In Old Encinitas, the parcels proposed for upzoning line both sides of Highway 101 from Encinitas Boulevard to K Street, include City Hall and its parking area, and four lots between Quail Drive and Quail Gardens Drive on the north side of Encinitas Boulevard.WtR doesn't think City Hall will be turned into condos; we disagree. Sell that property to a developer to put a huge 3-story luxury condo building, and the windfall will help cover up quite a bit of past fiscal mismanagement.
Note these adjustments to the Highway 101 specifics: The parcels on the east side stretch from Encinitas Boulevard past K Street to where the open ground becomes the railroad right-of-way. The parcels on the west side stretch from the bluff above Cottonwood Creek in Moonlight Park to the north corner of K Street.
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Prop T impact on Old Encinitas
Having previously written about the impact of Prop T's upzoning on Leucadia, the Waves to Ride blog now turns its attention to Old Encinitas:
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City hall is such an eyesore. Getting rid of it and the bad energy there is a step in the right direction. Use $ to fix roads.
ReplyDeletePut them in FEMA trailers.
DeleteAnd where would City Hall go?
ReplyDeleteCity Hall?? Pacific View will be torn down and a new city hall will be built on that location. The city will skip the EIR, the project will be green lighted by the Coastal Commission and staff and council will be ensconced in a Taj Mahal costing $60M+ or more.
DeleteOnce again the tax payers in Encinitas get the shaft.
ALL POLITICIANS are CROOKS, not all crooks are politicians.
I support the removal of " the dump" located between Leucadia liquor and La Especial Norte. It's a junk yard. Why anyone would oppose condos there is beyond reason. But then again we are talking about Leucadia....keep it crappy!!
ReplyDeleteI've always wondered about that place. What's the story on it? A peek over the fence and I'd swear I was in the third world.
DeleteThe lots proposed for upzoning in Leucadia are north of Leucadia Blvd. That dump lot is between Daphne and Cadmus, which are both south of Leucadia Blvd.
DeleteThe lot is owned by Gene and Margaret Chappee inter vivos. It's zoned N-CM-1.
http://articles.latimes.com/1985-12-22/local/me-20204_1_leucadia
DeleteThe only "windfall" the city would reap is a new city hall. I can't see it located anywhere else so a new city hall would have to be part of any new development. That cost along with temporary facilities would eat up any "windfall".
ReplyDeleteAnd some clown in previous discussions was whining about decommissioning incorporation - now the city might build a new palace to enshrine their incompetence. Nero fiddles while Rome burns.
DeleteNote to Dorian Hargrove:
ReplyDeleteRegarding your story on the Encinitas No Rail Trail (NRT) group, some of us find it very strange that Facebook page of NRT has become an extension of Paul Gaspar's campaign against Blakespear, given that her vote was decisive in granting the group their primary demand--shifting the planned trail west of 101.
The appointment of representatives to an advisory board with no decision power seems like a tiny fig leaf.
I'm wondering if you are willing to ask a few follow up questions:
How many people are in the No Rail Trail group?
Who in the group has the power to make political endorsements and comment publicly under the NRT group name?
How are leaders selected?
Do leaders have a process to form policy, and assure it is representative of the larger group consensus?
Is the endorsement of Paul Gaspar and others under the NRT name intended to represent the NRT community (over 700 on Facebook)?
If so, was any attempt made to socialize and measure support among the group?
If not, are a small number of people misrepresenting their personal opinions by ascribing them to a much larger group?
Now if NoRailTrail is in any way coordinating with the Gaspar campaign, then NoRailTrail might be giving gifts in kind of social media promotion, and PR around the reader story. Such gifts have value, and must be disclosed.
DeleteBut are they coordinating?
Interestingly, over on the Encinitas Votes Facebook group, Julie Thunder is promoting Paul Gaspar by saying "I know Paul. I've worked with Paul." Now maybe that's a professional relationship. Maybe Paul Gaspar moonlights in applied mathematics (Julie Thunder's field, per her public profile); or maybe Gaspar Physical Therapy needs consulting in applied mathematics to clean up after the CFO.
Or maybe Julie Thunder has "worked with" Gaspar on campaign plans.
7:30 PM raises an interesting point. If NoRailTrail is coordinating with the Paul Gaspar campaign, they may run afoul of the FPPC reporting requirements, even if it's in kind donation of labor, but also if it's cash expenses. Encinitas has a $250 per person limit per candidate. The goup itself may have to file a Form 410 with the city and then report its expenditures.
DeleteHere is the problem as I see it. According to the No Rail Trail Group, they had 1000 people sign the letter asking the City Council to move the trail from the East side of the tracks and put it on the West side. They lobbied Catherine Blakespear and won what they wanted. I was one of those 1000 people. Now, as I look at their FB page, it's difficult to understand how they can speak for all 1000. I have sent Joe A., who started this with an letter he got published in, I think, the Coast news. (I could be wrong on which publication). He responded saying he was super busy but would get back to me. In the meantime, the group has no voting member on the trail committee. There are about 9 active members of this group who seemingly seem to think they are the leaders of it, although I have emails saying that there is no one person who is the leader. If these 9 people give to paul Gaspar, they do not speak for me, and I am one of the 1000 people who wrote to the Council asking for it to be on the West side. What gives?
DeletePaul Gaspar is cc'd in one of the recent emails one of the No Rail Trail people sent to me. That doesn't mean he is involved in anything but supporting the group, but it makes me wonder what is going on?
DeletePeople often come to council meetings and say they speak for the community. How do they get away with saying the community wants this or that?
Delete8:33 PM, "It makes you wonder WHAT is going on?" Catherine has lied over and over again AND is currently and illegally planning on getting her accolytes (Judy, Grover etc.) to 'conclude' that the unnecessary Rail Trail should be located on Vulcan/San Elijo.
DeleteGet your XXXX out of your XXX!
My guess is that the people making the off-topic comments think Measure T will fail in November.
ReplyDelete10:46- I happen to think the NoRail Trail is more interesting right now. I signed on to the petition, that the owner(s) of the FB page No Rail Trail. I have heard 1000 people signed. Now they have my personal information. This page was not set up as a political page, but a way to say we want the trail on the west side. Whoever is posting this on this FB page is not speaking for all 1000 people, but it makes it seem like it is. Paul Gaspar has supported this group all along. Now I wonder if he, Muir and Graham will have access to all of my personal information I shared when signing the petition. Anyone else see the problem here? I am not saying I won't vote for all 3 of them. But I didn't sign up for a political page for Mayor and City Council members. I signed a petition to move the trail from east to west and that is all.
ReplyDeleteI didn't sign the NoRailTrail petition, even though I live along the rail corridor. I witnessed what happened with the movement to purchase the Pacific View School property. Emails addresses were collected and used to send out emails without any individual control of the content and use of the address. I'm glad I didn't sign up. You can be sure that Paul Gaspar, Muir, and Graham will take advantage of the big list of email addresses. Muir has long been known as an avid collector of email addresses and using them to his advantage.
DeleteRe PV, I wrote a letter, through SAVE PV, and Scott, and it was forwarded, verbatim, to Council and others. I had complete control over what I said. I knew to whom it would be forwarded.
DeleteYou are comparing apples and oranges, 7:05.
Hmmm. I suspect a lot of manipulation/misdirection going on here. I feel like there are some candidates on here slinging mud and starting fires anonymously. If I'm right, please back off and let voters self-interpret. Don't turn these forums into your bully pulpits..
Delete12:12- Man that is not cool. They took a one issue item that got 1000 people to sign up and then turned it into a political page suggesting people vote for 3 candidates. And they make it seem as if the 1000 who signed are in agreement and they weren't asked? I would be pissed if I had signed it.
ReplyDeleteWhat IS cool is that some, not all, of the 1500 Cardiff residents that DID e-mail the Council against the Rail Trail WILL be walking door-to-door against Catherine. That WILL be cool.
DeleteIt is so NOT cool. I was one of the 1,000, but as soon as I heard the no rail trail group became a pro Gaspar, pro Trump political ploy, I unsubscribed and unliked their page. It's a shame they politicized the issue. Gaspar is worthless, she has done nothing for Encinitas except roll out the red carpet for developers. Blakespear is open minded and willing to change her position on issues when the facts change, like she did with the rail trail. She is the right choice for Encinitas.
DeleteAt home making more profits for developers at the expense of existing resident.
ReplyDeleteVote NO in NOvember on increasing densities for developer.
What happened to the No growth candidate? Where is Julie this election?
The no growth will get my vote every time.
Proud NIMBY.
Where are you this election, 5:40? Agree with all your vote NO comments, but this looking to the same few to save the day every few years is just not right.
DeleteYour choices are clear. It's either the full developer slate with Gaspar, Graham and Muir, or go with Tony, Blakespeare and Horvath...
DeleteThe fact that Gaspar went to great lengths to suck up to the No Rail Trail people so she could get their support is no surprise. Follow the money...
Don't you get it, 9:09 AM, Paul Gaspar is the RESULT of Catherine misleading the voters; you have it 180 degrees incorrect. Bias?
DeleteBlakespear's campaign signs are out already. I think Gaspar will have some difficulty over coming the 'experience' issue, as he is a political neophyte. Maybe he and Blubber Boy ($tock$ henchmen) can do a dynamic duo stunt! Halloween comes early to Encinitas!
ReplyDeleteSo are Graham's, on private property, but not in public spaces.
ReplyDeleteIf you guys in Cardiff are dumb enough to vote for Muir, Gaspar and Graham, who are bought and paid for by developers, then you will get what you deserve, which is the kind of intensive development you claim to be fighting against.
ReplyDeleteSorry that no one from the Prop A. camp wants to run, and sorry the Catherine has flopped around on the issue, but the one thing I can tell you as an ex-NCTD employee is that Double tracking is coming and that means either trenching or a fence or both.
So if you think the old school beach access can be preserved as is, which is already trespassing, then you're dead wrong.
Although not perfect, and no one is, I would much prefer Tony, Blakespeare and Horvath on the other side....
Yea, the choices are limited. I think your selection is the only option.
Deletehttp://www.thecoastnews.com/2012/12/13/questions-linger-over-groups-501-c-3-status/
ReplyDeleteIf you signed the No Rail Trail petition on Facebook and you feel the information you provided is being shared for other purposes, you should notify Facebook.
ReplyDelete9:22- How would one know? A feeling isn't good enough. One needs facts. All I know is a one issue site dedicated to getting the trail on the west side, and which over 1000 people supposedly signed, is now a political site. It is supporting Paul Gaspar, Mark Muir and Phil Graham. Whoever is posting is using "we" feel. There is a running thread on the FB group Encinitas Votes on this. Are there any reporters out there? It might make an interesting story.
DeleteIn the court of public opinion, the ethics of NRT matter. And the willingness of Paul Gaspar, Graham, and Muir to align with a handful of people misappropriating the good names of a thousand members of a single-issue group speaks volumes about their suitability for office.
DeleteIf they are willing to support fraud to win an election, are they worthy of your vote?
10:06 AM, We wonder, just how often does Mom allow you out in the sunshine in the backyard on your chain? If you had been following this issue it is almost impossible to come to the conclusion that anything has been misappropriated by the NRT or Gaspar or anyone else. You question ethics? That puts you perhaps in the Lisa Shaffer category of voters? When they say its not about the money, its about the money. When you say its about ethics, its not about the ethics. Its about bias.
DeleteAre the voters stupid or blind enough to elect a proven liar like Crybaby Catherine into the Mayor's Seat?
Let's hope not.
10:46,
DeleteAre you one of the leaders of NRT?
Would you kindly answer the questions at 5:54 above?
Contact Aaron Burgin at the Coast News or Jared Whitlock at the Encinitas Advocate and let them know about the Rail trail site being used as a political platform site....
Delete10:46, you speak of bias? Can you honestly say that Muir , The Gaspars or Jerome Stocks have ever been anything but a front for large development interests in this town? It's sad we don't have any prop A. people to run and represent that angle, in their absence, I go with what we have. No more Gaspars in Encinitas. Break the Rotary Club/Fire pension hold on city hall and run these guys out of town...
DeleteHere's a comment that's actually on the topic:
ReplyDeleteThree-story condos up to 48 feet high on the City Hall property are not going to happen.
City Hall would have to relocate and rebuild. Tall condos would block the view from the library.
The public uproar would prevent both.
The city owns the sites City Hall and the library are on, the site where the round library was on the corner of Cornish and East E is county owned.
I bet you could do 3 stories at around 35 feet without blocking the library view.
DeleteAnd City Hall could easily be moved to a much cheaper location like the old dump.
Who gives a shit if a view is blocked at the library?? No where does it say anyone visiting the library is entitled to a view. What folly!! If you are going to the library for a view how about walk 4 blocks west and enjoy the view from Moonlight??
DeleteView at the library... What an idiot!!
No reason city hall needs a prime ocean view, the staff is unproductive enough without a view to distract. The topography would serve for a much needed parking structure and could have some live / work as well. City hall is not utilizing that site well. Another waste of tax dollars just like Pacific View.
Delete2:48, Orange County sounds like your kind of place. Maybe Newport Beach. Lots of obsession with money and site utilization. You could always move and free yourself from worry over tax dollars used for quality of life efforts you don't understand.
DeleteZero quality of life has broadcast from city hall. Look on 101 at the monster project where community market once stood or perhaps you are too new to remember. I'm talking about preserving some of what is good in Encinitas and getting a problem solved called parking downtown.
Delete3:25 - You wish to preserve "some of what is good in Encinitas" - so please identify those places/parcels in the downtown district that you would like to see preserved. Let's get this discussion to specifics.
DeleteAnd what is your proposal for addressing the downtwon parking shortage?
Thanks.
Top of list La Paloma. Log cabins in Leucadia, 30's gas station by Swamis, there are many charming human scale buildings that are worthy and no on wants what Huntington Beach became. Muir Kranz Shaffer are selling us out like Barth and stocks before them.
DeleteCity Hall would not stop being City Hall at a different location. The mentality and productivity would be the same, if not worse.
DeleteA developer of the City Hall site would go to the max building height, which is 48 feet counting the parapet, structures and equipment allowed on a flat roof. That would block the view from the library.
Why would anybody think the money the city got by selling the site wouldn't be spent buying a new site and building a new City Hall?
Before the corner of H and 101 was the Community Market, it was a Shell gas station. Before the Community Market was there, it was in what is now a liquor/convenience store in Leucadia.
How to solve the parking and many other problems downtown: disband and prohibit the Encinitas 101 Main Street Association. While at it, do the same with the Cardiff and Leucadia groups. Encinitas does not need subsidized boosters. It can take care of itself.
DeleteWhere city hall is will be a parking structure one day. It could have a plaza on top and boo koo parking like del mar plaza and still retain library views. Several cities in California have created artful parking structures and given the proximity to downtown this site is perfect. The city hall there is a complete waste, put them at the old Nissan location by the freeway or elsewhere. Half the staff could be cut without any noticeable difference. Oh and city manager have you seen your "workers" on break in city vehicles on our side streets lately?
DeletePacific View should be both a new City Hall and arts center. Council Chambers doubles as performing arts stage and theater. Conference rooms by day, galleries in the evening.
DeleteThe city should hold a public competition for proposals for the sale and redevelopment of the current City Hall property on Vulcan. The rules of the competition should impose public parking requirements, height limits, etc. The proceeds of sale should only be used for the development of arts center/city hall at Pacific View, which should also include public parking underground.
If the winning sale / redevelopment proposal requires a rezoning of the Vulcan property, we should have a public vote on it, as per Prop A.
Tons of new parking on both sides of 101, a new arts center, something like the plaza in Del Mar or a small hotel, mostly funded by sale of the Vulcan property.
If they're going to build from the ground up, it should be moved to the property south of Encinitas and east of El Camino. The current site, as well as Pacific View are way too valuable for a government structure. Definitely not the "highest and best use"!!
Delete- The Sculpin
I agree, but do they own land there? Do we really want the city buying another commercial parcel? It would cost more and reduce sales tax.
DeleteBesides, the PV parcel cannot be put to "highest and best use." The city agreed not to rezone or flip the property as a condition of sale. Under the circumstances, an Arts Center/City Hall with public parking underneath is highest and best use.
Wow. The No on the Railtrail group, or actually what was once an admirable community effort, are sounding a bit defensive, as of late. Defensive is being kind, more like the nastiness of their operators, [guess who folks?], is leading them by the nose.
ReplyDeleteCatherine agrees to make them happy and put the trail where it always belonged anyway, and now she is being labeled a crybaby and a liar.
I don't know about the crybaby part, but if anyone can point to any local candidate who hasn't lied at some point, they would have to be standing alone on their own mountain top of righteousness.
If this formerly admirable and respected group has any sense of community left, and it doesn't sound like they do, they would divest themselves from any association with the No Railtrail group label. They have put a stain on that name forever by their behavior and their choice of allegiances. Hugely disappointing that they would stoop so low, but then again, with guess who in the background, most of us are not surprised one bit. What a waste of effective community activism.
If this has gotten this nasty already by them, they should know they are only fooling themselves and it appears they will become a uniting factor throughout our community, just not in the way they may have hoped. What a waste of effective community activism.
Since they have chosen this path, they should remove any and all references to the No Railtrail group and stand on their own with their own candidates. The great work they did is now squandered. The trail will never be placed back on San Elijo and if they continue to preach this lie, it will bite them back. If, in their reaching out to potential voters, they are using this lie, there will not be place to hide from the truth.
This is the truth. The railtrail will stay on the 101 or it won't be at all. It will never be relocated on San Elijo. These folks got what they wanted and look where they are headed. Somebody, guess who, has coopted them. Just how many of their 1,000 former supporters will stay with them is hard to tell, but already there are many who are greatly disappointed with where they have taken a once proud to be associated with group and now want nothing to do with any of them. I count myself as one of those. The coming weeks will only serve to diminish what was once admirable. What a waste. What a poor choice. What a shame.
Wait for it folks. More nastiness from them will be coming right up. This is now their standard operating procedure.
And this, folks, is how Paul GASpar and his buddies operate. Wherever there is a GASpar, you will find a Muir. Wherever there is a Muir, you will find a $tock$. They are all made of the same cloth - connivers, cheats, liars, power hungry.
DeleteNow, they have little Mr. Graham in the mix.
They want you to vote for them so they can become the majority vote of council. How ironic they are so upset with the present majority and want them out of office, but it is ok for them to want to become the majority.
No to GASpar, Muir and Graham.
No to developers.
This is ridiculous! Muir, Gaspar and throw Jim Bond in too; Tony and Catherine and LIsa in comparison have lied to the voters over and over and that is what the campaign will be about; NOT whether or not the 1000 e-mailers from Cardiff are ignored by Lisa, Catherine and Kranz. Quite the tizzy 11:39 AM, but these three have 11 years of service between them and their record reeks; wait till the sports leagues begun walking door-to-door...and what about that pathetic excuse for an almost candidate, Don Barth, for shame...
Delete3:10,
DeletePlease explain the nature of your "work" with Paul Gaspar.
This 'blog' is quintacential nastiness.
DeleteWhy is the rail trail even being discussed?
ReplyDeleteIt will be on Hwy 101 as it is in Solana and across the lagoon in Cardiff.
Diverting to San Elijo was a temporary blip that's now over.
And by the way, the working group's assignment is the whole rail corridor from Solana to Carlsbad — not only the rail trail in Cardiff.
And another by the way, the only real solution to all the rail corridor problems is to trench the tracks.
That's the solution the group, community activists and the city should get behind.
12:01pm The reason that is still on the radar is because a minority core group has chosen to use that once honorable community supported effort for their own selfish political purposes.
ReplyDeleteI could be wrong about the minority part though. With all the former supporters who are outraged that this once respected effort has been used in this way and now will have nothing to do with any of them anymore, perhaps their majority can hold out for the time being, although at greatly reduced numbers.
They can revel all they want in their majority, if it even still exists. The number of supporters will continue to lessen to the point of insignificance as the days go by.
One thing we have to thank them for, is uniting this community against their slew of candidates. See ya Mark, see ya Phil, see ya Paul, See ya $sss$ and mikey. Sure don't wannabe ya.
They do make it easy to choose Catherine, Tony, and Tasha. If this is what it takes to move sluggo out of there, so be it and happily so.
You know the best person to contact would be Doug Porter with the San Diego Free Press. He is an old hippie and would hate what is going on with the NRT group.
ReplyDeleteWow - amazing that Joe and Thunder have politically exploited other citizens for their own gain. If Joe and Julie want to support high density and out of town developers that is their choice- but it appears to me they knowingly exploited others for their own gain.
ReplyDeleteI supported the no on rail trail, I talked with neighbors, now I am associated with this endorsement? It is shameful and Thunder owes us all an apologo, and that endorsement for everyone needs to be taken down.
It has helped me decide who I will vote for. I had been leaning towards Gaspar, but the reality is Gaspar is a shill for David Meyers and the building industry. Should I be surprised to learn that there is Thunder Construction in Cardiff? Could it be Thunder Construction backs hyper density developmentioned to put money in the Thunder pockets at the expense of our small town beach community lifestyle? It is worth noting Jerome "Midnight" was a non entity in Encinitas politics after have been run out office on a rail.........until Paul Gaspar and the new rail committee appeared. I will be voting for Blakespear. The GMG ticket is the developers dream.
Clarification:
ReplyDeleteNo Rail Trail was the name of a broad, 1000+ member, single-issue advocacy group formed with the sole purpose of changing a City Council decision on the location of the Coastal Rail Trail through Cardiff. Since the sole purpose of this group has been achieved, it no longer exists.
Off The Rails is a new group of four or five right wing partisan hacks who have hijacked the web presence of No Rail Trail in a fraudulent attempt to install developer shills in elected office.