Gee, thanks.

This item has made a few local news stories, so obviously someone on the city council thinks it's a meaningful concession they got in surrendering to developers.

As part of its settlement, the city will require appliants to provide information that will show that any incentive or concession will reduce the cost of a housing development.

What is the point of that? Obviously, if the city waives parking requirements, setbacks, height limits, etc., it's going to reduce the cost to the developer. This is supposed to be considered a win that the developer has to state in writing that the giveaways helped lower his costs?

Council surrenders to David Meyer on density bonus rounding up; pays his $125,000 legal costs

Seaside Courier:

Encinitas June 27 reached a settlement with DCM Properties in a lawsuit regarding the density bonus program and adoption of the city's housing element.

Under terms of the settlement, the city will continue to send the housing element to the November ballot, begin rounding up part of the density bonus calculation, and pay DCM Properties $125,000 in legal fees. The settlement also continues the requirement that developers demonstrate how a concession the city should make in its development standards will reduce the cost of the housing.

David Meyer, head of DCM Properties, said the settlement makes the city's ordinance align with state law and helps the city meet a state mandate to adopt a housing element.

It's unclear whether the council settlement was unanimous or was the same 3-2 majority of Kranz, Shaffer, and Blakespear who surrendered to the Building Industry Association in an earlier lawsuit, with Muir and Gaspar opposed. Kranz and Blakespear were the only council members quoted in the Seaside Courier article.

The timing of the settlement is suspicious, as Meyer had refused to settle earlier in the week, but settled the same day Encinitas residents sued the city over the earlier BIA settlement. One of the issues in that lawsuit was the special treatment that six density bonus projects got in rounding up the number of units allowed. This settlement appears to try to undermine that argument by making it citywide policy to always round up and created even denser density bonus projects.

Encinitas residents sue city over BIA settlement, Hymettus density bonus approval

The residents strike back.

Press release:

Today, the Encinitas Residents Alliance, supported by the North County Advocates, filed a lawsuit against the City of Encinitas and CityMark Development. The lawsuit challenges an unconstitutional settlement agreement the City made in August 2015 when it granted its authority over development decisions to the Building Industry Association of San Diego (BIA). Encinitas Residents Alliance (or ERA) aims to invalidate the pact between the City and the BIA and overturn the Council’s approval of the CityMark Hymettus Estates density bonus project in Leucadia – one of six pipeline projects treated specially as a result of the unlawful BIA deal.

“This illegal agreement binds the City in their decision making and gives unique, preferential treatment to six density bonus projects including Hymettus Estates. It changes how they calculate the number of units permitted and the net result is almost double the number of housing units allowed by our local zoning,” said Bruce Ehlers, former City of Encinitas Planning Commissioner and Boardmember of North County Advocates.

Encinitas Residents Alliance can be found here, with information on local zoning issues as well as a way to sign up for e-mail updates.  This is going to be an important group in the discussion over high-density development this fall.

Death in Encinitas Ranch

10 News:

The early morning death of a woman in a house along the Encinitas Ranch golf course was being investigated by the San Diego County Sheriff's Homicide Detail.

Paramedics responded to a house at [xxxx] Spanish Bay Court in the upscale neighborhood shortly after 2 a.m. Monday after a 911 call seeking medical aid for a woman in her late 40s, according to Lt. Kenneth Nelson.

The woman was pronounced dead at the scene despite attempts by paramedics to revive her. Patrol deputies called in the homicide detail after they became suspicious about the circumstances surrounding her death, Nelson said.

Union-Trib:

The woman, who is tentatively identified and is from the North County, was a guest at the home and had a relationship with someone who lived there, Nelson said.

Fox 5:

A sheriff’s lieutenant told FOX 5 that the woman, who was 47 years old, was visiting friends at the large, two-story home. Her body showed no obvious injuries, but the death was considered suspicious, the lieutenant said.

This comes less than a year after the October 2015 Encinitas Ranch stabbing. We never found out what that was about, did we?

UPDATE: Victim identified as Yvonne Paquette, a jeweler and former San Dieguito and Sunset High School student.

UPDATE 2: Sources say a drug overdose due to drug use unbeknownst to residents.

Coast News explores Baird ties to yoga foundation, USD researcher

Coast News:

But an investigation by The Coast News into the financial records of the Sonima Foundation reveal, among other things, a complex web of payments from the Sonima Foundation to the director of the USD center that conducted the survey, raising conflict of interest concerns among parents and experts.

The Coast News also found that the very report the district has used to advance the yoga program calls into question its effectiveness, but that Baird, USD and the Sonima Foundation — which is primarily funded by several billionaire hedge fund investors — have highlighted only the positive aspects of the report.

In addition, Baird’s own daughter appears to have been employed by the Sonima Foundation at the height of the partnership, raising further concerns about the relationship between Baird and the foundation.

... and much, much more. Read the whole thing.

Gaspar interview with Mike Slater on EUSD yoga, farm lab, rubber-stamp school board

"Overall, I think the priorities are getting a bit skewed."

Here's the podcast. Gaspar starts about 3:45, and goes about 8 1/2 minutes.

City consultant's survey discovers the obvious: residents want natural open space and trails, not more city-run recreation programs

Union-Tribune:

The survey found that Encinitas residents ranked preserving natural areas and keeping existing park facilities in prime condition as their top goals.

When given a list of park-related spending options and asked how to divvy $100, preserving and protecting natural habitat areas got the largest share of the money, $25, and increasing trails came in second with $19, said Art Thatcher of GreenPlay LLC, the lead consulting company handling the parks planning project.

Adding an aquatic facility came in third, he said.