Before the ruling came down, Charlie McDermott, an Encinitas resident and corporate exec, told me that he and his allies have long considered Prop. A a check on housing plans that only benefit well-to-do people. If the city was serious about housing low-income people, it should force developers to actually build more affordable units, he said.
It’s not immediately clear — to McDermott or to me — what types of rules the city could draft to get there. But we’ll be living with this tension for a very long time.
“I think we need to clear out the mayor and Council in the next election,” McDermott said. “You don’t win every battle, but there are some things we know now that we can begin layering in, and there may be another initiative.”
Wednesday, March 20, 2019
McDermott: "we need to clear out the mayor and council"
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Prop. A is now irrelevant. Anything that we should be voting on (elimination of mid-range density, for example) is now being bundled into HEUs in order to bypass Prop. A.
ReplyDeletePut the right people in next election and Prop A will be relevant again.
DeleteElimination of the mid-range should not trigger Prop A because developing at the max is already allowed if certain criteria is met. What's being eliminated is the criteria which was fairly nebulous.
Delete1:48 PM
DeleteWrong. Midrange is used for the build out of the city. Read the General Plan. Removing midrange would trigger Prop A. The criteria wasn't nebulous.
1:48 PM (3/22)
DeleteSorry, you're wrong. Go back and read it. Removing the criteria to develop at the max residential zone density does not increase the allowable density like density bonus. It only allows all development to be at the zone's max density. Removing mid-range does not qualify as a major amendment since no zone's allowable max density is being increased.
Sign me up! McDermott for Mayor or Councilmember. If we don't remove them, we might as well give up or move out, and I'm not doing either.
ReplyDeleteStart now Charlie, we're with you!
ReplyDeleteAll you people are nuts. I read you want Prop A then I read you don't. Then you want low income housing and others don't. You can't stand the mayor you love the mayor. You like the bums you don't like the bums........GAWD.......!!!!!
ReplyDeleteCharlie's not running.....so who is?
ReplyDeleteHe's the king of future PB North Leucadia!
DeleteCharlie is super smart but has common sense and integrity.
DeleteYeah- He would be a perfect mayor. I'm just not sure he wants to spend his precious time dealing with so many dimwits.
Then Charlie should stop whining if he's not willing to walk the walk.
DeleteSo anyone who points out what's wrong ("whining" to you, 1:51) has to run for office? That's gonna be one huge field.
DeleteIf you say “I think we need to clear out the mayor and Council in the next election” is going further than "pointing out what's wrong". If you want new blood then you should be willing to step up or at least identify who should be in their place. Actual names of people who want to run not just generic new people. It's easy to criticize from the cheap seats. We need people willing to roll up their sleeves.
DeleteHow do you know that's not in the works, 1:45? Just because you're curious right now doesn't mean you're owed an immediate answer.
DeleteSo for argument's sake, let's say Charlie or someone with his values does step up. Are you going to stick with Blakespear? Or are you going to roll up your sleeves and help them get elected? Make a campaign donation? Walk your neighborhood?
4:11 PM
DeleteI will support the best candidate. It's easy to write an op-ed criticizing from the outside. When someone becomes a candidate they'll have to state where they stand on multiple issues, how they would deal with them and reveal how well they understand them. Only then will I decide whether to support them.
Kranz and his out of town ferret loving weirdos finally got the message last night.
ReplyDeleteChannel 8 was there to film this?
Is there nothing more important that a local tv news film crew has to cover?
At least our council did not let Kranz' ferret support go any further. wtf? What have we come to?
What have we come to? Lots of attention on ferrets, little to none on increasingly frustrated residents, that's what we've come to.
DeleteJust the way "staff" and council like it.
We will not be able to "clear out mayor in the council in the next election". Two council seats (Mosca and Hubbard) won't even be up for election. Incumbents tend to win, especially those in the current dominant party.
ReplyDeleteServing on council or as mayor pays little yet takes much time, so primary breadwinners with traditional 9-5 jobs can't even consider it. To serve, you must either depend on your spouse's income as the primary income, run your own business, work part-time, depend on your family, and/or be retired. Oh yeah, you also have to live in a particular district. This immediately whittles down the pool of potential candidates. So those of you who can do it, actually do it this time. Despite months of complaining about Blakespear, the only person that ran against her had only recently moved here and never stood a chance. She will never be "voted out" unless the complainers put forth a viable candidate.
The mayor is elected city wide. And it only takes two other council members elected by district to create a majority. Both Hubbard and Mosca are followers, not leaders. Unless Mosca returns to his bad ways in Sierra Madre. Now that he has been released by SD&G, he may need more income than the council provides. Hubbard is rudderless without holding hands with Blakespear. A possible resignation if Blakespear is defeated?
DeleteYep, "clear out" looks like taking back three seats, 2:05. So you see, we will be able to do it.
DeleteBefore you start telling people what they can/can't take on, just know that those considering running are not coming from the "usual pool." This time the council has gone too far, in all corners of the city, and backed a LOT of folks against a wall. This council is dramatically and negatively impacting many lives and that is causing people who would not otherwise run to rethink whether they can afford NOT to run.
Candidates by districts are hardly a news flash, but thanks for the PSA. People are well aware of the gerrymandered lines Tasha drew that Blakespear rolled over on and candidates are planning accordingly.
False, plenty of council members have regular 9-5 jobs.
DeleteWhich ones, 3:56? 0% of the current council members do. Tasha didn't work, Mark, Theresa, and Lisa were retired, Kristen worked for her husband, Jerome has his own business...how far do we have to go back to find one? It's hard to show up for midday meetings and ribbon cuttings, not to mention pre-council meetings (they sometimes start in the 3:00 hour) when you have a 9-5 (more like 8-6) job in San Diego.
DeleteUntil recently, Mosca had a full-time job.
DeleteKranz says he has a day job.
Why did SDG&E can Mosca?
It's alleged that Mosca falsified field reports, being elsewhere instead of in the field doing his SDG&E work. Allegedly he was given the choice to resign or ....
DeleteMake the developers build 90% affordable units and watch how fast they cancel their plans.
ReplyDeleteHow would one make developers build 90% affordable units?
DeleteAssume 2:24 means "require," not "make." Then the developers can decide for themselves whether it "pencils out." While 90% may not be doable, certainly something significantly north of the paltry 10-15% Blakespear's submitting to is.
DeleteQuestion: Other cities in high-cost land areas require more - why not us?
Answer: Other cities' councils aren't owned by developers. Added bonus in our case: the mayor is owned by a certain developers' attorney.
What's in it for her? How does she or her family gain by catering to developers and their lawyer?
DeleteAsk her why she rolls over every time the BIA steps up to the microphone. Go to oral communications and ask her what her family's property is doing on the HEU's above-moderate sites inventory. Notice how closely she pays attention when certain attorneys and developers speak and how attentive she is to their needs. Watch some key meeting replays and listen to her comments.
DeleteAll the signs are there...don't be so lazy. Do some research and report back.
All very obvious and seen regularly, but you haven't answered the question: What do she and her family gain? Back up your allegations with hard facts. Your bullshit challenge doesn't fly here.
DeleteI thought Charlie McDermott was the admin of this blog?
ReplyDeleteThat shows your thoughts are not accurate or based in reality.
DeleteThis city Council and previous Councils have done everything in their power to cut residents out of any say in the various changes in Measures T and U and now the newly titled Housing Element Update 2019 which decimates most of the General Plan and the Municipal Code.
ReplyDeleteThe Housing Element Update 2019 wasn’t presented to the residents of Encinitas at public workshops as the city did with Measures T and U. There were no workshops and no public conversation on the new changes in the Housing Element Update 2019. The Council violated the state law and local ordinances by not providing full public participation. Did the city provide this information to the Court?
Public participation is required under State housing law Section 65583. Section 65585(b)(2) requires that: “The planning agency staff shall collect and compile the public comments regarding the housing element received by the city, county, or city and county, and provide these comments to each member of the legislative body before it adopts the housing element.” Again, there were no workshops in the 5 communities. Did the city provide this information to the Court?
Tony Kranz stated that this change “came out of the blue” as he questioned the city’s consultant attorney on who wanted the elimination of the midrange density. It was revealed that letters to HCD prompted that agency to demand the removal of the city wide ordinance. The Mayor quickly made a motion to approve the Housing Element Update 2019 which passed with a 5-0 vote. The residents were cut out of any future discussion of the other new changes in the new Housing Element Update 2019. Did the city provide this information to the Court?
The midrange density is used when land is subdivided. The actual square footage of each parcel must be taken from the subdivision map. Acreage subdivided to the midrange density provides the buyer with a larger lot than if divided to the maximum density. Developers want property built out to the maximum density for more market rate housing.
Los Angeles County received a housing quota that was 100,000 housing units less than the previous 8 year 4th cycle. Orange County also had a lower housing quota. Check out the RHNA numbers for the regional SCAG agency. Cities such as Malibu, Newport Beach, Beverly Hills, Laguna Beach, Costa Mesa, Hermosa Beach, and Compton are only required to up-zone for 2 low income restricted houses. Huntington Beach was told they had to up-zone for 533 low income houses. Did the city present this information to the Court?
SANDAG for the San Diego region was told to build 50,000+ more houses than the previous 4th cycle in comparison to SCAG. Seems HCD plays favorites. Encinitas was told to build 1033 low income houses in comparison to Newport Beach at 2 low income houses. Surely, in the BIA lawsuit this unfair, unequal, unjust difference in the number of low income houses is mentioned.
HCD can right this unfair and unjust mandated number of low income housing for Encinitas so the city matches those of other cities in SCAG that were mandated to up-zone only 2 houses. However, besides the up-zoning, the entire General Plan and Municipal Code will be rewritten if the Housing Element Update 2019 is approved in its current form. Write to HCD and ask them to deny the Encinitas Housing Element Update 2019.
TL;DR
DeleteCharlie is super smart but has common sense and integrity.
ReplyDeleteYeah- He would be a perfect mayor. I'm just not sure he wants to spend his precious time dealing with so many dimwits.
I he was willing to take on the task. Encinitas would be lucky to have such a competent leader.
One thing for certain, if he ran.... he would smoke Flakespear.
ReplyDelete8:26pm Thanks for offering a glimmer of hope to stem the tide of our [mis]representatives who have violated the, our, publics trust we put in them with our votes.
ReplyDeleteWhile I have blamed SANDAG and any lack of action on our community's behalf for our most of our woes, it is HCD that needs to hear from all of us.
The misrepresentation in court by our electeds needs to be heard.
This community has never been against providing housing for the less fortunate.
Market Rate, damn straight. The token numbers do little, while the profiteers laugh all the way to the bank.
Let HCD know. This is no secret HCD.
This is the most builder friendly council we have ever had. I'm so bummed!
ReplyDeleteBye-bye small beach town Encinitas! Blakespear needs to go!
ReplyDeleteI heard that Charlie McD won’t run because he recently received a package in the mail containing a pipe with the word “BOOM” and a drawing of jazz hands on it.
ReplyDeleteI don’t know what it means, or who would do such a thing. I have my suspicions, but I won’t post them here.
Are we talking about the Charlie McDermott whose LinkedIn page profile identifies him as student but the first experience entry says he's CEO & President of Goodomen Coffee (9 months) and recently was a Pizza Shef [sic] and dishwasher at Pandora's Pizza? LinkedIn has a second Charlie McDermott in the SD area in the biotechnology field.
ReplyDeleteGosh 11:03, you've got an exposed nerve there. All very obvious, so why do you still have questions? Her family's property getting a free upzone from R8 to R30 means more money; I assume you can figure that out. Her campaign donations report includes developers. I assume you can connect that dot.
DeleteIf you see all of the above "very regularly" and can't figure out how she already has and still stands to gain, I can't help you. No one can.
2:56 Stupid and foolish.
DeleteWhat parcel number(s) have gotten "a free upzone from R8 to R30"?
DeleteYou're accusing her of selling out for a $250 campaign contribution?
Calm down, Marco. Look at the plan yourself. And $250? Hardly.
Delete2:56 PM (3/22)
Delete"Her family's property getting a free upzone from R8 to R30 means more money; I assume you can figure that out."
And which property would that be? You're making a serious claim as elected officials aren't suppose to directly benefit from their actions. By the way, there are no parcels in the HE identified for upzoning that are currently R-8.
Blakespear/ Tricia Smith own the 1745 Rubenstein Dr. parcel that is zoned R-8 and its 0.87acres. It was picked out by the city staff and entered in the HEU, Technical Appendices, as an Above Moderate Sites Inventory.
DeleteMaximum Density development up to 8 houses.
So where does the R30 come into the picture?
Delete1745 Rubenstein is owned by the Smith-Kopp trust. It's got a huge house on it and a big pool in the yard. There's some unused ground behind and alongside the pool. The zoning is R8.
DeleteIs the claim it's been upzoned to R30 in the HEU, and they're going to rip out what's there and build an apartment house or condo complex?
If anybody thinks that's in the cards, I have a bridge to sell you.
Just more bullshit conspiracy theories.
DeleteThanks to those above identifying the property. It's the unsubstantiated claims like 2:56 PM that makes it hard to take this blog seriously. Not only is the claim unsubstantiated, it's flat out wrong. The fact that this site and others like it were in the appendix was to satisfy the RHNA Moderate and Above Moderate unit needs. Here is the description on page 1-9 of Section 1 of the HE:
Delete"Appendix C lists sites suitable for meeting the City's remaining need for above moderate and moderate-income housing. These sites can accommodate the need for housing at these income levels without the need for rezoning, as shown in Appendix C and summarized as follows:..."
To say the person has no idea what they're talking about is to put it mildly.
2:56 is a professional crank. A tiny percentage of what she publicizes is actually correct. The rest is garbage. To tell one from the other, you have to either already know the issue or do a lot of original digging.
DeleteAw you're still protecting your galpal blakespear. Adorbs. Do enlighten us, you think you know the "issue?" You think there's only one?
DeleteNo need to dig, either you know your stuff and can point to source documentation or you can't. You resort to name calling, so...yeah, you haven't got a leg.
8:15 PM
DeleteNice meaningless babble. If you're 2:56 PM then I feel sorry for you. You haven't a clue. It's not a question of what we think of Blakespear, it's what the facts tell us. Some of us do look things up in response to statements made that can only come from someone's rear end. Maybe all you do is dig into your imagination.
You funny, 8:54.
DeleteYou sad, 9:00 AM
DeleteActually, highly amused.
DeleteIt's Buildspear, not Blakespear. The spear means spare no open lots!
ReplyDeletePut the onus on the developers to build more "affordable" houses. Watch them fenaggle their way out of it. Maybe a few hundred mini-houses crammed into as little of space as possible; then the city would be off the hook. Put them next to Ecke and Meyer's mansions - let them share their space with the peasants.
ReplyDeleteExcellent idea that can be carried out only with fresh blood. Out with Blakespear, Kranz, Hinze.
DeleteBlakespear= sellout= developers whore. Willing to upzone every lot and make it look like Tijuana. All the name of affordable housing.
ReplyDeleteThe reality is there is plenty of affordable housing because we can afford to live here.
Blakespear= Developers whore.
ReplyDeleteIs Marco pulling her strings?
Delete11:02 soooooo true!
ReplyDeleteI don't know blakespear from Shakespere. Here is what I know.
ReplyDeleteIt's the State of California and their leftist garbage demanding cities have low income housing. And now the leftist big mouth punk newsom is going to hold back funds from the cities that don't comply. That is who you people should be mad at....
The State of California and their leftist agenda.
For for those of you that voted for the big mouth punk...
SHAME ON YOU.....morons
6:18 You are not very smart. This has nothing to do with a "leftist agenda". This is about appeasing the donors and raking in more tax money. "Affordable housing" was just a selling point to appease the "leftists".
Deletethe Developers whore and her clan full support Newsom's plan and they recommended to the judge and the state to adopt a housing element that far exceeds any other Citys' densification program.
DeleteShe and definitely did an end run straight to mommy (HCD) and asked for help pushing the plan her developer's lawyer bff told her to go for.
DeleteThe leftist are so stupid they don't understand math and free enterprise. They actually feel not think that the affordable housing will do something for the poor people.
ReplyDeleteDevelopers whore is spot on.
In actually, the City Council densification of Encinitas only make Encinitas just like Huntington Beach. Is Huntington or Redondo Beach more affordable?
Oh yeah, it also make the developers and the big land owners upzoned tons of cash at the expense of the existing residents. Costs include more crowded roads, beaches, surf break, parks, bathrooms, sidewalks, and more pollution, noise, and all the joys you see in Pacific Beach. Great right?
Get over the labels you're so attached to 7:59 and it might eventually dawn on you that folks across the political spectrum understand all too well how it works.
DeleteDo you really believe the votes to pass Prop A and defeat Measures T and U were split left and right?
The council usually like to pass resolutions recommending the state does this or does that. Why is the council quiet on pushing back the state legislatures and teaming up with the other cities who want local land use control. Where is Tasha in supporting her voters and pushing back. Its because its all about social justice and everyone should be allowed and supported with tax payer money to live in Encinitas.
ReplyDeleteThat's the unicorn and sunshine explanation. It's also all about bringing in more revenue in a desperate attempt to cover pensions and trophy projects.
DeleteOMG - Sorry, but someone needs to tell the Mayor to wash her hair!
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of the mayor: her friend Roberta Walker has been seen out walking and speaking to people.
DeleteSo...where is the police report if the alleged victim is able to communicate?
where is the Police Report?
DeleteWhy do they take so long to produce the report?
Isn't there laws about police having to file reports for criminal and liability reasons?
There's an excellent chance Blakespear asked the sheriff to sit on the report. City officials do that all the time.
DeleteThe longer the report stays in the dark, the worse it looks for the alleged victim's version of the incident.
Do a pubic records request to the sheriff for the report.
DeleteI tried. The Report is only available to the people involved and their families. Perhaps this suit will allow the public to see what really happened and all can learn from it.
DeleteI agree. This is the most builder friendly council we have ever had. I'm so bummed!
ReplyDeleteIt sucks our Mayor is a developer's whore.
Meyers and Ecke will give them extra caviar at their Christmas party.
DeleteOMG. Read Flakespears latest news letter. It reads like a total BIA/SANDAG propaganda rag. She wants Encinitas to build all the high density homes for everyone making 66k a year to be able to buy a condo in Encinitas.
ReplyDeleteSorry Flakespear, you need to learn about supply and demand. Free Enterprise. That will never happen. It would look worse than Huntington Beach with your lack of vision. Time for you to go.
Developers whore is spot on.
Better yet, she had the gall to post her fiction on Encinitas Votes.
DeleteShe appears to actually believe the tale she tells. That's a special kind of ability to suspend disbelief.
So you came here to whine and complain because you don’t have the balls to put your name on the comment over at EV.
DeleteThat’s pathetic.
What's it like to lick her shoes, 9:01? Taste yummy?
DeleteSo one has to be either (1) a coward who hides behind anonymity to take pot shots or (2) a shoe-licking sycophant?
DeleteWhat if I don’t fit either one? I’m pretty sure there are more options.
why do you have to attack some one who posts here and not on the other blog? Why not make your own point 11:17. What do you think of the Mayor's letter.
DeleteNext election will be interesting. Support densifying Encinitas like Hungtington Beach condo buildings then vote for Blakespear.or
ReplyDeletesupport someone trying to save our community character- vote for a challenger.
I will be voting for a challenger.
With the Accessory dwelling units essentially doubling the population from 66,000 to 120,000 units, Encinitas will be packed to the gills. This combine with all the other developement in the desert without adequate water.
ReplyDeleteRoads and Beaches will be just like Huntington Beach and people will talk about how nice Encinitas used to be back early 2000s. Why not build the units where there is more water like up in northern CA?
The Developers Whore is ruining our town.
Population ≠ units.
DeleteThe Sloppy is an award whose name defines it. 6:12 is awarded three Sloppies: sloppy facts, sloppy English, sloppy thinking.
ReplyDeleteActually, not sloppy at all. 6:12 interfere with your money-making scheme, by any chance?
DeleteSo sloppy you don't even recognize sloppy.
DeleteWhatevs, 5:57. We're on to you.
Delete3:06-
DeleteYou must be a slow fello.... so we will cut you some slack that you don't get it. Your brain is sloppy and Blakespear promotes sloppy development in Encinitas.
Encinitas of yesterday excellent. Encinitas of today pretty good. Encinintas under Blakespears misguide in the future very bad and worse conditions than Huntington beach.
She is promoting gridlock everywhere especially on the beaches, surf breaks and sand, and she is allowing development to completely pave over paradise. Bad, Bad, Bad.
6:21 The Sloppy awards stand. You aren't sharp enough to tell sloppy apart from well done.
DeleteI will glady except that my blog posts are not perfect grammar. Why are you so focused on perfect grammar for freakin blog posts. Get a life.
DeleteThe point is valid, our Mayor is the developers' whore.
McDermott is good for Encinitas.
ReplyDeleteBlakespear is very bad for Encinitas, and she must go next election.
The Wiener bill - SB50. It will change zoning to allow by right apartments in single family zones all over Encinitas.
ReplyDeleteWhat you don't know is that the Mayor and council by resolution and ordinance put part of SB50 in effect in Encinitas with the polices and programs in the new Housing Element Update 2019.
Lots of uncertainties, but upzoning may initially be limited to areas:
Delete- within a half-mile of a rail transit station;
- within a quarter-mile of a high-frequency bus stop; or
- within a “job-rich” neighborhood.
Get ready.
Mass transit in Southern California is sub-standard. It only transports to a limited number of locations, has scheduling issues and basically is not convenient for a majority of commuters. The auto, petrol and tire industries made sure to lobby hard against any efficient mass transit system since the 1950's or earlier; making it an auto dependent population. Now, without the money to do much and trying to reach certain environmental standards, officials are coming up with hair-brained ideas, like no parking accomodations or toll roads. Granted the auto dependence is on a limited time table, but something on a grander scale will be required. Maybe the officials need to study the European or Asian models and petition the Federal government to reprioritize its infrastructural budget. The odds of that??? Probably zilch.
ReplyDelete