Developer attorney Marco Gonzalez publicly calls Measure T opponents liars

(We suppose that's an improvement -- two years ago he was calling them racists!)

On NBC 7:

"Really the disappointment came from the campaign against it.  The folks who were behind it were found to be using some misleading factual information.  And, you know it's not terribly hard to get people to vote against growth in a city like Encinitas, but I felt like they took the rhetoric to a new level.  They used a lot of just misinformation and lies and half-truths to scare people into believing that the plan was something that it really wasn't."

Gonzalez gave no specifics about what the alleged "misinformation and lies and half-truths" were, or who "found" opponents "to be using some misleading factual information."

NBC 7 interviewed Gonzalez and Measure T supporter Catherine Blakespear at length, apparently making no effort to get the No on T side of the story. Measure T opponents have offered to work with the city to come up with a plan that complies with state law and, unlike Measure T, actually contains affordable housing.

Yes on T mailer comes from developer attorney Marco Gonzalez's office

The Yes on T mailer that recently hit Encinitas mailboxes comes from "League of Conservation Voters" with the address of 1140 South Coast Highway 101.  Coincidentally, that's the office of notorious developer attorney Marco Gonzalez.





The San Diego County "League of Conservation Voters" had only $947.67 on hand as of June, so we are likely to learn in subsequent filings that this mailer was funded by a large contribution from developers.

Resident Denise Martin debunks Marco's mailer at City Council here, beginning at about minute 12.

Developer attorney Marco Gonzalez calls high-density development opponents racists

... because nothing builds community and fosters civil dialogue like calling people who disagree with you racists.

Voice of San Diego:

Neighborhoods that line up against dense development projects are motivated by selfishness and closet racism, [Marco Gonzalez] said, at a panel discussion [VOSD columnist Andrew Keatts] hosted last week on dense housing as part of the San Diego Housing Federation’s annual conference.

“It’s an interesting backdrop to practice law after 17 years being the community activist guy,” he said, “when I have to turn to my former clients and activists and call bullshit. And yeah, we use those terms because, frankly, when you get out of the public sphere, and you listen to what these people are saying, what they’re saying is, ‘I got mine, I have no responsibility to provide for them.’ And when the lights are really low, and the groups are really small, it’s, ‘Don’t bring the brown people here, don’t let the poor people in, let’s build a big gate around our little castle, because it’s really nice and pretty and we don’t want them to mess it up.’ And that’s what I’m fighting.”

Does Gonzalez actually go to meetings of really small groups with the lights really low where people actually say "Don't bring the brown people here?" Or is he just completely making the whole thing up? Neither alternative is flattering.

More Marco:

It is that, the “community character” argument is the most powerful sword being thrown up by communities who really don’t want brown people, who really don’t want poor people, who really don’t want to see a development come into their neighborhood because they’ve got theirs, and they don’t care if someone else can’t get the same thing. They don’t want old people to have a place to retire, they don’t want young people to have a place to live near the coast, and they simply say, ‘Wait, I can argue this nebulous concept of community character, and in certain circumstances our elected officials… become weathervanes and not compasses.

High-density developer attorney Marco Gonzalez wants Desert Rose grandfathered under the old denser rules

From the Inbox:

[Forwarded with this comment: Item 10 C is Marco fighting to ensure that Desert Rose was presented to council before they were caught breaking their own rules, so Marco wants to assure that Desert Rose is grandfathered in to the good old times when developers were able to threaten the council into giving them special favors.  Please help us get everyone related to a Density Bonus project at this meeting!]

I'm a firm believer in playing your aces wisely so I simply want to advise you of an important, upcoming City Council meeting that you might want to consider attending…..you can make up your mind how important you think it is for you to attend.  Remember, a good turnout sometimes helps to generate a good result. This Wednesday, September 24^th, at 6:00pm, the Encinitas City Council has two agenda items that directly relate to density bonus in general and Desert Rose specifically.  The meeting will be held at City Hall, on Vulcan, in Encinitas. 

Item 10-B: Public Hearing regarding the introduction of City Council Ordinance 2014-09, Option A or B, to consider a Zoning Code Amendment to Title 30 of the Encinitas Municipal Code and the Home Depot Specific Plan, pursuant to Council direction related to Item 10E of the July 16, 2014 City Council meeting, to amend the definition of 'Net Acreage' to specify that detention basins and wetlands (rather than significant wetlands) are excluded from net acreage. 

Note:  The Planning Commission recommended Option "B".  Members of the community may suggest minor revisions to the City Council. 

Item 10-C: Questions have been raised as to whether the new policies are applicable to projects that were approved by the Council before July 16th, but are now pending appeal before the 4th District Court of Appeal; such as the 16-lot Desert Rose Density Bonus project that the Council approved on March 13, 2013. This is the only project currently under these circumstances. 

Note:  Since Judge Judith Hayes, of the California Superior Court, ordered the approval of Desert Rose, by the City Council, vacated, the Desert Rose project is technically not an approved project.  Therefore, it would seem that it will fall under the new ordinance/guidelines, unless the court ruling is overturned on appeal.

 I hope to see you there!

 Bill Butler for SDR and Encinitas 

EU note: Gonzalez is a friend and fellow Smart Growth traveler of some of the council members.  So it wouldn't be too surprising to see them comply with the Superior Court's order to require an environmental impact report, but still try to grandfather in his extra-densy densiness.

Breaking: Desert Rose saved!!!

In the U-T: Judge finalizes ruling that City Council was wrong to ignore environmental impacts when forcing high-density development on Olivenhain neighborhood:

The developers of a controversial housing project planned for a horse property in Olivenhain must conduct an extensive environmental study before the development can move forward, a Superior Court judge ruled on Friday.

Woodridge Farms Estates LLC wants to build 16 homes on what is now a horse boarding facility on Desert Rose Way on the eastern edge of Encinitas. But neighbors sued the city and Woodridge, saying the project should have been subjected to a full environmental review before it was approved by the City Council last year.

Friday’s ruling by Superior Court Judge Judith F. Hayes reinforced a tentative ruling she made last week that found there was substantial evidence “to make a fair argument that the project may cause a significant adverse effect on the environment.”

The Planning Commission had correctly rejected the development, but the City Council, bowing to pressure from city staff, had ignored the environmental impacts and attempted to force the unwelcome development on the rural community.

As the article notes, high-density developer attorney Marco Gonzalez will be back trying to force the development on the neighborhood, but he'll have a lot more work to do with an environmental impact report required.

UPDATE: Final ruling here.

Local boy makes good

In addition to representing high-density developers and defending bars serving late-night drunks, Encinitas attorney Marco Gonzalez is becoming San Diego's own Gloria Allred:

Three of Mayor Bob Filner’s biggest supporters, including former City Councilwoman Donna Frye, have called on him to resign over allegations of sexual harassment.

Frye and local attorneys Cory Briggs and Marco Gonzalez each sent letters to Filner this week asking him to step down. The trio declined to answer questions until they hold a joint news conference at 10 a.m. Thursday.

[...]

Gonzalez told KPBS he represents “multiple women” who claim sexual harassment by Filner. In his email to Filner, Gonzalez notes a recent meeting he had with the mayor to discuss his treatment of staff, particularly women.

“Unfortunately, I and numerous of my colleagues have reached the point where we do not believe your behavior will change, and thus must request that you immediately relinquish your position as mayor,” Gonzalez wrote. “To write this email was not an easy decision for any of us, but we now firmly believe resignation is the appropriate choice for you to minimize the damage to your constituency and the city.”