Why I’m Personally Against Streetscrape
[...] (EVEN) MORE NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC. By the City’s own reckoning, the roundabouts and lane deletion of Streetscrape would force 7,000 cars per day off Highway 101. Where will they go? Onto Neptune, Vulcan, Hymettus, Orpheus, and Saxony. The City staff says most of the disgruntled drivers leaving 101 will be pushed onto I-5. But if they originally chose 101, they probably dislike I-5 and would prefer a scenic route, hence driving through our neighborhoods. Former council member Boerner-Horvath promised “mitigation” for this new, neighborhood spillover traffic caused by Streetscrape. Mitigation is cityspeak for “put up a sign and pour more concrete.”
AESTHETICS. Few City staffers grew up here or live in Encinitas. Their Orange County aesthetic favors brand-new and “vibrant” (= “crowded”). They don’t understand old, historic, or calm. Why? The more people they can bring into Encinitas, the more tax money to pay their own salaries and pensions. Logical.
SCRAPE AND BUILD. When the City starts mentioning “tree canopy” and “plant palette,” I feel a shiver of fear. They want to cut down 31 trees on 101, but it’s OK because they will plant shiny, new, generic trees. (UPDATE: Oops, make that zero new trees east of 101.) The fiasco of the palm trees recently bulldozed for the “Rail Trail” in Cardiff shows that people form attachments to living trees -- our landmarks. The stately eucalyptus trees in Leucadia give us continuity with our past. So does the highway itself. The reason I call the plan “Streetscrape” is because of the City’s scorched-earth habit of building. I went to a workshop at the Library a few years ago and saw detailed mockups of the City’s plans for roundabouts on 101. They propose memorializing the historic features they raze with commemorative bas-reliefs on each roundabout. Seriously! That’s their notion of historic preservation.
MONEY. If and when the City goes through with this $30 million Streetscrape, they will have to promote even more development from here to eternity to pay the loan back. More lucrative bars, McMansions, tourism. Our council members believe their job is to run Encinitas like a business and generate ever more profit (growth = $$). I would rather be able to visit the beach without being crowded out by all the “vibrancy.”
THE REAL LEUCADIA. The City Council is all-in with turning historic Highway 101 into an outdoor mall of a 6-ring circus. What chaps my hide is that they claim it fits Leucadia’s community character. Look at the “whale” buildings cropping up on 101, viewed approvingly by our city planners, staff, and council. I find those behemoth buildings to be depressing and horrifying. Developers applaud roundabouts. Why? If they want to build a 5-story building on a roundabout, no traffic study is required. I see Leucadia 101’s community character as small buildings, tall trees, and a straight ribbon of highway.
If you have your own reasons for not wanting Streetscape, please join a group of residents fighting the plan. Contact: encinitasresidentscoalition@gmail.com.
Wednesday, April 17, 2019
Against Streetscape
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What constituencies does the Encinitas City Council serve? If you thought it was you, think again. The primary ones are the 101 business associations and the bike lobby. Roberta Walker, a leading bike advocate who (along with her husband) just filed a huge claim against the city for a bike accident she precipitated, and the beanie wearing new council member, Kellie Shay Hinze, are the tip of the spear. Clownscape, the rail trail, sharrows through busy Encinitas, and the list goes on ... this city council lives in delirium thinking our eco conscious community is ready to ditch cars to walk and bike, as if we live in a movie.
ReplyDeleteWhen am electorate is ambivalent about local politics, the monied interests (developers) stack the councils with their operatives. Then you see the outcome - unrestrained development, fringe accomodations to vocal sub-groups and a total disregard for the collective interests.
ReplyDeleteA correction to above: 90 existing trees to be removed, not 31. Source of that number is the final EIR.
ReplyDeleteA question about above: Where does the information about erecting a five-story building at a roundabout without doing a traffic study come from?
There is no recognized or accepted nationwide methodology for measuring roundabout traffic. This means no traffic study can be performed, which means high-density developers are free from the constraint of having to consider traffic impacts near/around roundabouts.
ReplyDeleteNeat little secret the developers don't want out of the bag, that Wisneski's department understands all too well, and that most council members are clueless about (and happy to stay that way).
As for five stories, who knows? Blakespear's bff attorney and the BIA will be leaning on her and next thing you know she'll be claiming "the state" is making her do it.
12:41 How about citing an authoritative source?
ReplyDeletethere's your problem, bub. There is no authoritative source that tells you how to measure traffic at roundabouts.
DeleteComb through this as so many of us have and let's have you cite the source for what no one else can find: https://www.nhtsa.gov/
3:54 — That means you're making an unsubstantiated claim. IOW, what you're saying is bullshit.
Delete"Developers applaud roundabouts. Why? If they want to build a 5-story building on a roundabout, no traffic study is required."
Where's the proof that's correct?
3:36 - I'll make another run at explaining this to you. Any methodology for measuring traffic at roundabouts is missing from the national government manual.
DeleteWe can't manufacture for you what doesn't exist. How does one substantiate what isn't real? Produce something from thin air?
You seem to have a persistent belief that the information exists. If you can find it, let the rest of us in on your source.
Hey, dipshit at 2:19: You persist in missing the point. You made a claim you can't substantiate.
DeleteIf there's no way to measure traffic at a roundabout, then there's no evidence a five-story building can go up without a traffic study.
Do you have examples? Precedents? Any evidence at all?
You're sounding kinda on edge, 12:15. I'm also detecting more than a twinge of desperation.
Delete12:19 Desperation? Why in the world would 12:15 be desperate? And about what?
DeleteIf your claim is valid, you need evidence to prove it. That's standard. If I claimed water is dry, you wouldn't accept that without proof.
Where's the evidence a five-story building can be built at a roundabout without doing a traffic study? Is it just your airhead assumption, or do you have proof?
Three questions in a row sounds like you're a bit excitable yourself, 12:52. Who said anything about 5 stories? Take a break and come back when you can discuss calmly, both of you.
DeleteEnough talk.
ReplyDeleteIt’s approved.
Build it.
Accept that some people will never be happy.
That’s their problem. Not ours.
"Enough talk?" Among who - the developers, contractors, and city staff, the beholden L101, and some council members? Kind of left out the public, but what's new.
DeletePlenty more opposition to come. Since you count yourself among the gestapo-style deciders, that'll apparently be your problem.
It's a scam. Don't build it. Most people don't want it.
ReplyDeleteNot true. Mostly only the crusty ol KLCC don't want it. But then again they don't like anything in life.
DeleteThey will be gone soon and Leucadia will smell more fresh without all their mold.
9:56, get on your bike and take a long ride on a short pier. In quick drying, wicking spandex. Most people want efficient streets that enhance ease and capacity of transportation and reduce traffic jams. Most people don't like the ridiculous bike d-bags who ride in packs and in lanes obstructing traffic and self-righteously asserting their so-called rights to the road to engage in a recreational activity.
DeleteStreetscape is needlessly converting a historic segment of 101 into a Las Vegas theme street unlike any other of its segments from Mexico to Oregon. It completely ignores reality, which is that 101 is THE major freeway alternative and, for those who don't use the freeway, the crucial north/south artery to work. The major giveaway, of course, being lane reductions to make way for dedicated paths for bicycles.
I don't begrudge bicyclists doing their thing. Some people like to fly drones. That's their thing. But we don't take a transportation resource that is the sky and allow droners to fly giant unmanned vehicles where they might interfere with airplanes, and for good and defensible safety reasons. As a society, we've determined that one enthusiast's recreational activity creates too great a public risk to prioritize his or her rights to the common resource. But our city council is utopian and delusional, as are you, putting the greater cost on crucial transportation efficiencies and indulging bicycling enthusiasts. Its absurd.
Blakespear will do whatever the Builders and Bike Advocates tell her to do! Get ready to get out of your cars, so that we can make room for the bicyclists and the additional traffic from the low income housing projects. Oh yeah, she supports santuary cities too. You voted for her, not me!
ReplyDeleteStreetscape has been in the works for a dozen years or more. That’s a metric crap ton of election cycles.
ReplyDeleteIf the whiners, bitchers, and complainers were a majority, then they would have won an election or two. They didn’t, and they aren’t.
The adults have spoken. The time for debate has ended.
Git ‘er done.
Streetscape a dozen years ago bears no resemblance to today's plan. You know better, 7:57.
DeleteAdults or a financially-interested fringe? I vote for the latter. There's been no debate. There's been a my way or the highway attitude since day one. Put the thing to a vote. Why so scared to do the right thing?
If it were a good project that the majority wanted, it would have been done many years back.
ReplyDeleteThe problems with council elections is only the ethically compromised run for office. The best and the brightest are not on the ballot.
Good point, 8:36. But in 2020 the developer puppets may be in for a rude awakening. clean house starting with the head of the snake. Then Phony. He's got too much at $take to honestly represent Leucadia.
Delete8:51, Who's running?
DeleteYou'll see.
DeleteI hope McDermitt. It would be awesome to have a smart Mayor who actually made a real living.
DeleteGreat post. Oligarchs and developers love density and 'crowded' as this creates more debt slaves in a shorter amount of time and then they can turn around and sell their commercial projects touting their stupendous traffic and pedestrian counts.
ReplyDeleteThe city manager has stopped any paper trail in reporting what is happening with the $30 million plus Streetscape development. For council meetings City staff write up agenda reports for the Mayor, council, and public. This isn’t happening with the progress of Streetscape. Now at the council meetings only an oral report is given close to the end of the meeting.
ReplyDelete9:41- Yup. She is the worst City Manager in all of CA and we are stuck with her until Blakespear is removed. Another big reason why Blakespear is the worst Mayor in the history of Encinitas.
ReplyDeleteI thought Gus Vina was the worst manager, make up your mind!!
ReplyDelete1:52- Not even close. Gus was a D. Brust an full F.
ReplyDeleteI beg to differ. Phil Cotton was rammed into a position of city manager by Dan Dalager who claimed we'd save $60k if we'd appoint him, so the council caved and did just that. Nothing of value was ever accomplished under Cotton's term. he did his time, and is doing just fine with his overblown pension, thanks to US, the taxpayers.
ReplyDeleteThis was before my time. What did Dalager get in exchange for Cotton getting a plum job and a huge retirement? Did Cotton help him fix his used appliances?
Delete9:59 AM Why do you say Brust is the worst city manager in California? Be specific. What has she done or not done that makes her so terrible?
ReplyDelete8:15- That would take way too long... Its more efficient to focus on what good recommendations to the City Council and decisions she makes. The list would include nothing. She is terrible at every decision she makes at City Hall.
ReplyDeleteShe is known throughout So CA as the worst from her destruction she left behind at San Juan Capistrano too her pure spastic nonsense acts at our City, she costs the taxpayers millions per week.
To get a good City Manager, we need to shit can our weak Mayor who think the current Governor is God and supports all his free housing crap.
8:30am. It never matters to you, no matter how often it is repeated, that the city manager serves at the pleasure of the council.
ReplyDeleteWhat is your deal?
Even you cannot deny the fact that the city manager does what she is directed to do by council. She is powerless without the councils backing.
You are relentless in your attacking her. What this says about you is revealing enough to discount your unending attacks on someone who is doing what she is directed to do by council.
We do agree on one thing, if I am not mistaken, Council is the responsible party, and they need to be replaced next year with a new resident represented majority.
8:30 Without examples, aka evidence, you're just bullshitting.
ReplyDelete8:30 works at city hall. no other explanation for the whine of someone finally having to work. Work against residents yes because that's a given, but work nonetheless.
DeleteNo- 8:30 am is correct.
ReplyDeleteWe have been through this Brust 10 times and you know better.
The City Council members are lay people who do not really understand or do anything to manage our City. What is their greatest responsibility is to hire a competent City Manager which they have failed miserably.
Karen is the bottom of the buck and is known throughout So. CA City Manager industry. He leadership traits include: Spastic unorganized behavior having staff jump from one (Karen emergency) project, to the next with zero accountability for getting anything done. Everything she touches turns to shit. As a result, almost nothing get done and that which does get done is totally F'd up. How are the following long term projects coming?
Housing element, Hwy 101 streetscape, quiet zones, chesterfield undergrounding and sidewalks, rail trail, street conditions, moral at City Hall, citizens respect for the City Hall, building a competent team at City Hall, and any projects getting done.
The above is just a few examples where Karen has failed miserably in providing good recommendations to the City Council to act on.
We do agree on one thing. Ultimately, the City Council led by the Mayor is responsible for keeping this crappy City Manager leading (tanking) our City. Therefore Blakespear and the others must go!!
Its really not Karens fault. I really believe she does not have the skill set needed to be a competent City Manager. Its always the same mode of operations with her. Panic, freak out and over react, and nothing positive gets done.
SJC offered Brust a raise so she wouldn't leave. That would have made her pay higher than in Encinitas. She left anyway, probably to get a much shorter commute.
ReplyDeleteIf Brust is the bottom of the barrel, why did SJC want to keep her?
Why did she leave as city manager in Del Mar?
What's her record? It's not fair to condemn her without giving specifics to justify the condemnation.
where is 6:37 getting his information on how Brust behaves inside city hall and that she is not a team builder? I call BS that he is not a disgruntled city worker. at best he is crying here for a pal who does work at the city.
ReplyDeletethe average resident has no problem with Brust and would not recognizer her from Adam.
Citizen disgust with city hall has nothing to do with Brust. It has everything to do with Turncoat Tony, Blankstare, and her loyal lap dog appointees siding always with developers. Period, end of story.
Sorry not sorry you're probably on probation, 6:37. i can see you now around the water cooler, whining instead of working. perhaps your "arrangement" to go surfing went south. perhaps your saunters to Starbucks have been cut short. Only you know, but whatever the case we're not having any of your BS.
Ha- You have to love when the City Managers office turns on its own City Council and starts stabbing them in the back. I would expect no less from passive aggressive Brust.
ReplyDeleteHere's a concept- Your earn your reputation by your actions. Brust fully earned her shitty reputation!!!
Qualifications as a good City Manager -- None -- Complete Failure-- major damage to any City stupid enough to employee her and it will take years to recover from her carnage.
Only Brust would post the crap about SJC. Obviously they are just as stupid as our City Council. Remove all our City Council and Mayor.
no one thinks she's a "shitty" manager but city staff who by all appearances are finally having the whip cracked on our taxpayer-funded city hall country club.
Deletewhat you keep not catching onto, 6:30, is that no one sees what she does internally, which is what outs you as "staff."
What we do know is that she "works at the pleasure of the council," so focus your ire there if you don't like decisions being made.
As far as daily life goes for you, things are not going to return to the joke of a work day you've been enjoying for far too long. with very few exceptions, you people really put the "lazy" in "government worker."
sounds like someone's finally looking over your shoulder and making you sit up straight. if this is "shitty," us taxpayers will happily take it. Don't like it? join a different country club, we'll be glad to see the back of you.
What 6:59 posted about Brust and SJC is correct. When SJC learned Brust was offered the city manager job in Encinitas, they offered a raise that would put her total pay above Encinitas' offer. Gaspar used the fact that Brust would effectively be taking a pay cut to come to Encinitas as a selling point so the other council members and the public would accept her.
ReplyDeleteThese are facts, not the disgruntled airhead BS posted above.
Brust's total pay exceeds $300,000 per year. Every time she speaks at council meetings, she sounds like a total dipshit.
No average resident knows what you do, 10:53. how is this? Staff insider info. Brust barely speaks at meetings if ever. It's the five bobble heads who sound like ninnies every time. and Brust takes her marching orders from them.
Deletethis should not be rocket science but somehow you and 6:59 can't connect the dots that the 5 bobbleheads are the issue. Stop complaining about the inner workings at city hall. we taxpayers don't care how tough things are for you under Brust.
11:03 There is an apparent disconnect between your brain and your fingertips. You make no sense.
DeleteYou outed yourself a long time ago. At least you're posting on your lunch break - this time.
DeleteYup. Quintessential Brust- throw both your bosses and your employees under the bus. Nothing. Nothing is ever her fault. What a class act.
ReplyDeleteMaybe your right. Maybe the City Council wanted a housing element asked to be imposed by the state that everyone hates but developers and no other project moving forward for years. Yeah- I think I have heard them say just that.
6:41 you just keep on proving you're a disgruntled city worker. Angry you have to actually work and didn't get the mountain bike to boot?
DeleteWrong again. I am a disgruntle voter for having crappy elected officials that support such a loser City Manager.
ReplyDelete8:41 You have zero credibility. Is English your first language? How are you at simple arithmetic?
ReplyDeleteOOOO burn. You are really good. English is my 10th language and I am really crappy at simple arithmetic and excellent at statistics and calculus, But.....
ReplyDeleteWe the residents are still stuck with shitty City Council members and a super shitty City Manager
OK, 9:10, post your complaints about Brust and the City Council in the other nine languages.
ReplyDeleteHAHAHAHA good one, 2:10. Way to lighten up my afternoon :)
DeleteHa....and
ReplyDeleteWe the residents are still stuck with shitty City Council members and a super shitty City Manager.