The Coast News, July 31, 2009

Page 1

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. 23, NO. 31

JULY 31, 2009

THISWEEK

Carlsbad moves forward on Ponto

ble a u l Va pons cou ges Pa B13 – B12

By Jeannie Sprague-Bentley

entire wetland — approximately .04 acres according to the staff report. Commissioner Paul Van Slyke agreed that in the scheme of possible developments for the zoning allowed under municipal code, the proposed plan was acceptable. “It could have been way worse,” he said. “It could have been a lot denser than what’s proposed.” The applicant,Westbridge

CARLSBAD — After years of planning and several hurdles, plans for the development of the Ponto region are moving forward. City Council approved the first hotel within the Ponto Beachfront Village Vision Plan at the July 21 meeting. The three-story, 215room Hilton Carlsbad Beach Resort and Spa, will be just down the road from the Hilton Garden Inn of Carlsbad, and will sit just south of Ponto Drive and east of Carlsbad Boulevard. With 10,385 square feet of conference space, a large spa and an ocean view restaurant, the project will be something residents and visitors alike can both enjoy, hotel developers said. The hotel is proposed to be built on eight acres of land near the Hanover Beach Colony. Earlier concerns by homeowners were addressed by the developers and City Council determined the project was within the scope of the previously certified environmental impact report, and voted to approve the plans. Bill Hofman from Hofman Planning and Engineering, a consultant for the project, said some changes were made to the initial plans. “There were concerns about noise and that the lobby was too close to the (Hanover Beach Colony) area,” Hofman said. “We did a noise study and it showed that there wasn’t much noise, but we did a redesign to increase the landscaping and berm.” As a result, Hofman said, most homeowners said they were satisfied with the changes. The developer for the project, Bill Canepa of Wave Crest Resorts, said the style of architecture will be craftsman style, and said he tried to incorporate changes he felt the public wanted to the plan, such as an ocean view restaurant. The hotel is on one of five properties of the Ponto Beachfront Village Vision Plan, which calls for three hotels, two neighborhoods, mixed-use development and parking garages to be developed on land east of Carlsbad Boulevard and south of Ponto Drive, north of the Batiquitos Lagoon. A 10- to 12-foot multiuse path will run the length of

TURN TO WETLANDS ON A19

TURN TO PONTO ON A18

WHO ARE YOU WEARING?

North County residents headed downtown for Comic-Con and got dressed up like you won’t see anywhere else A23

INSIDE

TWO SECTIONS, 48 PAGES

Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . A7 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . B19 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . B22 Crime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A8 Eye on the Coast . . . . . . A5 EyeWitness . . . . . . . . . . A10 Hit the Road . . . . . . . . . A10 Hot Off the Block . . . . . A23 Legal Notices . . . . . . . . A20 Odd Files . . . . . . . . . . . . A3 Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . A4 Outside Perspective . . . . A4 Pendleton News . . . . . A17 Pet of the Week . . . . . . A16 Second Opinion . . . . . . A10 Crossword Puzzle . . . . B22 Small Talk . . . . . . . . . . . B1 Taste of Wine . . . . . . . B13 To Your Health . . . . . . . B11 Who’s News? . . . . . . . . . A8

RANCHO SANTA FE — The 29th annual San Diego Surf Cup Soccer Tournament officially kicked off July 25 at the Polo Fields. The tournament was held July 25 through July 27 for U-10 through U-15, and will take place Aug. 1 through Aug. 3 for U-16, U-17, and U-19. The Surf Cup is reportedly the largest youth sporting event in California, and features 350 of the top soccer teams from across North America. Above, center fielder Jordan Karam of Carmel Valley is on SD Surf Boys U-11 team, which defeated the Hawaii Bulls 2-0. Left, mid-fielder Billy Garton of Rancho Santa Fe, in red, on the Manchester’s Boys U-11 team as they take on CrossFire from Washington state. Manchester won 2-1. Photos by Bill Reilly

HOW TO REACH US (760) 436-9737 CALENDARS SECTION: calendar@coastnewsgroup.com COMMUNITY NEWS: community@coastnewsgroup.com LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: letters@coastnewsgroup.com

Wetlands access road has residents up in arms

FREE CLASSIFIED ADS ■ Locals say Sell your car at any price, or any one item $150 or less for free! Go online to www.coastnewsgroup.com or call our free ad hot line at (760) 436-1070. Deadline is Monday at 4 p.m.

nearby streets are enough

By Wehtahnah Tucker

ENCINITAS — The Planning Commission agreed to allow an access road connecting a proposed development to La Costa Avenue to be built through the wetlands as the first stage in a development project on the southern

edge of Batiquitos Lagoon during a special meeting July 24. The original public hearing was rescheduled from May 21 because residents in the neighboring La Costa Glen retirement community were not properly notified of the meeting. Their response to the project has pitted neighbor against potential neighbor with accusations of greed on both sides and environmental concerns hanging precariously in the balance. The Batiquitos Bluffs proj-

ect calls for 19 homes on a 10acre site within the 51-acre parcel of land at the southwest corner of La Costa Avenue and El Camino Real. The commission’s decision granted permission for grading and initial street construction on the access road. According to Kerry Kusiak, a city senior planner, no plans for home construction have been submitted to the department for review. The project will impact a relatively small area of the


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