by taking away a lane for motorists, northbound, and nowhere else on N101.
At least the five on this council suck. Gus is staying as the city manager. He just doesn't understand what the council wants from him. Maybe, perhaps, could be - Gus and Sabine will have a performance evaluation in the summer. The council is working so hard to help him understand what they want from him.
ReplyDeleteUpdate - Cancel the performance evaluation for summer. Vina and Sabine might have the review in fall/winter.
In the meantime--------Read next week's agenda report.
This new Council should have taken a cue from the New Council in Sacramento and they should have gotten rid of Guss as their first business. Then maybe Desert Rose and the attack on the Initiative would not have been so strong since Guss is/was behind both. He and Sabine run the Council, so obviously Guss likes to say that he has 5 bosses and that they haven't communicated what they want.
Delete"Fred, you say there were 1000 pedestrian deaths last year? Was that nationwide?
ReplyDeleteYes, 1000 pedestrian deaths at US intersections last year compared to zero at roundabouts.
"Were there ANY pedestrians involved in collisions with cars on the intersections where roundabouts are planned on N101?"
No. Neither are there currently 3 way signaled or stop signed intersections at four of the proposed roundabouts. There have however been fatalities at the La Costa Ave / 101 intersection, and of course many more on 101 in and near Leucadia.
There have been PLENTY of pedestrians killed at non-intersections on 101 through the years. Usually due to high speeds which roundabouts greatly diminish and of course our recently lowered speed limit also reduces exponentially. Just using my memory (and this probably only scratches the surface of actual deaths and injuries here, I can remember) 1 death and several injuries for a vehicle making a left turn onto 101 at North Court only a few years back. 1 collision at El Portal totalling my van! 1 young woman killed walking across the hwy at Grandview (angry at her boyfriend), 1 woman walking across downtown, 1 woman killed by a greyhound bus at Phoebe St, 1 local killed in head on collision at Jupiter St. Numerous cyclists getting doored by cars needing an ambulance (2 in front of my shop), 1 small child pedestrian killed at Avocado / 101. Several fatalities at 101 and La Costa from a car crash, 1 little girl killed on her bike where the little greeter girl statue is near Cottonwood Creek, the James Swarzman death across from my shop that you're so focused on as being the sole reason for us (and out-of-towners) wanting safer bike lanes, countless other vehicle crashes, most of which I believe would not have happened with slower speeds, better marked roads, adequate bike lanes and safety features that come with roundabouts - all of which we're finally getting.
"Why did the staff report on 7/18/12 for the Agenda Item for Sharrows and Lane Elimination (we support Sharrows on BOTH sides of N101) say that the intersections on N101 had a safer 10 Year history, with less collisions of any kind, with other cars, bicycles or pedestrians than other similar intersections throughout California?"
Many intersections in California occur where speed limits were much higher than what was our 40 mph. Where speeds are higher, accident rates rise exponentially. "Other similar intersections" is a pretty general illustration and I'd have to see the comparison to our unique layout for myself. For example, TWO of our three 101 intersections have only three way stops. While only Leucadia Blvd is a four way interseciton, serving only 1 block to the west. So if they were really comparing "similar" areas", I wonder how many areas are that similar to ours. Safer that other similar areas? Maybe. But as far as it making anyone feel good beacuase it's been "safe" for 10 years, it was definately not safe, but gets safer as we see more of the Streetscape elements come to pass.
"Your logic is false, as you consistently try to compare apples to oranges. Pedestrian fatalities taking place ANYWHERE in the country is NOT the same as your not being able to Google any pedestrian fatalities in roundabouts. Can you GET THAT?"
Yes, apples are not oranges. Roundabouts are not intersections. Deaths did not occur in them last year. Can you GET THAT?
There may be more collisions involving accidents on North 101, but NONE are documented Northbound, other than the one tragic fatality that involved a HIT & RUN driver drifting to the right hand lane at 1 in the morning, which would NOT have been prevented by taking away a lane for motorists, northbound, and nowhere else on N101.
Of course you cannot prove a negative. But we can certainly take preventative measures that do not guarantee safety, but I'll take my chances in an 8' wide marked bike lane rather than a poorly marked 18" wide unmarked lane next to a highway.
Fred, the accidents you speak of, but which haven't been documented, may have happened, but they do NOT justify four roundabouts at three way intersections, where they NO pedestrian accidents occurred. You were talking about pedestrian accidents, remember? Now you are again bringing in accidents, such as your van collision, that didn't involve pedestrians?
DeleteAfter this, it's no use discussing this with you, because you're too stubborn to see your own failures in logic. We have ALREADY done a great preventative in REDUCING the speed limit to 35 MPH, by being able to round down, according to the fairly new state law in measuring the median speed at which 80 or 85% of drivers travel. The reduced speed limit should be enforced. Motorists shouldn't have to slow down to 15 MPH on Historic Highway 101!
Roundabouts are used as tools for developers in obtaining "mitigated environmental impact declarations." As another poster pointed out, the intersections where they are installed no longer have to be graded for projected traffic impact of high density development. That's a fact. So environmental impact reports, which include detailed traffic analysis, are not required.
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ReplyDelete"I never heard that the bicycle lane was "turned down" in the railway corridor after tests were done."
ReplyDeleteNot your fault you're not omnipresent. Guess you missed that memo.
The sorry and narrow existing bike lane from A to Marcheta is OUTSIDE of the 50' concern of the RR property and has never been well maintained and so seldom used. (As that path goes north, it does enter the RR property and so it HAD to be discontinued). One professional cyclist who did use it one summer night 3 years back was able to walk across the street to Captain Keno's with his head bleeding (with a helmet on) because the poorly lit, pot hole ridden path made him crash, but he refused an ambulance.
Also, it's clear you have no idea how much money the school gets from the Farmer's Market, but yet you still want the school to get "more" than they get! What logic. Just what is your motivation for making such statements, and why all the venom for such a positive influence under the leadership of L-101? Hundreds of people enjoy the market each week. It is a viable, productive and needed entity here with an awesome selection of GREAT foods and good times, or it would have perished long ago from lack of interest. The proceeds are NOT split half and half as either you assume or have been told. One thing is clear, no amount would satisfy you.
The taxes L-101 receives are budgeted each year to all the groups through funds earmarked for Economic Development including what taxes are collected from tourists (TOT funds paid for by tourists at hotels/motels) that are specifically designed to go back into the community for enhancements. But it's clear you'd like L-101 to dry up and blow away.
You seem to be the only one pushing Union St as the cut off for Leucadia. Not anyone I know on L-101. We are the ones bringing the community together, not dividing it.
Monies L-101 receives have never been spent promoting roundabouts. I'd like to see one receipt for where your mouth is.
The real story behind the city's push for roundabouts is that they do not carry a traffic designation. This means that there is no requirement for developers to be constrained as to how many cars their projects put on the road.
DeleteNorby's wish to use roundabouts as "a unifying theme" for Encinitas is a smokescreen for the removal of the road rating. Aside from that, I'd say we don't need a "theme." We are not Legoland.
Take that and shove it KLCC! You go Fred!
DeleteThat whole KLCC BS is just someone trying to pre-empt Keep Leucadia Funky, which got more votes than any other category at the (bogus) roundabout workshops. Just like the City is trying to preempt Prop A with a bogus ordinance that will NOT eliminate loopholes, and for which the public is not falling.
DeleteWe're voting YES on Prop A!
Scrap the Streetscam! Prop A will help us to prevent more high density building with three stories and 33 feet and higher along the 101 corridor, as before pushed by developers and Council, that OVERRODE the neighbors' desires to keep it to 30 ft and two stories. The wishes of the Community Advisory Boards were overridden, contrary to Tony's comments. He wasn't around when it "went down."
No such "test" was ever published in the newspapers or posted on any Agenda at City Hall. Where did you hear about it Fred? Sounds like unsubstantiated hearsay.
DeletePlus, that would only be the case if the bicycle lane were too wide, and came too close to the tracks. There is enough room for a bicycle lane, which already exists from A Street to Marchetta and points south. It needs to be maintained and extended, north, to La Costa, removing the thorns.
If there were any such "test," Fred, then the railtrail corridor bicycle plan WOULDN'T have been part of the Bicycle Masterplan Update just approved by the Planning Commission on 1/17/13, and which is posted online, through the City's website.
Are you sure it's not because he wants to redo all the shop facades here and rename it Legodia? Sorry Peder, just havin some fun with the latest conspiracy theories!
ReplyDeleteBut seriously 7:53. Our road is already designated to handle 18,000 car trips per day but barely does 9,000. Roundabouts are a tool for developers that will magically increase that high number? How? I'd sooner think making a road wider would be a developer's tool.
No "conspiracy theory," direct quote (unfortunately).
ReplyDeleteRoundabouts won't magically increase anything, but they do the job of removing a road rating, which means traffic can't - and won't - be measured. Not a good Pandora's Box, is my point.
And where exactly may I find this rule you're quoting?
ReplyDeleteFred, where exactly may I find this "test" you're quoting? re the bicycle lane being too close to the train? There is a safe distance, and there's room, but not for an 8 ft. lane!
DeleteEvery time I drive north, except on weekends, I see few, if any bicyclists in the empty, eight foot wide bicycle lane, that is far wider than necessary. I have seen bicyclists using the sharrows, which is great, AND using the dedicated bicycle lane from A Street to Marchetta, in the railway right of way, one time. The guy in the bicycle lane closer to the tracks looked more like a professional. The guy in the Sharrows was on a cruiser.
The 2000 Highway Capacity Manual provides skeleton coverage of modern roundabouts, but does not define level-of-service at this time.
DeleteWhat's unfortunate to me are those who believe it's best to oppose roundabouts and keep making ALL left hand turns onto 101 as hazardous as it is now at the four east bound streets where roundabouts will make them safer and easier. When the roundabouts are in, east bound cars turning left onto 101 will only have to navigate 1 lane of 15 mph traffic at a roundabout instead of the 3 lanes of cars going 35 mph the way it is now. These same roundabouts will also make convenient U-turns possible at those locations where currently they are more difficult and from the east cannot be made at all.
ReplyDeleteLet's not forget that the roundabouts will also have crosswalks and we will finally have a much needed safe way to cross over and access both sides of 101 at multiple points along the corridor. Mass transit will also be much more accessible to access on the east side of the highway.
DeleteFred, roundabouts are NOT recommended by the U.S. Dept. of Transportation at three way intersections, because they're not recommended where the cross street has significantly less traffic than the main highway.
ReplyDeleteA couple more u-turn or left hand turn lanes, going northbound, could be put in to help the businesses on the west side of the highway. Residents adjacent to the N101 corridor definitely don't want roundabouts, ALSO, because they will increase cut through traffic and slow emergency response times. Also, when traffic chokes up during summer months, especially, it WILL be harder to turn left, going north from streets west of the highway, as people will be stopping within the roundabouts, as often happens within Leucadia Blvd's roundabouts, now.
Because of the signal at Leucadia, and the stop sign at Marchetta, we do have some breaks in traffic and some opportunities to get out onto the highway, even when traffic volume is high. But the roundabouts would effectively eliminate another lane going southbound, too, as there will be five in a row, and four of them will be ONE LANE ROUNDABOUTS.
"Fred, roundabouts are NOT recommended by the U.S. Dept. of Transportation at three way intersections, because they're not recommended where the cross street has significantly less traffic than the main highway."
DeleteReally? And if there were 9000 cars a day from El Portal as cross traffic to 101's 9000 cars per day, that would make the roundabout there work better than the mere hundreds we have there now? Use your head. The four roundabouts at 101 locations are especially designed as a benefit FOR cross traffic with additional luxuries of U-Turn access, better gas mileage (than a 3 way stop that at least one vocal local and perhaps you prefer), removal of mandatory stops and providing more overall safety with a slower speed limit.
Residents adjacent to 101 definitely do want roundabouts. But then again, many of them attended Streetscape workshops to learn more about their multiple benefits.
It is many times difficult and/or unsafe to turn left onto 101 right now. Roundabouts make it far easier and safer by having to navigate only ONE lane of traffic instead of 3. They also introduce the beneficial options for east-bounders of not having to stop at all and providing motorists with option of making U-Turns.
The signals and stops do create some breaks in traffic for making left turns onto the hwy part of the time, but not most of it. The lane eliminations going south are periodic occurring just priat the roundabouts, and are exactly like the lane eliminations for the roundabouts at Leucadia Blvd and Santa Fe Dr, not to mention all the roundabouts in Birdrock and anywhere else where two lanes become 1 prior to a roundabout.
Pedestrians are not generally crossing the street to get to the east side of the highway, because all the businesses are on the west side, PLUS, there is no way to cross the tracks, and there won't be, for years, unless at grade crossings are allowed.
ReplyDeleteThere are very few people crossing the street to catch a bus. There have been no recorded pedestrian accidents that were noted in the 10 year study of all collisions posted in the Staff Report for the 7/18/12 Council Meeting, when Sharrows were approved. On the basis that our intersections, including those intersections where roundabouts are planned, are safer than similar intersections in ten year studies throughout the state, adding any stop signs was denied.
But adding a stop sign wasn't an alternative that the public could ever vote for through the bogus roundabout survey workshop, where "None of the above" (not wanting traffic signals OR five roundabouts and lane elimination) was counted as "did not respond." And that survey was a "re-vote" that the public also did not request. Council didn't like that the previous survey at City Hall had almost two thirds of the people voting for no roundabouts and lane elimination. So another survey was taken, about a year later, eliminating that possibility as one of our selections! It was pure manipulation and was not equitable, nor fair to the neighbors.
Pedestrians can only cross safely and legally in three places right now.
DeleteMarcheta
Leucadia Blvd
La Costa Blvd
Of course their not crossing in large numbers.Have you ever tried to cross mid point? It's insane to try for most. There is a need for more access to the east side despite what you think.
There are 10 bus stops on east 101. Hundreds of people cross 101 to get to them each day, as do hundreds of employees and customers park on the east side of 101. Hundreds more at 101 special events.
ReplyDeleteFortunatley, the lowered speed limit is working well and it is much easier to cross the hwy any unmarked spot than it was last year.
And some annonymous people love to waste everyone's time with yet more stops signs added to 101. Not me.
Sorry Nici, Didn't mean to make you flee.
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