Thursday, May 25, 2017

Hipster hoteliers meet Keep Leucadia Funky locals

Del Mar Times:


A Planning Commission discussion of a remodel of an older existing Leucadia hotel into a small luxury hotel will continue in June.

The proposed project, by Encinitas-based 101 Hotel, Inc., calls for the demolition of the interior of the existing 45-room Portofino Beach Inn, at 186 North Coast Highway 101, to reconfigure the layout to allow for a 44-room boutique hotel called The Ray with a full-service restaurant, complimentary valet parking for guests, a 600-square-foot lobby and new eight-foot sign on Coast Highway 101.

It would also include indoor and rooftop bars.
Neighbors, and at least one planning commissioner, aren't amused.

72 comments:

  1. Don't forget there is only one entrance and it is not on 101. They are building a swimming pool that will make it impossible to enter off of 101. This puts the entrance on a regular local street. When they get through it will not be small that's for sure. Even if people don't stay there it's another good place to drink in Pottersville.

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  2. And staff saw no issues and did their usual "nothing to see here, RECOMMEND APPROVAL" short-change of residents.

    The "Swell" realty guy acted like he was introducing an uninitiated audience to sliced bread. Heavy on hipster speak, light on truthiness about negative impacts to the neighborhood. As usual, it fell to residents - not "staff" - to point out the serious and significant issues.

    Swell was clearly too excited about the $$$ to be made to care.

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  3. yeah the swell guy is just one step behind harwood in likeability...his reputation will be sealed if he continues to push this poorly-planned eff-you to the neighbors through....

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  4. It's extremely bizarre looking!

    Not Leucadian!

    Is the front a row of giant lava lamps?

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  5. It's part of this retro craze like The Pearl in Point Loma. Swell-ed Head even mentioned the place. He thinks gimmick is good. It's one thing in Palm Springs where it fits the town. This will stick out like a sore thumb. It doesn't fit at all.

    The worst though is what it would do to the neighbors. Someone speaking at the meeting said it best: "So, it's basically a bar with hotel rooms - have I got that right?" There's not a square inch of the place where booze isn't sold/consumed.

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  6. The developer's Web site: http://www.swellproperty.com/

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    Replies
    1. They claim that Cardiff has world class surfing and have a picture a pipeline to prove it!!! Unless I missed the day of the century at suckouts!!!!!

      - The Sculpin

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    2. Swell is a local outfit that does property management, sales, and projects where they convert old houses into mid-century style, hipster-eque domiciles. They have an office in Leucadia.

      They built an out of the box house on Hygeia in Leucadia, re-did a friend of mine's house in the Highlands, and also built the faux crafstman houses near the downtown Encinitas fire station. Some stuff looks better than others..

      -MGJ

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    3. From their website:
      Some of our favorite spots include, East Village Asian Diner, St. Topez French Bakery, Q'ero, Tratoria I'Trulli, Honey's Bistro & Bakery, and Grounded. Whole Foods will also be opening Spring 2011.

      St. Topez & Whole Foods!

      Up to date and an eye for detail

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  7. Its not like the portifino was nice. The place is a cheap dump.

    This place looks decent, but loose the outside bars. Not good for neighborhood. Outside bars means bar noise. No two ways about it.

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    Replies
    1. How many hotels have you been to where you couldn't get a beer?

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    2. No one argued the Portofino was nice.

      But the traffic on a residential street and balconies looking across into neighbors' yards and overflow parking being pushed into residential and the changing stories the developer told about how many people the rooftop and indoor bars would accommodate added up to too many negatives to gain approval.

      "Swell" lied outright about how valet parking would contain all guest cars onsite. Turns out the valet works a whopping 4 out of 24 hours. Of course visitors and guests during the majority non-valet hours will park in the surrounding neighborhood. Swell knew that and until caught, persisted in claiming that all cars would be valeted. All. He's also looking for a greatly-reduced delivery area, again making his business the neighbors' problem.

      He's not to be trusted and neither is the staff. Once again, residents having to do work the city staff won't. Once again, staff working hard for the developer.

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  8. As usual, the neighborhood has to fight for the preservation of its character. Most people don't care, as they aren't impacted. The City is looking at tax revenue and the developers arte looking at $$$$$$.
    That usually outweighs the neighbors legitimate concerns for a deterioration of atmosphere that will accompany this new booze parlour.

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    Replies
    1. Isn't Leucadia "funky" because you have a diverse mish-mash of all different kinds of styles? Isn't the "character" of Leucadia the very fact that there is not an enforced conformity to a certain style? Seems like the impact concerns are legitimate, but arguing that it does not fit into the "character" of a neighborhood which prides itself on being diverse, random, and non-conformist is a pretty silly argument.

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    2. It's the developers money to lose, why do you care?

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    3. Yea, the character argument is sort of abstract, all right. I suppose it is "character" in terms of what they've been accustomed to. If the atmosphere was quiet and suddenly you have a lot of activity, that can put a dent in your lifestyle.

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    4. Another WORTHLESS comment. You are not WORTH IT.

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    5. And violate the municipal code.

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  9. If the weird look of the place is hipster, what will the appeal be when that silly fad passes?

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  10. "Keep Leucadia Funky"

    ". . .and by 'funky,' we mean boring."

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    Replies
    1. 9:49 Leucadia is boring?

      What planet are you from?

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    2. Planet Developer.

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  11. Announcement: Elvis will be appearing in the lounge at The Ray during their opening week.

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  12. Visitors won't have easy access to Cardiff beaches from the Chart House south to Cardiff state beach after the sand dunes project is completed. A fence will be built to discourage any direct walking from 101 to the beach.

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    Replies
    1. healthy dunes are habitat for native plants and animals. They also protect valuable infrastructure from flooding and damage.

      Walking a hundred yards isn't a hardship.

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    2. 11:03 AM
      "Walking a hundred yards isn't a hardship."
      Ask someone with disabilities before you make that statement.

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    3. Those plants take a long time to establish a root system that can actually maintain dunes. Most won't stick even without foot traffic. dunes are cool, once established, but I personally think they will just end up in the road and on the reefs. Im hoping they have a better plan then just piles of sand and some grass stuck in them. Mother Nature is only getting more angry and will swat those things down with one good storm.

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    4. If you are that disabled, then you shouldn't be scrambling over the rip rap rocks to get to the beach.

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    5. Disabled would be Marr's brain. Not one logical thought.

      Disabled is Camerons brain. Can not speak one word of common sense.

      Where are you on the spectrum?

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    6. Shut up, Mikey. You aren't even on the spectrum.

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  13. Planning, as usual, says tough sheet residents. They sell out our community every time.

    How this can ever change is a question. They are paid handsomely to screw us over. How nice for them.

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    Replies
    1. 10:30 - indeed... paid by the City and the Developers. From City engineering / planning to City Council, this place - these people - are for sale. Swell and Rincon are schlock builders of cookie cutter crap. They are bloodsucking a-holes posing as locals. What are the City rules regarding staff's acceptance of gifts? What reporting is required? There needs to be rules regarding this soft corruption.
      More than ~$50 should be forbidden.
      When City staff appear to be co-opted by developers and uninterested in resident views, something stinks.

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    2. 8:03- it's not money staff wants..... now think of something else but equally as influential....

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    3. A fancy mountain bike?

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    4. How about a new kitchen.

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    5. There are 2 reasons 12:18- Either money in the form of kickbacks or pensions.

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  14. 9:09pm Mikey is crawling out of his hovel again to shovel again his useless claptrap picking on a couple of women who have more respect than he could ever hope for. That seems to be his stock in trade.

    Pitiful excuse for a human being he is.

    What a desirable character when this is all he can come up.

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  15. Replies
    1. No, you were correct the first time.

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    2. Mikey was at the Portofino meeting - was he there to work for the developer, "staff," or both??

      The developer was very sure of himself at the Planning Commission. Sapau (planning dept worker left standing - barely) sat on the dais, looking very pleased with himself. At first, anyway. After repeated slams against staff's errors in judgment in favor of the developer, he started to wilt.

      "Staff" works hard for the money.

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    3. Andreen was there as the project representative for the Brewers Tap Room which was the item following the Portofino Hotel

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    4. "Project representative?" That's a hoot, Mikey.

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    5. The only work Mikey does is the dirty kind. Project rep, my ass. He was there to make sure staff pushed the PC to vote as prearranged.

      Delete
  16. Frank Gehry once showed me the first model of one of his designs. It was a crumpled up piece of paper. I was in his office sitting on a cardboard couch. I learned something that day.

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    Replies
    1. Was it the design for The Ray?

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    2. No, that looks like the same wad of paper but twisted. It was the Disney Symphony Hall.

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  17. Encinitas Ranch mall... falling on hard times. Parking lot is empty, plants are dead or dying, owners don't care.

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    Replies
    1. What stores are in the Encinitas Ranch mall?

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    2. Is that where Target is?

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    3. Dunno. Whenever I go to Target, there are plenty of cars in the lot, especially on a weekend.

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    4. I see this statement, that the Encinitas Ranch mall is failing, being repeated on this blog without any hard evidence. Yes, stores come and go but that's true with any mall and may not be the result of local conditions. For example, Sports Authority went bankrupted but Dick's showed no hesitation replacing them. I go often and see many cars in the parking lot.

      I wonder if this is more wishful thinking.

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    5. The Encinitas Ranch Walmart always seems like a ghost town. I'd be surprised if it doesn't close when the lease is up.

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    6. Isn't a mall an enclosed structure with a roof, interior promenade and parking outside around the perimeter?

      Aren't those shopping centers where Walmart, Dick's, Target, Ross, etc. are?

      Whenever I go to any of those stores, there are plenty of cars in the lots, even at night.

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    7. Leucadia mini-mall shopping center falling on hard times. What happened to El Torito Tienda?

      Maybe a micro-brew tasting room will move in to the space.

      Delete
  18. Are the Monkees the first act booked there?

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    Replies
    1. Johnny Ray. The place is named after him.

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    2. OK, but it's Johnnie Ray.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIxl_ISz1Ag

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    3. No one really cares, dude. Let "Swell" repeat it to himself all day.

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    4. It's a joke, you moron!

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    5. Hahaha. Happy now? There are meds for your condition, you know.

      Delete
  19. Johnny Ray? Isn't he the ilicit offspring of a funeral director and a glee club spaz? Hmmm...I guess that is appropriate for the Swell varmit.

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  20. Does the Encinitas school district have a permit for the structure they built on their farm??
    Did it go through planning and design review??
    How much were the permit fees?

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    Replies
    1. So if I understand this, you're asking if one entity funded by taxpayers charged another entity, also funded by taxpayers, a fee........... When you mow your lawn do you send yourself a bill?

      All kidding aside, what's the issue you wish to address?

      - The Sculpin

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    2. The recent expansion of the school farm did go to the Planning Commission after an administrative hearing where the public requested it. However, the opponents in EUSD didn't show up and the PC routinely approved it. No one appealed.

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    3. What basis did they have to deny it? That you didn't like it?

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    4. 8:12- that students are being used as free labor?? Try that one...

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    5. Good job Atticus Finch at 9:02. Can't wait to hear your ten second case.

      Is the agricultural operation engaged in interstate commerce? No?

      Do the sales from the farm generate sales over $500K annully? No?

      Are the kids legally considered employees of the farm? No?

      Next case.

      https://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/childlabor102.pdf

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    6. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  21. The Planning Commission hearing has been postponed until July 20.

    Apparently, it's a do-over for the Ray folks.

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  22. Swell news for the residents, maybe not for Swell Properties. Ain't that a shame? Nope.

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