PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID ENCINITAS, CA 92024 PERMIT NO. 94
THE COAST NEWS
MAKING WAVES IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
VOL. 26, NO. 28
JULY 27, 2012
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Pacific View talks continue
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By Wehtahnah Tucker
make sure that that happens,” he said. It is intended to address problems that arise if there is an inadequate supply of affordable housing. A shortage of any housing leads to price increases and fewer units available for lower and moderate income groups, Morrow said. The “ripple effects” include overcrowded households, dilapidated housing, a potential increase in the homeless population and longer commutes, which contribute to increased greenhouse gas emissions. The state identifies projected housing needs for all economic segments based on Department of Finance population estimates and then assigns a required number of units to each jurisdiction. Locally, the San Diego Association of Governments allocates the number of units to the county’s 18 cities. “Each one of them gets a share of housing so that we, as a region, can fulfill our regional housing needs,”
ENCINITAS — The community breathed a sigh of relief when the Encinitas Union School Board voted 41 on Feb. 15 to enter into negotiations with Art Pulse to sell the Pacific View Elementary site. But the two parties have yet to agree on the particulars of the deal, and negotiations have resulted in significant delays. San Diego-based nonprofit Art Pulse was chosen in part because the group plans to purchase the site for $7.5 million and has some funds on hand. “As a school board, we have to be fiscal stewards of the district and protect our kids and their education,” Encinitas School Board President Emily Andrade said at the February meeting. Envision the View and the Sanderling Waldorf School were also in the running. Both offered to lease the 2.8-acre oceanfront parcel. Trustee Maureen Muir supported Envision the View’s plan to turn the site into a community center. While several proposals have been tossed around regarding the future of the site, none have been met with success. In 2005, an advisory committee was created consisting of various stakeholders. An initial proposal to build a medical complex with office space and condos was met with disapproval by the downtown community. The school board sued the city after the City Council refused to rezone the property from semi-public to residential last year. Encinitas Unified School District Superintendent Timothy Baird said the board would drop the suit if negotiations with Art Pulse were successful. “I’m hoping that we will wrap this up in the next month or so,” he said in mid-July. Baird said the sale was “not a simple land transaction.” “There are a lot of
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AND AWAY THEY WHOA! No. 6 Smoke’n Al stumbled coming out of the gate in the first race throwing jockey David Flores in the process. According to DMTC Director of Media Mac McBride, both rider and jockey were fine and given the green light to race again. Photo by Daniel Knighton
Solana Beach continues update on general plan By Bianca Kaplanek
SOLANA BEACH — Preserving private property rights, minimizing government-imposed development fees and redeveloping the train station are priorities for future housing needs, according to public input provided as Solana Beach works to update its general plan. But perhaps the most important goal is maintaining the existing community character. “(That) is very, very important,” Chris Morrow, a planning director with Project Design Consultants, said during a second workshop held July 18 as part of the general plan update process. “Almost everyone believes that’s something of solid value to the community and we’ve heard that loud and clear,” he said. Residents have also indicated they would like the city to promote green building practices, streamline the permit process, encourage mixed-use housing along Coast Highway 101, embrace diversity without creating “cookie cutter” homes and
require high-quality architecture. When it comes to mandated affordable housing, residents expressed a desire to have it integrated throughout the community. “That was certainly a comment that more than one person had to make sure we don’t overconcentrate affordable housing in any one particular area,” Morrow said. It should also be designed to discourage crime. Residents saw high land prices and neighborhood opposition as the biggest constraints to developing affordable housing. Morrow said the city is considering a public outreach program about the myths and realities of affordable housing to address and mitigate those issues. A general plan is a longrange document that guides the development of a jurisdiction. It includes a 3map that assigns land-use designations to each property, such as commercial, residential, parks, open space and industrial. Text outlines goals, policies and programs.
Of the seven required elements in the plan, only housing, which is the most regulated, is mandated to be updated at least once every eight years. Solana Beach developed its general plan in 1988, two years after it became a city. It’s been amended since then but this is the first comprehensive update. The housing element must be adopted by April 2013. So far city staff and the consultants have completed background research to understand existing conditions. An initial public workshop was held in May and a community questionnaire was released to garner public input. City Council members were updated and they provided input. The consultants have also been working with Councilmen Tom Campbell and Mike Nichols, the ad hoc committee members. The housing element ensures jurisdictions plan adequately for their housing needs for all income groups, Morrow said. “The state stepped in to