Now, from the Inbox:
California Coastal CommissionSan Diego Area7575 Metropolitan Drive, Suite 103San Diego, CA 92108Re: Appeal No.: A-6-ENC-08-106, City of Encinitas v. Peter Stern andCitizens for Quality of LifeDear Sir(s):I am writing to add a postscript to the Commission's decision and the Staff Report and Recommendation on Appeal dated January 15, 2009, through which approval was granted for the City of Encinitas project now known as the "Encinitas Community Park."Hindsight allows us to learn from mistakes, but only if the one who erred is aware of the error. To this end, I wanted to take this opportunity to inform you of the potentially devastating impact of your staff's recommendation and the Commission's decision to approve the above-referenced project, specifically with regard to damage to a rare Southern California coastal riparian area that has resulted from the project.The following text appears on page 11 of the Staff Report and Recommendation on Appeal Substantial Issue:… Finally, in terms of preservation of significant environmental areas on the subject site that have been identified by either the appellants or the subject EIR. There is an offsite riparian area (Rossini Creek) south of the subject site, but the proposed development will not adversely impact the creek and may actually improve the riparian area by providing additional water. In addition, with proposed BMP measures to effectively filter all polluted runoff from the site, the proposed development has been designed to protect the water quality resources of Rossini Creek and ultimately San Elijo Lagoon and the Pacific Ocean. The BMP measures will represent a significant improvement over runoff that currently enters the creek from the former greenhouse operation site. (Emph. added)Fast forward just a few years and history now shows that Rossini Creek has been all but destroyed by the Encinitas Community Park project, which has yet to be completed. A little over a year ago in May, the creek dried up suddenly and completely. Rossini Creek runs through my backyard — I see it every day. In what was then nine years in my home, I had never seen the creek go completely dry, even during the drought of 2009, when mandatory water restrictions were in place limiting irrigation run-off. According to other area residents who have lived near the creek for as many as 40 years, this was the first time in their memories that the creek had gone dry. In spite of extensive grading and excavation activity occurring at the same time less than 100 feet upstream of the creek head, City officials denied responsibility out of hand, declining to investigate the complaint or make any attempt whatsoever to identify a cause. Rossini Creek was able to recover somewhat following the first rains in October of 2013, but again dried up completely at the end of last month. Fish that were living in the creek have disappeared. Trees and shrubs that rely on the creek for water are beginning to die.The City and its contractor are currently pursuing settlement relating to a substantial penalty imposed by the California Regional Water Quality Board for allowing uncontrolled sediment runoff from the site that filled Rossini Creek and emptied into San Elijo Lagoon during a storm in December 2012. (See Complaint No. R9-2013-0152.) State inspectors found the stormwater measures taken by the City to be "totally ineffective", while others didn't exist at all. This failure was in spite of warnings of several BMP deficiencies from multiple inspections conducted prior to the December storm. An additional violation was cited in March 2013, thus prompting the large fine.Far from "actually improving the riparian area" as the Commission report concludes, the Encinitas Community Park project is well on its way to obliterating Rossini Creek. Whether or not the Commission takes any action or further investigates this issue, I can at least hope that lessons will be learned. Firstly, assuming that proper BMPs will be used just because an applicant says so, without requiring further proof of compliance, is naive and irresponsible. Unsupported representations by an applicant seeking approval must be properly viewed as self-serving, not accepted as fact. Secondly, follow-up on the impact of a decision such as this is essential. The cost is too high when a mistake is made, and tragedies such as this one could be prevented in the future by recognizing inadequacies in the process.A rare and valuable natural resource has been severely impacted and may be beyond recovery. The Coastal Commission is tasked with, among other things, preservation of significant environmental areas — it has failed miserably in this instance. At best, I hope that the Commission will follow up with the City and demand both explanation and remediation. At minimum, the Commission should take this as a learning opportunity to improve its procedures for evaluation of future applications for development projects and give genuine consideration to grounds raised in opposition to such projects. In the instant case, the opposition accurately predicted this unfortunate result in its appeal, which the Staff Report's author dismissed as insignificant.Thank you for your consideration of my letter. Should you have any questions or require further information, including any supporting documentation, please feel free to contact me by e-mail at [omitted] or by phone at [omitted].Cordially,
Eleanor MusickCardiff Resident, Attorney, andDirector, San Diego Coastkeeper
Attached are some photos I took recently of the creek, including one of an area just south of Cardiff Glen where someone has obviously been spending a lot of time, right in the middle of what used to be the creek. I've contacted Tess at Cardiff 101 and she's contacting the Sheriff and others to address the mess.
It's really sad what has happened to our beautiful creek. (The middle photo shows a spot where the water has always been about 18 inches deep, where frogs and fish would thrive.) I posted a short video on YouTube last year when the first disruption in the creek occurred. It is, of course, much worse now. Here's a link to the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrwUwQ2F2no
The San Diego area is semi-arid. The idea that a short creek could be naturally flowing year round is absurd. The creek gets fed largely by the irrigation of the residential development that surrounds it. The park will probably add to that although I don't know if any of it is designed to eventually drain into the creek. If you want the creek to continue to flow year round, fine, but don't act as if this is natural. It's a man made phenomenon.
ReplyDeleteThe creek could also have been fed from small amounts of subsurface water, which source could have been diverted or obliterated by the grading, the public works development. Encinitas very obviously has not employed best management practices.
DeleteI hope the author of the letter to the CCC will share if there is any response.
Cottonwood Creek is still flowing despite the semi-arid conditions. Before the City made the park, it resembled Rossini Creek. I used to walk the Rossini Creek path from 2009-2012, and it always had water. Now it doesn't. What changed? Cottonwood is still running.
DeleteSo that's where I left my chair....hey Mr. Coast keeper dude, watch that chair for me until I can get over there and collect it.
ReplyDeleteIf it is not a natural creek then tell me how the canyon was created if not by water.
ReplyDeleteGod. Read your bible. God created the heavens and the earth....
Delete12:00 nailed it.
ReplyDeleteHow else can we explain the change in flow, other than to admit that the greenhouses were wasting water, and allowing tons of it to flow off their property? Just because it happened for a long time does not mean it's natural or right.
12:30, duh. The canyon was carved by seasonal flows during the rainy season.
How do we know the natural state of Rossini Creek isn't a year-round flowing stream? Simple. When we stopped pouring excessive amounts of water on the ground upstream, it dried up.
We really live in upside-down-land when the environmentalists complain and sue because artificial conditions are removed and land is restored to a native state. It's beautiful to have a running stream with lush vegetation, but the only difference between Rossini Creek and a golf course is who loves them.
Good job, Eleanor. The CCC is pretty good at researching these things and it will be interesting to see where they come out. 12:56 has a good point. Hopefully there is enough historical data that can be analysed to come up wit the right answer.
ReplyDelete- The Sculpin
Or the coastal keeper dude could turn on his/her hose and flood the creek with water thereby restoring the creek to its previous glory.... Just saying.
Deletethere is a story on this subject at www.encinitasbeacon.com
ReplyDeleteEleanor might find it interesting to know that during the appeal she references to the coastal commission - that in 2008 - as the economy went in the tank, Bear Stearns was collapsing, and the city was well on it's way to underfunding projects- Barth and the junta hired high priced Armani wearling lobbyist Susan McCabe to lobby the CCC ahead of the meeting-
ReplyDeletewell, imagine that, the skids were greased and the CCC stiffed residents- no suprise there-
Now Barth and the clan are backing Blakespear who said last night the RWCB fine was a slap on the wrist- hmmm, what could we do with $430,000 Catherine? SOme safe route to schools, some road repair, or storm drain repair-
Hey,2:24
ReplyDeleteI think you mean STOCKS-----BOND -----and DALAGAR GASPARS BUDDIES Get your shit straight dude.
4:22- ahh, the yelling, all caps, really. Everyone knowns who was on the council in 2008, and everyone knows who barth and her ethically challenged buddies are backing
DeleteBlakespear did call the $430,000 fine a "slap on the wrist." Instead of being as pissed as the rest of us at the City knowingly inviting the fine, she downplays it. Maybe in her world, $430K isn't much. Maybe in her world, this is not something to be taken seriously.
ReplyDeleteIn my world, I'm voting Graboi.
The city paid Susan McCabe $25,000 to lobby the Coastal Commission. Before the hearing started, McCabe was seen hugging various commissioners. The fix was in.
ReplyDeleteIt started with Gary Cannon. staffer in the San Diego CC office. The city convinced him that the protected wetlands in Cardiff Glen, the San Elijo Lagoon, and the ocean at the mouth of the lagoon were not harmed by the contaminated soil particles washed down Rossini Creek after every rainfall. The city always denied that there were any toxic insecticides in the soil. Lab reports said otherwise.
We all know now that the city was forced to bury a large volume of toxic soil on site. The worst toxic chemical was Toxaphene, a known carcinogen. The city was responsible for more than 10 years of toxic runoff before construction ever started. The illegal discharges into the creek after construction started only added to a long standing problem.
It sounds like all public business is discussed at bars and parties.
DeleteCan't remember a summer that creek was wet for long. Any pics? The one frog in the video is either petrified or he croaked.
ReplyDeleteYes, where does this eternal spring come from? It completely defies logic to think that this so called creek is wet year round year after year in the worst drought on record.
ReplyDeleteStop it with the toxic run off misinformation too. The graded silt that flowed into the creek was new and not contaminated. Those two rainstorms were pretty light on the rain too. There was no biblical amounts of rain comming down durring those two storms so just stop it withe hyperbole.
No hyperbole. The city only started grading the property recently. Irrigation stopped when the city bought the property in 2001. Greenhouses were cleared in 2002. For a decade there was runoff from the property. Check the rainfall records. You can get them from the San Elijo sewer treatment plant not far to the south. There were several years with good rainfall.
DeleteIt's a fact that ten years of runoff carried contaminated silt down the creek when the Hall property was sitting idle. It's also a fact that there were several locations in Encinitas with springs and permanent water. One was where the lake on the golf course now sits, another was Cottonwood Creek, the reason a railway stop was located there, and a third was in Cardiff near Lake Drive, where there had been an indigenous village. These are the areas where the first settlers located in Encinitas. They needed water to survive.
To Anonymous 12:00 and 4:51: 10 years of daily observation provides ample evidence that the creek flows year round; admittedly it slows in late summer, but it never dried up until this year. You sound like the City and the Coastal Commission report author -- bald assertions without empirical evidence. You might also be better informed by reviewing a document that is available through the City of Encinitas archives: "Report of Riparian Parkways Task Force", October 14, 1992. Page 39 describes Rossini Creek (Canyon) as 50% natural watershed/ 50% municipal run-off - it's not just irrigation run-off. This report was commissioned by the City. They went into a tizzy when it was brought to their attention following my initial complaint; now they just don't care.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the fine, as these things always go, the City will negotiate the fine down to probably less than half of the original amount. The City Council voted to undertake a Supplemental Environmental Project (SEP) to offset of portion of their liability. A landowner along the Creek refused to allow a SEP that would restore the Creek, so the San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy is working with the City on a Lagoon restoration project. The problem is that the City has amassed so many violations that the RWQB won't approve any SEP until they clean up their act, so the whole thing has stalled.
Regarding the trash in the creek bed, the City Code Enforcement Manager has engaged a contractor to clean up the mess -- it should be gone by the end of the week. Responding to the wise crack about the chair, if you want it back, you'd better do it now. Also if those are your cigarette butts as well, you could use a big dose of common sense -- smoking in that bone dry brush could burn us all out of our homes.
Eleanor, who owns that property?? Who owns Rossini creek?? They are the ones that should pay for any clean up. I object to my tax dollars going to clean up some else's land. If you own it, you pay to clean it. My tax dollars go to enough stupid programs in this damn town....
DeleteYup.
Delete50% natural watershed sounds about right. But 95% of the natural watershed falls out of the sky and runs downhill in the winter and spring.
Do you think there is a natural spring that was somehow plugged up by the construction? Amazing that no one ever saw this flowing spring. Amazing also, because there are no other running springs in all of Encinitas, because our geology and hydrography don't support their existence.
It's a water miracle. Hallelujah!
5:27, not unlike Catharine, I played in that valley a lot as a kid (and it's always had "outdoorsmen" camps too btw). It wasn't always wet. You call for documentation, but you're the one who needs to provide proof it always flowed. What an easy time to say its ruined during the worst drought.
DeleteThere has always been an underground creek flowing under the Hall property. Citizens designed a retention pond for this natural water source in their design for the park. Alas, the water feature was rejected and more sports fields were added. Tennis courts, basketball courts, ampatheatre and gardens were also eliminated.
DeleteAnonymousSeptember 17, 2014 at 5:52 PM
DeleteEleanor, who owns that property?? Who owns Rossini creek?? They are the ones that should pay for any clean up. I object to my tax dollars going to clean up some else's land. If you own it, you pay to clean it. My tax dollars go to enough stupid programs in this damn town....
The whole "MY TAX DOLLARS!!!" freak out thing is such a joke. Your lifetime tax contribution won't pay for one single cruise missile that exploded in a field in Iraq years ago.
ahhh- I think Gus Vina fired the code enforcement office without council consent or informing the council. Word on the street is the office was too diligent in monitoring the bars on the 101
DeleteI am with you on the city doing a crappy job regarding Rossini Creek- it is a shame it might be developed someday but understandable the Smith familly would want to put houises their - after all it is their land, I just hope the famiuly doesn't ask for density bonus handouts and city council upzones to put it crammed housing like they have all over the city- see the sace desert rose voted by Shaffer, Kranz, Barth, Muir and Gaspar- all 5 voted against resident safety, quality of life and the environment- Graboi and Cameron went to council meetings and spoke up for Desert Rose residents- interesting to know when we vote and who we support
"all 5 voted against resident safety, quality of life and the environment- "
DeleteI was at that meeting and was appalled when Muir made the motion to disregard public safety, the enviornment and quality of life. I was surprised the all voted for that.
Yiikes Anonymous 5:52pm - a bit bitter?
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you need to move somewhere where no one cares about community and you can sulk in solitude with your gun collection and survival gear.
8:23- I don't ask you or the city to pay to mow my lawn or trim my trees. I foot the bill. You live next to Rossini creek and getting the city(taxpayers) to clean up your abandoned chairs and other shit?? I thought so....
Delete8:23- I enjoy my gun collection here. So do many smart Americans. Why shouldn''t we? Are government gives them to money other country's residents.
ReplyDeleteO crap, back to bad grammar again. His lowness must be back here after not nearly enough time.
ReplyDeleteJust how smart are you if you cant use the correct form of our and not are.
That bought online degree keeps slipping you up. Please get an editor to check before you post. Then we wouldn't even know it was you and you could finally post truly anonymously.
Anonymous 9/17 12:56 pm and others:
ReplyDeleteDon't let actual facts get in the way of your uninformed conclusions:
The greenhouse operations on the Hall property ceased in May 2002, and the property was cleared by May 2003. (Source: Hall Property Final Project EIR 8/22/08) Do you really expect us to believe that the City (or someone else) has been pouring enough irrigation water into Rossini Creek to keep it flowing for a full 10 years? -- then they just decided to turn it off? Really??
The Creek flowed continuously until May 2013 -- park construction began in l2012. Months of heavy grading and soil compaction combined with excavation immediately in adjacent the Creek head damaged a Creek that has flowed for as long as many long time Cardiff residents have lived here (50+ years.) The Latin, and legal, term is "res ipsa loquitur" -- the thing speaks for itself; but of course, you have to consider the actual facts.
Because engineers at the city already know the newly remodeled strip mall will be 4' under water during the next heavy rain, they have privately renamed the park "Hall Dam".
DeleteAnonymous 9/17 11:36 pm:
ReplyDeleteAnd I would bet you wouldn't bother bending over to pick up a piece of trash on the ground because it wasn't yours. The idea of "community" is caring about the places and people that surround you and taking care of them, even if it's not your legal responsibility. REAL community members have a social responsibility, which you clearly don't feel.
Try Alaska -- I've heard it's full of people who can't stand other people and think only about themselves.
The encinitas council of Barth Shaffer and Kranz have underfunded project sticking it to taxpayers, they lied on prop A, they voted against resident safety at desert rose- is that your idea of caring? Is that social responsibility -voting against residents, increasing taxes, going in debt and looking the others way when a city manager witholds financial information from the public-?
DeleteSo because we've got crappy elected officials it relieves everyone else of social responsibility? Do something positive - it'll make you less grumpy.
DeleteI am positive, compassionate kind and caring- that is why I am backing Cameron and Graboi
DeleteIf you care vote for Sheila Cameron and Julie Graboi. If you are careless vote for the others.
DeleteIf you care don't vote for Sheila. Please reflect on what occured last time when she was in office, and how long ago that was. Do you really think Sheila can pop out of nowhere again and build a consensus? Really unlikely. She's done great things for our city, but the past is the past.
DeleteLooking to the future it'd not in Kranz for sure. I'll take Cameron's 10x brain power anyday. The rest are selling us out.
DeleteIf Schaffer Kranz and Barth outlawed plastic bags what will the radical trio of S,K and C outlaw ?? Surfboards ??
Delete12:00 Speaking
ReplyDeleteEver hear of a dry creek? They flow during rain storms and that is how they are formed. Rossini Creek may have some spring fed water but it's a short creek and wouldn't get the kind of natural flow to support aquatic life. Most likely, the heavier flow is the result of all those natural phenomenon like dams, aqueducts, and reservoirs that provide this semi-arid region with water. Whether it comes from the homes downstream of the park or upstream, most of the water came from irrigation runoff and seepage. And yes I did read the "Report of Riparian Parkways Task Force", October 14, 1992
There were fish living in the creek - they count as aquatic life, and I don't think they really cared how short the creek was.
DeleteThis tidbit of wisdom brought to you by a member of the original "doesn't-belong-there-in-the-first-place" species. A shining example of the human arrogance that allows people to dismiss anything that doesn't fit in with their delusion that the world revolves around them.
Delete9:53, I used to catch my largest trout and blue gill in that creek all year round. But the tuna was so large I had it mounted. Now I'm lucky to catch a live tadpole.
Delete12:12 PM
DeleteIf you're referring to me at 9:08 AM, sorry to disappoint you but my point has been that it's not a natural perennial stream. If you would like to see that continue, fine, go for it. Just don't claim that you're restoring it to its natural state. The Salton Sea description above is a perfect example. Left to its natural state in the current climate conditions it would be a dry lake bed.
So continue on with your half witticisms but please work on the reading comprehension.
On another note, it looks like the Kranz story is getting some traction. Check out the online edition of the Coast News, and the comment. It's about how we are going to have to pay even more for PV, and the commenter also included Kranz's trip to Israel.
ReplyDeleteWord on the street is that Francine Busby, current Chair of the San Diego Democratic Party, and a resident of Cardiff, is going to be pushed aside because of her insistence of supporting both Tony and Catherine in the November elections. If all that is being said about Tony is true, then I think he should decide, as graciously as he can, that he has some for of family emergency, and he has to drop out of the race for Mayor. He would still be a Councilman for another 2 years, so he could at least save face. As the election gets closer, there is no way this genie is going back in the bottle. It would be the best thing for Tony and the best thing for the City.
ReplyDeleteBusby should have been pushed aside long ago. She seems nice enough, but a terrible candidate. She reminds me of Mrs. Doubtfire. What is the Kranz story? Yet another slander job in the Reader or something of real substance?
Delete-MGJ
Go over to the candidates forum thread.
DeleteThere's no fire there, unless you can prove a direct quid pro quo or Tony not reporting the trip. He reported it, so case over, unless something comes out that he didn't report. Sorry haters, you'll have to find more than that.
DeleteSeriously though, it's Tony or Kristin. Is there anybody on this blog that wants Gaspar?
11:42 AM
DeleteThat's what Dalager said.
Kranz never was going to be mayor, now it looks like his term will probably be cut short. Selling out for money.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Leichtag has offered him a real job?
ReplyDeleteA real secret job?
DeleteCheck out the Coast News article on Sept. 15, 2014 about Leichtag building a pavilion. I thought we got to vote on such things?
ReplyDeleteWould this be zoning change for the Gardens? Sounds like a one story building, so not sure if this comes Under Prop. A
Deletehttps://thecoastnews.com/2014/09/grant-from-leichtag-foundation-boosts-efforts-for-new-pavilion/
The zoning is Ecological Resource/Open Space. A pavilion may be permitted with a Conditional Use Permit. Anything over 30 feet would require a public vote under Prop. A.
DeleteIsn't it considered a zoning change, or am I wrong?
ReplyDeleteSee post immediately above at 8:02 PM. There won't be a zoning change. The Planning Department has a lot of discretion in approving a conditional use permit. It's hard to imagine the council wouldn't approve whatever Planning comes up with. There's no doubt how Kranz will vote with Leichttag involved. He should recuse himself.
ReplyDeleteHe won't, though. Clearly he sees no conflicts of interest. And that's why he's the worst sort of city representative.
DeleteHe has no judgement. Two months after riding into office on Shaffer's coattails and Prop A support, he announced of Prop A "I want to kill this thing." Not very sharp, that one.
6:39 AM
DeleteYou make it sound like the planning department can approve anything they want. That is not the case. The zoning code allows different uses in different zones, some by right and some only with a conditional use permit (CUP). A "by right" use means they don't have to ask permission. You can only get a CUP if that use is already identified in that zone.
11:54 AM
DeleteThe planning department CAN approve anything it wants. Look at all the excepts that planning has approved. The only reason why they come to light is because their approval is appealed to the council.
12:08 PM - NO they can't
DeleteSo PV is going to cost much much more than originally thought.... And yet not one supporter has come forward to offer a donation to help defer the cost. Not even a lousy $500....
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile the bad taste left behind for biting into this PV turd keeps getting stronger.
Why isn't Blakespear banging the drum? Doesn't she have property surrounding the creek?
ReplyDeleteBlakespear doesn't want to talk about the Smith family trust development of Rossini Canyon and creek. The family wanted to subdivide the 5+ acres back in the '80s with the county. Encinitas became a city, and the Smith family pursued the subdivision with the new city.
ReplyDeleteAt that time, the Smith family received some special treatment from the planning department. All subdivided property is required to build at the mid-range density not maximum density. The planning department approved maximum density for the houses in Rossini canyon. Some of the houses would have been built on stilts because of the slope steepness.
The Smith subdivision approval was appealed, but the city council denied the appeal and let stand the development project.
A few years later after the city's LCP was approved developments had to have a coastal development permit.
Long story short - the CDP for the Smith development was appealed to the Coastal Commission, placed on an agenda and continued.
There is still the question of the original approval of the Smith subdivision development. It may still be valid and could be used to develop Rossini canyon.
Assuming everything you say is true,
DeleteHow old was Catherine in the 1980s when these decisions were made?
What was her role in the process?
Catherine's role has been to be less than honest about the history of the property. At the Cardiff Forum she stated that the family has protected the property for almost a century. The family acquired the property in 1951 as surplus property from the county. It had been designated as a park. The ownership has been closer to a half century, then minus almost two decades through the 1980s and 1990s when the family attempted to develop it, not protect it.
DeleteCatherine needs to be more truthful about this. I guess the truth doesn't serve her ambitions to get elected. Bad sign if a potetial council member is being dishonest even before being elected.
Thank you, Pam.
DeleteWhat, dishonesty in politics? Can we raise the bar a little higher than some comment about Rossinni Creek. It's getting awfully petty on the old blog these days?
Delete-MGJ
The general plan allows development at the maximum under certain conditions, mainly that the development provides some community benefit. I don't know how community benefit is interpreted but the only time I ever see the maximum used is with density bonus and we all know how that works. I have no knowledge of the Smith property particulars.
Delete11:26, for the record: that was not Pam and the info is available to anyone searching Google.
DeleteAppears you care more figuring out the messenger than the message. Good luck with your "more of the same" Blakespear candidate.
She is a lawyer - "truth" is all in how it is presented. She is only furthering her own interests.
DeleteOn April 8, 2014 a letter was sent to a select number of property owners, by Mike Andreen of The New Encinitas Business Network, offering the owners the prospect of increased financial gain with the information acquired from the private meeting.
ReplyDeleteAlso offered with this private meeting was the presence of Councilwoman Kirstin Gaspar to answer questions concerning the city and private-property-rights and an impending Council strategic planning meeting.
The letter was titled – “Encinitas Up-Zoning Can Mean Increased Property Values”
On April 8, 2014 a letter was sent to a select number of property owners, by Mike Andreen of The New Encinitas Business Network, offering the owners the prospect of increased financial gain with the information acquired from the private meeting.
ReplyDeleteAlso offered with this private meeting was the presence of Councilwoman Kristin Gaspar to answer questions concerning the city and private-property-rights and an impending Council strategic planning meeting.
The letter was titled – “Encinitas Up-Zoning Can Mean Increased Property Values”
The 94 select properties list was taken from a City of Encinitas direct mailer to properties that had been identified for possible up-zoning. Other properties in the neighborhood hadn't received this notification from the city.
However, Mike Andreen of the New Encinitas Business Network was able to obtain the list for his private meeting.
It's now Scummy Goo Park, compliments of incompetent city contractors. Then the typical white wash by complacent bureaucrats. Maybe they need a retreat in the desert to discuss the issue.
ReplyDeleteLooks like "transparency" applies to whoever wants a mailing list from the city as well, 12:24.
ReplyDeleteYou have to know about the list in the first place, 1:25. How is it Andreen does, but no residents aside from the 95 notified, and Gaspar, even heard of it?
DeleteNot very transparent...but you know, what's done is done, as Shaffer would say. Now believe the city while it tries to sell you the rest of the housing element update.
1:25 PM
ReplyDeleteThere was "transparency" of the list after the planning department was caught in notifying only select properties. No one knew about the city select mailing till 6 months later.
Why was Mayor Gaspar a part of Andreen's private meeting?
Selling out - what else? She has always been a shill for the developers - she was $tock$ and Dalager's backup stooge.
DeleteThere was no transparency or explanation after the fact offered by council, despite being asked several times "how did Andreen get the list?" Back up from there: how did he know such a list existed? He lives in Oceanside. Who told him about the list, and who gave it to him? The city won't answer.
ReplyDeleteIncorporation was like making the community a sheep to be divided amongst the wolves.
DeleteOh, and present at Andreen + Gaspar's information session held five months ago? Developer representatives.
ReplyDeleteSo you have the city secretly contacting 95 (not 94) parcel owners to advise them on the "options" available to them from upzoning.
You have Andreen finding out about and getting ahold of this list of 95.
You have Gaspar helping Andreen explain the profits - sorry, "options" - available.
You have all on the Council except Gaspar claiming no prior knowedge about secret meetings.
Can you spell "set up" for voters?
What did the City say when asked about it, does anyone know?
ReplyDeleteYou may watch Wednesday night's council meeting, but in a nutshell, silence. Nothing. Shaffer claims what Gaspar does on her own time is not fit to be brought up before the city, despite the fact that Andreen's letter advertises Gaspar's presence as a council person who will "explain" the city's position. Sure sounds like city communications to me.
ReplyDeleteGaspar loses permanent grin and stares down whenever Andreen's name comes up. Claims she will go talk before any group that invites her. Doesn't address the fact she had no problem holding this meeting in secret, with most residents in the dark as she talks to the audience about the the joys of upzoning. Doesn't address the fact that she's known Andreen forever and that he even claims to have run her last campaign...his sticky paws are all over everything she does, so she can just stop with the wide-eyed innocent act.
Gaspar - the shill gets nervous when exposed. Shaffer is an idiot that can't comprehend conflict of interest. She is an ethically constricted hypocrite.
DeleteGaspar can meet with anyone at any time in public, semi-private, or private. Nothing you can do to stop it. Nothing illegal about it. If you want to be invited... Give more $$$.
Delete9:29 PM
DeleteIs that what Roderick Wright, ex-legislature, kept saying?
10:07- money is the mothers milk of politics. Pay up.
DeleteMay be nothing we can do but not elect her. Then she'll become as useless to the dark side as Stocks...yesterday's news.
DeleteFrom the City's website regarding how to roll out the plan to upzone:
ReplyDelete"Council confirmed the approach to identify candidate sites for rezoning and directed staff to implement a more innovative way to solicit feedback from each community."
Guess behind all our backs was innovative. That's what council gets when they ask staff to think.
I love how Gaspar refers to Andreen as a"controversial figure". Well duh. Everyone knew he was central part of the clown harassment that was directed towards Councilperson Maggie Houlihan.
ReplyDeleteMayor Gaspar has been trying to get Andreen a seat on the taxpayer gravy train. If two other council members agree with her, Andreen could get $20,000 - $30,000 a year from the city.
ReplyDeleteIf two others agree with her? It looked like he already has a seat at the table, from the way his name was alongside the others on the list of "stakeholders."
DeleteGaspar needs to be run out of town on a rail to join $tock$ - her mentor,
ReplyDeleteGaspar is the best thing to happen to this city and will make a great elected mayor!
ReplyDeleteGaspar illegally represented the council at a private meeting run by best buddy Mike Andreen. Why isn't the rest of the council censuring her for misrepresentation?
ReplyDeleteWere you there?? What did she tell you?? Who else was present?? Here's an idea.... Why not throw some more shit on the wall and see what sticks.
DeleteLike it or not, the meeting with Andreen is a campaign issue for Gaspar.
DeleteThe City is just starting what will be a difficult process to create a compliant housing element. It's a volatile issue, and government needs popular support for both the process and the proposal. Inviting people to a meeting with developers to entertain hypotheticals about properties that may or may not be affected is at best terrible optics. It creates the appearance that the process and community input is all theater, and that the outcome is already known in advance by insiders.
Kristen's initial response has been to ignore it and hope it goes away. I don't think that's an effective strategy, especially during an election season. If Kristen hopes to put this behind her, she needs to explain (a.) how she came to be featured on the invitation to the meeting, (b.) what was her understanding about the hosts, invited guests, agenda, and the nature of her own participation? (c.) how this private meeting affected or related to the public process to create a housing element, and (d.) her understanding of how the hosts obtained the names and addresses of the targeted property owners.
Kristen has some 'splainin to do, and we hoi palloi need to escalate this as a campaign issue at council meetings and debates until she does.
While mayor, Gaspar is only one vote among five. As mayor, she can represent the city with any group, including developers. The only problem is that people here are highly suspicious of the groups they disagree with. If Gaspar's meeting was with the people who frequent this blog, I doubt there would be any comments as Gaspar would be meeting with "the good people".
DeleteAs a business owner, it's not hard to imagine Gaspar is receptive to their concerns. This juvenile attitude about conspiracy is just a waste of time. And no, I'm not affiliated with Gaspar and I don't care much for Andreen.
They all have some 'spainin; to do.
DeleteThey are an enormous failure, everyone of them.
Every council person fails in the duty to protect the pocket book of the tax payers of this city, from the first day of cityhood until now. Fail, fail,fail. Pathetic.
AnonymousSeptember 22, 2014 at 7:33 AM
ReplyDeleteThe General Plan Update was proceeding well with a very fair, diversified group with leaders and stakeholders representing the ENTIRE community, good facilitator and city staff support.
After two years, a draft was presented. A DRAFT.
For reasons that were not clear, Stocks&Gaspar&Friends labeled "the draft", "an ugly baby", disbanded GPAC, formed their own hand picked group, ERAC, and trashed all the information, time, energy and thought out the window.
NEVER was El Camino Real slated to have all the zoning potential changes.
NEVER was there a UPZONING PLAN FOR EL CAMINO REAL, as Garpar claims. Never was there a plan to take away personal ownership of cars and other BS Andreen claims.
This planned hijack of the General Plan was planned and calculated to benefit Stock&Friends and not the general public.
A vote for Gaspar is a vote for Stocks&Friends, Andreen, Meyers and developers. Your choice.
Julie and Sheila are the only two candidates that will not fall into line with the current operating procedures firmly established at city hall by past council members and staff who have been in bed with developer and real estate interests against the wishes of the public that they are supposed to be there to represent.
ReplyDeleteWe have a chance to clean this corruption up by electing those who are beholden to no one but us.
That is the choice before this community, clean and simple.
The days of compliant seat fillers can come to an end.
No other candidates running can demonstrate clearly this uninfluenced desire for the love of this town like these two women who have stepped up.
Well, well Catherine Blakespear has not been truthful about her knowledge
ReplyDeleteof her family's subdivision development of Rossini creek. Seem Catherine was right along side her family in 1994 at a planning commission meeting trying to push through the family's housing development.
She is playing the phony conservationist guise - she is a development wolf in greenjeans.
DeleteNot true of fair.
ReplyDeleteIf you and your family owned land, would you have the right to do what you wished to with the land, under the law?
Of course you would.
Why would you look at their rights any differently?
Up the creek without a paddle - don't need the paddle thanks to destructive contractors!
ReplyDelete