The Coast News INLAND EDITION
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VISTA, SAN MARCOS, ESCONDIDO
VOL. 7, N0. 9
APRIL 29, 2022
E. Barham Dr. project heads to City Council
Escondido eyes sales tax bump as deficit grows
By Laura Place
By Samantha Nelson
SAN MARCOS — A new housing project could be in the cards for eastern San Marcos after the Planning Commission approved the 151-unit Hallmark townhomes project along East Barham Drive this month. The project, along with a proposed rezone, conditional use permit, specific and general plan amendments, multifamily site development plan and tentative subdivision map, was approved unanimously by the Planning Commission on April 4 and is now scheduled to go before the San Marcos City Council as soon as May 10, according to Planning Division Director Joseph Farace. Project plans propose a mix of two- and three-story townhomes containing oneto five-bedroom units, a central recreation building and open space areas, all on a vacant 10.5-acre grass lot at the city’s eastern edge bordered by single-family homes to the east and the Grace Church property to the west. The project was guided by the city’s 2021 Hallmark-Barham Specific Plan, created with San Diego housing developer Hallmark Communities, which plans out specific residential uses for the lot. Hallmark Communities president Chris Hall said he was pleased to see the project approved after being in the works for around 2½ years. “(With) the fact that the project was unanimously approved at Planning Commission and the city is in high demand for housing, we’re thinking it’s going to be well received at the end of the day,” Hall said. “We are projecting to be a middle-income price point, which is the most-needed part of the housing stock.” If approved, the Barham Drive condos will be one of the higher-density products in a line of housing projects from Hallmark Communities. The compaTURN TO PROJECT ON 12
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One piece, for example, features newscasters on national outlets. However, the male caster is a bulbous, yellow caricature sitting beside his female anchor, who has purposefully enlarged breasts — his nod to yellow journalism, a form of writing that sensationalizes facts. “This show is about censorship and censorship in the media,” Gary said, calling out those who follow skewed reporting. “The media does not promote anti-war stuff.” Some may remember a long-ago newscast reporting the defacement of the Hollywood sign with a peace sign. Now, decades later, the former attorney can admit it was him. However, Gary said that the true story was missed and fabricated. The pressure and hur-
ESCONDIDO — With the city’s budget future in dire straits, Escondido’s City Council is once again weighing the option of placing a sales tax increase measure on the November ballot. The city’s current sales tax rate is 7.75%, which includes 7.25% for state and a half-cent for the county’s Transnet program. The city receives only 1% of that tax. Escondido is expecting an $8 million deficit starting July 1, which is projected to grow to $23 million by 2036. “Operating revenue has not kept pace with the growing cost of municipal services,” said Christina Holmes, the city’s finance director. Staff presented options ranging from a half-cent to full one-cent sales tax increase as part of findings from a revenue subcommittee, which included Mayor Paul McNamara and Councilmember Mike Morasco, that evaluated the possibilities of a potential sales tax measure. There are four scenarios for the proposed tax rates. Under the half-cent measure, Escondido would “survive” and generally maintain its current level of services with an increase of $14.1 million annually; under the ¾-cent measure, Escondido would “stabilize” and have capacity to increase some levels of service with an additional $21.2 million; and under the one-cent measure, the city could “thrive” with $28.3 million in additional revenue. According to Deputy City Manager Chris McKinney, with a one-cent sales tax increase, Escondido could greatly improve its road quality conditions to be on par with the rest of the San Diego County. Escondido’s roads are currently the lowest ranked in terms of quality among cities in the county. The fourth and final
TURN TO GALLERY ON 14
TURN TO SALES TAX ON 5
Darla Ogle, 2, digs into the vermicomposting wagon last Saturday during the Earth Day celebration at Alta Vista Botanical Gardens in Vista’s Brengle Terrace Park. The annual event, which returned after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, gives children and adults alike a hands-on introduction to the environment. Story on Page 9. Photo by Jacqueline Covey
THE GALLERY WHERE ANYTHING GOES Backfence Society’s hands-off approach thrills anti-censorship Vista artist By Jacqueline Covey
VISTA — The Backfence Society is granting wishes, at least for some artists. The nonprofit is dedicated to community engagement through art by offering programs and granting weeks-long residencies to regional artists — a majority of whom are from Vista. “If I could do any show, you’re looking at it,” said Stephen Frank Gary, the gallery’s featured artist for April, arms open looking at his works displayed at the gallery at 110 S. Citrus Ave. Gary’s exhibit, titled, “Artistlooseination Hippieshit; Make a Better World. Peace is an Action Verb,” remains on display at the Backfence Society gallery through Saturday. It is a mixed-material dedication to peace and the First Amendment.
STEPHEN FRANK GARY, a Vista-based artist whose work promotes peace and the First Amendment, stands in front of some of his work at the Backfence Society gallery at 110 S. Citrus Ave. in Vista. Photo by Jacqueline Covey
While peace is a lifelong obsession to the self-proclaimed hippie, fighting censorship has taken an increasingly large role in his art.
Using digital art on canvas, wood, paint, or metals — or a combination — Gary forces the viewer into an uncomfortable position, his position.