Covering civic issues, news, and the secret life of Encinitas
Tuesday, January 31, 2017
Housing meeting tomorrow night
After the failure of Measure T at the polls, the City Council will meet with residents tomorrow night to find a way forward to meet state housing mandates.
The meeting will be at 6pm at the Senior Center, 1140 Oakcrest Park Drive.
They will meet with residents? How many times have we already done this, only to have whatever suggestions we make be totally disregarded. At this point, I see no difference in this council than the previous one. This is almost like bullying behavior. If you keep pushing citizens, you finally get your way? Is that the plan?
6:35 EU- Do you remember all of those maps and putting dots on where housing should be? That was set up by the Council if memory serves me. Not this particular group of city Council members, but in the past. Am I wrong on this?
The first "dot exercise" was led by Vina and Peder Norby. Before the meeting we were entertained b a charming folk tale about the old man, and the young boy and the donkey, and on the overhead screen was a picture of Norby and Vina riding a donkey with sombrero hats on. It was pathetic. I saw Mike Andreen laughing his ass off in one of the exits. Who's laughing now?
there is no "alt-left movement." It simply doesn't exist. If you disagree, then please show a reliable source that documents the origins, philosophy, leadership, and institutions of the "movement."
Click through for that type of information on the Alt-Right:
Heck, they're even on Facebook: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwje9K-ihPDRAhVkh1QKHSRRC6cQFggaMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Falternativeleft%2F&usg=AFQjCNGCfUJqklFuG6V6IXNmClo1Atcjtw&sig2=GdbIPVsQhz2JaHA3e8IkVw
We should look at the changes in retailing and the box stores that are fading away as people purchase more and more on-line and have their goods delivered.
This will gut the El Camino corridor as it exists today making opportunity in the housing element for low income housing and transportation needs.
There is no "opportunity" for transportation needs when the city acts like more units don't = more cars.
They consistently put the circulation plan on a back burner, saying "upzone now, we'll figure it out later." Mike Strong told folks that at the workshops that they'd figure out the traffic plan after we add 1,000s of units.
You are aware of course that Mike Strong is no longer employed by the City of Encinitas. He resigned before the vote on Proposition T. Rats deserting a sinking ship.
Retail along El Camino doesn't show any evidence of shrinking. Due to internet sales and the 2008 recession the midrange retail malls such as Plaza Camino Real are in decline but local businesses and eateries appear to be doing fine. Amazon and QVC don't sell lunches.
That was then ... this is now. Transportation needs are a critical component of any housing plan.
Making not only the changes in retail and the hastening decline of box stores on El Camino Real an "OPPORTUNITY" for positive change in both HOUSING and TRANSPORTATION only if the citizens and leaders here look and make it that way.
Cite b&m stores that close and aren't then replaced by other b&m stores. Online will not completely replace b&m. They will each be segments of the market.
Sports Authority left, Dick's immediately came. There are plenty of things that people can't buy online, and many, many people will always want the experience of going to a b&m store.
Amazon, the king of online sales, has been opening b&m stores. Apple stores are a top earner.
The number of stores closing in the USA because of the change to online retail is dramatic. Every day new stores are announced to be closed...
In 2006 online retail sales were approximately 7% of the total... that has grown to about 15% today and that growth has not only positive velocity but also acceleration.
One needs to look no further that REITs that focus on big box retail and the companies there: earnings and stock prices are in free fall causing more and more of these stores to close in the future.
Good observations! That's why shopping center and retail REIT's are becoming more focused on projects in gateway markets. The wealthy like to touch things before they buy them. Plus you have the added bonus of signage revenue that goes beyond local eyes. As an example, look what is happening in Times Square!
Noboby said ALL brick and mortar was going away. And pointing to the existence of exceptions does not disprove the rule.
No one can deny that there is a shift from in-store purchasing toward online. Neither can anyone deny that everyday there are more younger tech savvy buyers and fewer of us retail dinosaurs.
We can argue about the pros or cons of such a trend, but we cannot argue about whether it's happening. It is.
The discussion about brick and mortar vs. online is like the millennials generalization. The widespread point of view was that all millennials want to live in tiny boxes in urban areas, not own cars, and walk and bike everywhere.
Then the stats showed that millennials are like just about everybody else. Most wanted houses with yards and want the freedom and range of cars.
If your opinions don't comport with the facts, your opinions ain't worth much.
Blakespear just ripped the first speaker s new one for daring to challenge the SANDAG allocation. Even SANDAG admitted their numbers were inflated. Guess the mayor didn't get the memo.
Blakespear sounded out of breath and panicked. Showing her true colors and it ain't pretty.
All in all, it was a pretty good meeting. Bruce E did a good job of outlining 11 constructive points about how to build a housing element that may be acceptable to both HCD and voters. I don't think he'll get everything, but the majority of it was pretty reasonable stuff.
Blakespear didn't have her best night, but she got a B grade. Not sure if it was planned, but she seemed to do most of the talking for the City. Some technical issues came up around RHNA numbers and accessory units that she should have had our lawyer answer, and instead engaged in a back and forth with citizens explaining why their ideas wouldn't work. It created a little bit of citizens vs. city atmosphere when she was clearly trying to create a sense of unity.
We learned that the strategy is to get a new housing element in front of voters this fall, if at all possible. The terms of the settlements are in breach, so we should expect those cases to restart. Right now, we don't have a viable defense. If we can show a judge potential to have the matter resolved this Fall without court intervention, they likely would give us time and space to make it happen.
This is going to upset some folks, because we are back in hurry up mode. We'd need to put another draft in to HCD for review this Spring. It means there isn't time to go back to square one. I'm expecting to see them start with Measure T, and make revisions to lower building height, create actual affordable housing, shrink the "buffer," benchmark against other cities, restore how heights are measured, remove the attic bonus floor--that sort of thing.
There's a constituency that will never be satisfied, and that's okay. They aren't winnable, so the city should focus on the most important changes that would affect voters who were on the fence last time.
After last night, I now think it's possible to get this done. I'm not sure if the time pressure is a good thing or a bad thing. There will be errors; the process won't be perfect. But having more time encourages a bloated document with more targets for misinterpretation or confusion.
I'd like to see CC develop a list of guiding principles and goals for the refresh, and stay laser focused on them. I think half or more of those principles should come verbatim from Bruce H's list.
Before sending anything to HCD or the voters, measure the draft against those goals.
Let me add that the crowd was for the most part respectful and intelligent. There were a couple of exceptions. A few people thought this was their personal TED talk and tried to give a long speech. One notably shouted down others without the mic, out of turn. I could see the reactions of people around me, and it was not positive. He wasn't helping his cause.
Also, a guy people love to hate started to speak while seated, and people asked him to stand so they could see him. A rude person in the No on A section shouted "he is standing," which is only mildly disrespectful. More offensive is that it's the lamest laziest comedy sauce ever.
The moderator didn't cut anyone off or steer things--he really didn't have to. Most of the comments from the crowd were to the point and helpful.
I was sitting behind the guy "people love to hate." Yes, he stood, but hardly up straight to see him easily. He mumbled something about upzoning being within a mile of the freeway. He didn't say he lives in Oceanside. The moderator had asked everyone to say where they live.
Encinitas mayor Blakespear on the cover of the Encinitas Advocate counting the homeless.. she says," We all need to understand better what's happening ". Let me tell you what's happening Cathy, the homeless are defecating and urinating on the streets and alleyways and private property of this city, everyday!! That's what's happening!! Now what are YOU going to do about it?? I happen to be tired of donning a hazmat suit several times a week to clean up what they leave behind.....how about I call your office and you can come over and do it for me. After all if you can be up at 4 AM to count the homeless you can come to my property and clean up their mess. But rest assured I won't call you until after 9 AM...
I'm not going, enough lies and BS!! Someone bring flaming torches and pitchforks!! Not only will that get their attention but also action.
ReplyDeleteYes, do leave it up to others to protest. Always appreciated by those who do make an effort.
DeleteOnline in real time?
ReplyDeleteThey will meet with residents? How many times have we already done this, only to have whatever suggestions we make be totally disregarded. At this point, I see no difference in this council than the previous one. This is almost like bullying behavior. If you keep pushing citizens, you finally get your way? Is that the plan?
ReplyDeleteTo be fair, previous sessions were run by staff and consultants who likely had their own agendas.
DeleteIt's possible the council actually wants to hear from residents now.
Maybe hear from residents, but heed us?
DeleteThe council already turned down format and other input residents offered.
6:35 EU- Do you remember all of those maps and putting dots on where housing should be? That was set up by the Council if memory serves me. Not this particular group of city Council members, but in the past. Am I wrong on this?
ReplyDeleteI don't remember how specifically the council dictated the format, but had the impression staff was always running the show.
DeleteThe first "dot exercise" was led by Vina and Peder Norby. Before the meeting we were entertained b a charming folk tale about the old man, and the young boy and the donkey, and on the overhead screen was a picture of Norby and Vina riding a donkey with sombrero hats on. It was pathetic. I saw Mike Andreen laughing his ass off in one of the exits. Who's laughing now?
Delete"It's a process."
ReplyDeleteUnrelated....
ReplyDeleteShould the police be talking with the anti-Semitic guy that is always posting on here? Just saw a bomb scare at a Jewish center.
Beware the mean Weiner
ReplyDeletehttp://sfbamo.com/news/wiener-proposal-brings-teeth-to-state-housing-goals/
Weiner is located in the right (left) town.
ReplyDeleteSF is the cesspool of victim mentality. Geeze.
Its time for another great burn and start the Phoenix process for that area.
Marco loves Weiner!
ReplyDeleteMarco big player in ALT-LEFT movement. They actually think he's not in it for the money, the misguided fools.
Deletethere is no "alt-left movement." It simply doesn't exist. If you disagree, then please show a reliable source that documents the origins, philosophy, leadership, and institutions of the "movement."
DeleteClick through for that type of information on the Alt-Right:
"The Alternative Right is a term coined in 2008 by Richard Bertrand Spencer, who heads the white nationalist think tank known as the National Policy Institute, to describe a loose set of far-right ideals centered on 'white identity' and the preservation of 'Western civilization.'"
How else would you describe the extremism on the left, equal to the extremism on the right, exhibited by Shaffer/Barth/Blakespear/Boerner/Kranz?
DeleteALT-LEFT is the most apt term for them and unless you think they're imaginary, definitely exists.
https://altleft.com/
DeleteHeck, they're even on Facebook: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwje9K-ihPDRAhVkh1QKHSRRC6cQFggaMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Falternativeleft%2F&usg=AFQjCNGCfUJqklFuG6V6IXNmClo1Atcjtw&sig2=GdbIPVsQhz2JaHA3e8IkVw
We should look at the changes in retailing and the box stores that are fading away as people purchase more and more on-line and have their goods delivered.
ReplyDeleteThis will gut the El Camino corridor as it exists today making opportunity in the housing element for low income housing and transportation needs.
There is no "opportunity" for transportation needs when the city acts like more units don't = more cars.
DeleteThey consistently put the circulation plan on a back burner, saying "upzone now, we'll figure it out later." Mike Strong told folks that at the workshops that they'd figure out the traffic plan after we add 1,000s of units.
Just say no.
You are aware of course that Mike Strong is no longer employed by the City of Encinitas. He resigned before the vote on Proposition T. Rats deserting a sinking ship.
DeleteRetail along El Camino doesn't show any evidence of shrinking. Due to internet sales and the 2008 recession the midrange retail malls such as Plaza Camino Real are in decline but local businesses and eateries appear to be doing fine. Amazon and QVC don't sell lunches.
DeleteStrong is gone, but why expect different? The few left have all lied in public, just as a little background fir you.
DeleteHave you heard news that the city is not going to put the cart before the horse this time? Because I haven't.
That was then ... this is now. Transportation needs are a critical component of any housing plan.
ReplyDeleteMaking not only the changes in retail and the hastening decline of box stores on El Camino Real an "OPPORTUNITY" for positive change in both HOUSING and TRANSPORTATION only if the citizens and leaders here look and make it that way.
Cite b&m stores that close and aren't then replaced by other b&m stores. Online will not completely replace b&m. They will each be segments of the market.
ReplyDeleteSports Authority left, Dick's immediately came. There are plenty of things that people can't buy online, and many, many people will always want the experience of going to a b&m store.
Amazon, the king of online sales, has been opening b&m stores. Apple stores are a top earner.
The number of stores closing in the USA because of the change to online retail is dramatic. Every day new stores are announced to be closed...
ReplyDeleteIn 2006 online retail sales were approximately 7% of the total... that has grown to about 15% today and that growth has not only positive velocity but also acceleration.
One needs to look no further that REITs that focus on big box retail and the companies there: earnings and stock prices are in free fall causing more and more of these stores to close in the future.
Good observations! That's why shopping center and retail REIT's are becoming more focused on projects in gateway markets. The wealthy like to touch things before they buy them. Plus you have the added bonus of signage revenue that goes beyond local eyes. As an example, look what is happening in Times Square!
Delete- The Sculpin
How many long-term vacancies are there in the El Cam corridor now?
DeleteWhat have the vacancy rate and terms looked like as online has grown?
Not only wealthy people like b&m stores, and there are plenty of things better bought in b&m stores than online.
Noboby said ALL brick and mortar was going away. And pointing to the existence of exceptions does not disprove the rule.
DeleteNo one can deny that there is a shift from in-store purchasing toward online. Neither can anyone deny that everyday there are more younger tech savvy buyers and fewer of us retail dinosaurs.
We can argue about the pros or cons of such a trend, but we cannot argue about whether it's happening. It is.
Is it happening on El Cam Real in Encinitas?
DeleteThat was your original point.
I don't drive the whole corridor often but the parts of it I do drive weekly don't show long-term vacancies.
If what's happening in other places or is a nationwide trend is not happening in the El Cam corridor, your point vanishes.
The discussion about brick and mortar vs. online is like the millennials generalization. The widespread point of view was that all millennials want to live in tiny boxes in urban areas, not own cars, and walk and bike everywhere.
ReplyDeleteThen the stats showed that millennials are like just about everybody else. Most wanted houses with yards and want the freedom and range of cars.
If your opinions don't comport with the facts, your opinions ain't worth much.
If only the city would host a public forum to discuss comments like these in person. That would be amazing.
ReplyDeleteBlakespear just ripped the first speaker s new one for daring to challenge the SANDAG allocation. Even SANDAG admitted their numbers were inflated. Guess the mayor didn't get the memo.
ReplyDeleteBlakespear sounded out of breath and panicked. Showing her true colors and it ain't pretty.
Tasha looks like her head is going to pop off. Guess the pressure of not talking endlessly is building. Watch for her to blow. Shouldn't be long.
ReplyDeleteCity staffer Kerry Kusiak nodding happily at Marco's bogus threats. You can bet they know each other pret-ty well.
ReplyDeleteMarco love Weiner.
ReplyDeletePathetic- the guy is willing to sell out his own town for $$$$. Scum.
He could pick any other S. CA beachtown to try and convert to Huntington Beach, but he focuses on our hometown.
All in all, it was a pretty good meeting. Bruce E did a good job of outlining 11 constructive points about how to build a housing element that may be acceptable to both HCD and voters. I don't think he'll get everything, but the majority of it was pretty reasonable stuff.
ReplyDeleteBlakespear didn't have her best night, but she got a B grade. Not sure if it was planned, but she seemed to do most of the talking for the City. Some technical issues came up around RHNA numbers and accessory units that she should have had our lawyer answer, and instead engaged in a back and forth with citizens explaining why their ideas wouldn't work. It created a little bit of citizens vs. city atmosphere when she was clearly trying to create a sense of unity.
We learned that the strategy is to get a new housing element in front of voters this fall, if at all possible. The terms of the settlements are in breach, so we should expect those cases to restart. Right now, we don't have a viable defense. If we can show a judge potential to have the matter resolved this Fall without court intervention, they likely would give us time and space to make it happen.
This is going to upset some folks, because we are back in hurry up mode. We'd need to put another draft in to HCD for review this Spring. It means there isn't time to go back to square one. I'm expecting to see them start with Measure T, and make revisions to lower building height, create actual affordable housing, shrink the "buffer," benchmark against other cities, restore how heights are measured, remove the attic bonus floor--that sort of thing.
There's a constituency that will never be satisfied, and that's okay. They aren't winnable, so the city should focus on the most important changes that would affect voters who were on the fence last time.
After last night, I now think it's possible to get this done. I'm not sure if the time pressure is a good thing or a bad thing. There will be errors; the process won't be perfect. But having more time encourages a bloated document with more targets for misinterpretation or confusion.
I'd like to see CC develop a list of guiding principles and goals for the refresh, and stay laser focused on them. I think half or more of those principles should come verbatim from Bruce H's list.
Before sending anything to HCD or the voters, measure the draft against those goals.
Let me add that the crowd was for the most part respectful and intelligent. There were a couple of exceptions. A few people thought this was their personal TED talk and tried to give a long speech. One notably shouted down others without the mic, out of turn. I could see the reactions of people around me, and it was not positive. He wasn't helping his cause.
DeleteAlso, a guy people love to hate started to speak while seated, and people asked him to stand so they could see him. A rude person in the No on A section shouted "he is standing," which is only mildly disrespectful. More offensive is that it's the lamest laziest comedy sauce ever.
The moderator didn't cut anyone off or steer things--he really didn't have to. Most of the comments from the crowd were to the point and helpful.
I was sitting behind the guy "people love to hate." Yes, he stood, but hardly up straight to see him easily. He mumbled something about upzoning being within a mile of the freeway. He didn't say he lives in Oceanside. The moderator had asked everyone to say where they live.
DeleteEncinitas mayor Blakespear on the cover of the Encinitas Advocate counting the homeless.. she says," We all need to understand better what's happening ". Let me tell you what's happening Cathy, the homeless are defecating and urinating on the streets and alleyways and private property of this city, everyday!! That's what's happening!! Now what are YOU going to do about it?? I happen to be tired of donning a hazmat suit several times a week to clean up what they leave behind.....how about I call your office and you can come over and do it for me. After all if you can be up at 4 AM to count the homeless you can come to my property and clean up their mess. But rest assured I won't call you until after 9 AM...
ReplyDelete