Sunday night DUI checkpoint catches two more drunk drivers in Encinitas' late night drunk district.
Wrong-way driver in fatal crash was Encinitas resident. The guy drove the wrong way on I-5 all the way from the Mexican border to Encinitas before killing two people. David Elmore, 29, had previous addresses both in Pacific Beach and at the Quail Pointe apartments at 924 Encinitas Boulevard. Elmore's Facebook page lists him as a bartender at Seasons 52, a chain restaurant chain with locations in La Jolla and downtown San Diego.
Council has been warned and warned and warned. Currently there are more establishments wanting to serve alcohol outside on 101. Guess what? There are MORE THAN ENOUGH drinking establishments in downtown Encinitas. We don't need or want more, and yes the drunk driving is related. Council do your job and stop this craziness, we are becoming PB north and enough of the same problems are here. This will be your legacy.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it is quite fair to blame the Council for the motorist that went the wrong way on the freeway just because he was coming up here. However, I do agree that we have enough restaurants and bars that serve alcohol in our city. I used to live in P.B. and it does seem as if downtown late at night is turning into another P.B. Unlike, P.B., which is technically San Diego, WE are citizens of Encinitas, our own community and we can do something. Now all we have to do is decide what to do about all of this? Do we need more enforcement, a new Council, or other suggestions would be welcome.
ReplyDeleteAsk the city to provide you with the number of new, modified liquor/beer & wine, and transferred licenses each year for the last five years. For the last three years, the council has had complaints about the drunks. A three majority vote by the council has stopped any enforcement of the bars.
DeleteA news report about the driver mentioned that he was known for dui.
The three councilmembers votes may have put the city on the paying end of a very expensive lawsuit.
Not approving more drinking establishments and not allowing existing one's to expand. Not allowing existing bars to morph into clubs with excessive occupancy on the weekends. A new council not made up of excessive $180,000 a year pension recipients who are just there to guard their benefits at all costs.
ReplyDeletefully agree. Vote out existing city Council. Lisa, Tony, and Mark failed us.
DeleteNo more drinking establishments in this city. We need people on the council who actually care about lives. If they do not take this seriously, they need to be booted from their high chairs.
ReplyDeleteFully agree. Vote out existing city Council. Lisa, Tony, and Mark failed us.
DeleteThe town I grew up in had a law that new liquor licenses would only be issued if there wasn't an existing license within 300 yards.
ReplyDeleteOver the weekend, a vagrant viciously attacked a local young man with a brick near the 7-11 in the early AM hours. The young man sustained head injuries that required staples to close. The Sheriff made an arrest and said the vagrant was a recent arrival to the area. The attack was unprovoked and the victim was hit from behind. The downtown area is dangerous due to an increasingly bad element.
ReplyDeleteFully agree. Vote out existing city Council. Lisa, Tony, and Mark failed us.
DeleteBums OUT of Encinitas!!!
DeleteThey're not vagrants. They're exchange bums.
DeleteThe homeless have been here for the 40 years I have lived here. To many do gooders give them money for them to leave. Not enough variety of eating (and drinking) establishments in and near downtown for my liking. Of course I am not a abolitionist like some on this blog.
ReplyDeleteI don't follow the logic that the city will be sued because of the wrong way driver crash where reportedly one of his two addresses is in Encinitas. There is some weird logic by some on this blog.
Hobos in Encinitas drink coffee at Starbucks and eat at Whole Foods! Is there a related news story for the attack I would like to read it please is there a photo of this hobo?
DeleteI heard the story of the assault from the father of the victim. I looked at the Sheriff's website, but could not find the report. It appears there is a lot of crime that goes unreported to the public, as it does not appear in the media nor is it publicized by the Sheriff. The crime reports you do hear are apparently just the tip of the iceberg. From what the Sheriff told the victim's father, the suspect vagrant is not mentally stable - now isn't that a surprise! He'll be back on the streets in a month or two.
DeleteIt wasn't Hobo Kelly!
DeleteWhat evidence is there that the ~0.8% stopped cars were patrons of 101 bars? More than 1% of the middle aged women I know have at least 2 glasses of wine a night, and would be dui but not impaired should they be pulled over.
ReplyDeleteNot everyone wants to sit home and watch heel of fortune and Bill O'Reilly, and those that don't generally don't drive drunk.
Not true. They are over .08....
DeleteIf your out drinking take Uber - its safe, easy, cheap and saves your ass and others. don't be a tool. Take Uber.
I bet the average DUI percentage of drivers past 10pm is over 10%.... for that reason its extremely dangerous to be out driving, biking or walking at night.
Direct the sheriffs captain to stop with the beach cruising and start serious DUI enforcement in downtown encinitas. Shut it down.
It seems like the Sheriffs are doing "serious DUI enforcement" with a Sunday checkpoint that caught 2 DUIs.
DeleteJoin the Encinitas Temperance League today!
ReplyDeletehttps://southcarolina1670.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/lips.jpg
Two DUIs on 101 is two too many. But, given the time of year, and the number of parties people attend, two seems like an unexpectedly low number. It's hard to make the case based on only this fact, that that bars and restaurants on 101 are creating a DUI problem. I'm not saying there is not a problem, I'm just saying that this one facet does not support the claim that the bars are creating widespread drunkenness and DUIs.
ReplyDelete12:13 is that weird city apologist voice we now read all over this blog.
DeleteTwo (or more) years ago the council blew past the admission by the absurdly-named "EHA" that the security force they'd hired actually consisted of just one individual - hardly a "force." About the same time, PB residents took the time to talk to our council against allowing Encinitas to become another PB, outlining all the warning signs that residents saw, but the council dismissed. The council instead awarded self-policing powers to the EHA and let any serious action drop.
The city will not impose any oversight of business in this town, no matter how out of control things get. It's all about keeping the revenues flowing. Gotta pay for all the irresponsible financial screw ups somehow.
1:14,
DeleteYou are mistaken if you think there is only one non-Chicken-Little voice.
Sincerely,
Not 12:13.
Yes, us realists are well aware city workers are using our tax money to post "soothing" comments during their working hours. It's hardly news that there's more than one, but the writing style is too obvious to miss.
DeleteCarry on and think you're actually making an impression....
Someone asked about El Callejon. Turns out that their lease was up and the owners of Moonlight Plaza wanted them out. Not sure why. Blue Ribbon Pizza, now in the Lumberyard, is going to go in where El Callejon is at the present time. It wasn't about rents. At least that is what I was told.
ReplyDeleteWhat?
DeleteIs it closed already?
That's ef-ed up. They were plenty busy, and there's no way BR pizza could drive as much business and afford a higher rent. Besides, MLP already has Leucadia Pizza. There's no way they can both stay.
Taco Auctioneer, and now this. Unbelievable.
Blue Ribbon Pizza just extended their liquor license to a large area outside the porch. No mention of moving from the Lumberyard. Moonlight Plaza has less parking than the Lumberyard (excluding the Coaster parking behind the buildings.
ReplyDeleteWhat is happening with the businesses. The Taco Bell area has a Goodwill store and another non-profit plus another empty store front. Next to Sprouts a Community Resource Center store will sell second hand appliances.
My hairdresser is in Moonlight Plaza. There are 2 different owners of that Plaza. The one that wanted El Callejon out is the one who gave the lease to Blue Ribbon, according to her. It had nothing to do with a rent increase. The owner just wanted the owners out. Leucadia Pizza is really pissed off, but the owner that owns that part of the Plaza cannot do anything. I was told they were moving from the Lumberyard to Moonlight Plaza, but maybe her facts were wrong. El Callejon has been sited twice by the ABC for serving to underage patrons. The owner of the establishment had no intention of stopping this practice and allegedly was very difficult to work with. So, Blue Ribbon wanted to expand, and voila, there you have it.
DeleteIs Blue Ribbon moving into El Callejon space a done deal?
DeleteBlaming council for an inebriated man killing someone who was coming up from Mexico is a bit of a stretch.
ReplyDeleteThe inebriated man was almost at the border and made a sudden U-turn and started north in the southbound freeway lanes. Somehow he traveled 38 miles before running head on into another car south of Manchester.
DeleteThe council majority has done nothing to discourage the drinking culture that has settled in Encinitas. It's not a stretch to put part of the blame on Kranz, Muir, and Gaspar for their failure to support a deemed approved ordinance.
The quality of life in downtown Encinitas has headed downhill extremely fast under this council. They support drinking as their actions are supporting the bar culture. They have more bars presently asking to expand, lets see what they do now.
DeleteDiscouraging a drinking culture is bigger than you, me, and the council. It's a national issue that has to be handled at a lot of levels. Education, parental guidance, peer guidance and flat out enforcement all come into play. Bars have always been there, kids have always gone to bars. Where the rubber meets the road is how people act, and how enforcement comes down on those who get in their cars drunk.
DeleteEnforcement is the key. If people think they might get popped for drunk in public or DUI, they will change their behavior.
No it's not so big. Council has promoted policy that has made Encinitas a drinking destination spot. It was never like this before they approved bar after bar. Time to retake our town and you know who not to reelect.
DeleteThere you go blaming bars and council again for the head on collision. If drunk drivers still don't get it that it will cost $10k plus driving school plus loosing their license after 2 drinks, they never will regardless of whom is on council.
DeleteI don't see 3:54 blaming bars and the council for the head-on collision. I see 3:54 blaming the council for unbridled approval of alcohol permits.
DeleteExaggerate and lie, but it'll get you nowhere.
I think 8:44 was responding to 7:17
DeleteI guess you would know ;) That's why it's good to include the post time to which you're responding: things don't necessarily show up where you think they will.
DeleteIt is indeed a stretch to blame city council for the from-the-border drunk driver but that written, The City is surely willing to loosely issue licenses. Take, for instance, the license issued to breakfast bakery Dos Palmas two years ago - the Planning Clowns, with the exception of the New Encinitas gent (Flores) did not even look at the business - they just gave their ok to grant a failing business that opened at 6 am and closed at 3 pm a license. 3 months later, the business was closed and sold - for a premium because of the license.... the city mindset is to build out the 101 corridor. Got cash? Get a license.
ReplyDeleteDrunk-sin-itas, how proud our reps who let this become what it has must be.
ReplyDeleteThe pursuit of dollars to pay their overblown salaries and pensions must be blinding them. Why is it only bars are the majority of new businesses down there? The welcome mat was put out and guaranteed no DAO would be forthcoming.
Too bad we couldn't have been a magnet for other than bar businesses. Hopefully we have reached a saturation point where no more liquor licenses will be granted. Isn't there a number that within a certain area the ABC will rule enough is enough? Gawd I hope so.
And while we are there, the Leucadia Shell station is seeking a permit to sell alcohol for their new makeover in the works. Just what that neighborhood and all drivers on the 5 need, eh folks?
A couple of Starbucks in the area are seeking an alcohol permit too, so don't count out the Starbucks across the street from the Leucadia Shell station at some future date.
The best thing about the Leucadia Shell station doing away with their auto service is that crooked mechanic who replaced the long time, honest as could be, previous operator, will be out of there. Good riddance. This comes from personal experience and I hope all others will be forewarned to go elsewhere.
As far as this and apparently prior councils are/were concerned, we can't have enough unregulated, revenue-producing drinking establishments and sales opportunities.
DeleteBring on the $$$, bring on the vibrancy! Mark of a successful, thriving city.
"Let's go get drunk at Starbucks"
DeleteSaid no one, ever.
That's right now. Folks eventually will get used to the idea. Offer it, and they will come.
DeleteI thought the only organization that could give out liquor licenses was the Alcoholic Beverage Board (ABC for short). Is that not true? If it is true, then the Council is jot entirely to blame, although I do think there is some law that says they can say how much distance there has to be between alcohol establishments.
ReplyDeleteThe ABC issues the licenses, Encinitas approves or denies the application. Encinitas can block a license from getting to the ABC approval stage.
DeleteThis council and previous councils are to blame for the number of liquor licenses in Encinitas.
DeleteActually, its Planning that approves these licenses, not council.
Delete5:06 PM
ReplyDeleteIt is the council that authorizes planning to approve the licenses. The council is responsible.
11:34 Not from my experience. Maybe that's changed? Can you cite a council meeting where a liquor license was approved by council that was not an appeal of a Planning Commission decision?
Delete1:11 PM
DeleteCouncil establishes commissions by ordinance. Commissions serve at council discretion. Council can eliminate commissions. The planning commission makes decisions because of the authority given to them by the council per ordinance. If a majority of council doesn't like the commission decisions, council can tell them behind closed doors that it is time to resign. If council majority tells you they have no power and don't agree with the decision, your council majority is lying.
1:38
DeleteSomeone wants to sell beer, wine and/or booze. They apply at the city. They post a big sign in their window notifying the public of the change of use. The Planning Commission hears them out. The public is also welcome to give input at a Planning Commission meeting. The PC either approves or denies the license. The Planning Commision hearing date is on the notice. If the any citizen disapproves of the PC's decision, they may appeal that decision to council, and a majority council vote decides the outcome at a later meeting. Am I missing something? Or do you have any Council on tape somewhere approving a liquor license that has not gone through the PC first?
2:16 PM
DeleteAre you trying to protect the council culpability? The council could eliminate the planning commission and declare that all liquor licenses requests would be heard by the council. Then all decisions involving liquor licenses would be made by the council. Yes, and all other land use decisions would be heard by the council.
Oh I see. Its the Councils fault for not getting rid of the Planning Commission. Excellent.
DeleteThe lack of supervision that council continually overlooks with regard to Plannings' standard operating procedure, has to end. What would it take to have us, the voters, fire all the slackers in the pockets of developers and bar owners that reside in their cushy jobs down there. We pay them all mighty sums and pensions only to screw this community over, again and again. Their loyalties are only too clear and it is not to represent the citizens desires for maintaining that community character that we have all cherished.
ReplyDeleteKaren, please begin to exercise some of your power and show us there is new day dawning with you as our city manager. Sweep 'em up and out. The next election cycle can't come soon enough.