PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID ENCINITAS, CA 92024 PERMIT NO. 94
THE COAST NEWS
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MAKING WAVES IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
VOL. 26, NO. 2
JAN. 13, 2012
O’side takes over agency
THISWEEK
By Promise Yee
ALL STAR
La Costa Canyon senior Evan Denworth is selected to play in the first-ever Blue-Grey National All Star Classic A17 in Tampa, Fla.
GROUNDS FOR CONCERN Encinitas City Council doesn’t accept report after hearing concerns over soil safety.
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INSIDE
TWO SECTIONS, 44 PAGES
Arts & Entertainment . . A8 Baby Boomer Peace . . . . A21 Camp Pendleton News . . B10 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . B16 Coastal Cosmos . . . . . . A11 Comics & Puzzles . . . . . B18 Consumer Reports . . . . . A5 Frugal Living . . . . . . . . . . B3 Hit the Road . . . . . . . . . A14 Legal Notices . . . . . . . . A18 Lick the Plate . . . . . . . B12 Life, Liberty, Leadership . . A4 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . A21 Odd Files . . . . . . . . . . . . A3 Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . A4 Pet of the Week . . . . . . . B5 Sea Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . B4 Second Opinion . . . . . . . B3 Small Talk . . . . . . . . . . . B1 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . A17 Taste of Wine . . . . . . . . B9 Who’s News? . . . . . . . . . B5
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Del Mar Terrace residents Wayne and Pat Dunlap, who left behind their daily routines to visit 51 countries in two years, ride an elephant in Northern Thailand. Photo courtesy of Wayne and Pat Dunlap
2 year adventure results in new book By Bianca Kaplanek
DEL MAR — When most people consider traveling, they plan a two-week vacation at a single location to take a break from their daily activities. Wayne and Pat Dunlap, however, turned it into a twoyear adventure, visiting 51 countries and acquiring a new outlook on life. “We escaped our 9-to-5
routines, rented our Del Mar home and traveled the world,” Wayne Dunlap said. “It has greatly improved our lives. “Traveling with only a suitcase has shown my wife and me that we do not need stuff to be happy,” he said. “People, friends, new experiences, romance, learning, having fun and waking up excited about the day is much more
important.” Years ago the Dunlaps gave up careers in the hightech industry to start a homebased business so they could devote more time to raising their son. When they became empty nesters in early 2009, Wayne suggested taking a few months off to travel before launching into something new. “A few days later Pat
comes up to me and says,‘Why don’t we take a year off?’” he said. “My first thought was that Americans can’t take a year off. It’s not done.” Then Dunlap devised a budget, did some research and discovered a slightly different way to travel. “I learned that what we would normally TURN TO TRAVELERS ON A21
Emergency seawall gets permanent status By Wehtahnah Tucker
ENCINITAS — The Planning Commission unanimously approved a major use permit on Jan. 5 that allows a seawall built under emergency conditions to become permanent despite objections by shoreline preservation groups. The applicant, Blue Curl, LLC’s request to install new landscaping in the mid-bluff area, an irrigation system and reconstruction of an unpermitted stairway was also approved. The state’s Coastal Commission authorized an emergency mitigation permit in July 2008 for a seawall covering the lower bluff.After a bluff collapse destroyed the aging
wooden structure and stairs, the applicant was given permission to construct a temporary seawall. Seawalls are not allowable by city code. However, exception is made for instances where an existing structure is in imminent danger according to City Planner Roy Sapau. In addition, he told the commission that the stairway is considered to be vested, so that nonconforming structures can be rebuilt if they are destroyed 100 percent. Mark Dillon, legal counsel The Planning Commission in Encinitas approves a permit to make the for the applicant, said the emergency seawall, constructed at the 1000 block of Neptune in 2008, major use permit should be a permanent structure despite objections from shoreline preservationists. Photo by Wehtahnah Tucker
TURN TO SEAWALL ON A23
OCEANSIDE — Following the state budget decision to abolish all city redevelopment agencies and halt city redevelopment tax dollars, City Council unanimously voted Jan. 10 for the city to become the successor of its now defunct Redevelopment Agency. The city stands to gain $1.2 million in property tax revenues, but stands to lose $4.8 million in accumulated affordable housing funds,$1.9 million in accumulated redevelopment funds and $2.2 million in annual affordable housing funds. “We can thank the state of California for burdening all cities,” said Mayor Jim Wood. “The state put the burden on our back.” City Council will work under a city oversight board to make sure outstanding redevelopment bonds are paid off and determine where any remaining redevelopment monies are spent. The oversight board will consist of appointed representatives from all entities that will split the tax dollars that previously went to improve Oceanside’s downtown redevelopment district. These include the county, the city, the largest special district, public schools and community colleges. “The oversight board will have the final say,” City Attorney John Mullen said. The Oceanside Redevelopment Agency has been active since the 1970s and was set to expire in 2018. The agency was in the “wind down mode,” but had several redevelopment projects on the table. It recently got City Council’s OK on a list of projects that included a downtown hotel, two parking structures, waterfront improvements, beach restrooms, amphitheater upgrades, and changing west Mission Avenue to a one-way street. Now the city must determine how much redevelopment money is still available and which projects the last of the funds will be spent on. Downtown parking strucTURN TO AGENCY ON A21