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. 27, NO. 17
JULY 12, 2013
New rules for jellyfish stings By Jared Whitlock
Since July 1, county lifeguards are being directed to treat jellyfish stings with hot water or saltwater. Some argue the long-prescribed vinegar method remains the best way to ease the pain. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia
ENCINITAS — Jellyfish have been known to sting upwards of 100 people on Encinitas beaches during peak days. In the past, those stung and staggering towards lifeguard towers in pain were sprayed with vinegar. But now they’re given another treatment. As of July 1, lifeguards countywide are supposed to attend to jellyfish stings with hot water or saltwater, according to officials from the San Diego County Emergency Medical Services. Not everyone is a fan of the policy change; some residents argue that vinegar remains the best remedy for easing the hurt of a jellyfish encounter. However, a body of new evidence says otherwise, said Dr. Bruce Haynes, medical director of county EMS. “Vinegar has been widely used locally, but literature indicates that’s not the best course,” Haynes said. Haynes, who oversees EMS protocols, said all county lifeguards are expected to follow the new jellyfish procedure. He doesn’t expect lifeguards to object, but if they do, EMS could reconsider the policy change. “My advice is to try the treatment for a time,” TURN TO JELLYFISH ON A16
Council delays setting parking plan fees By Bianca Kaplanek
DEL MAR — A plan that would allow downtown property owners to pay a fee instead of providing some of their required onsite parking spaces inched forward at the July 1 meeting, with council members directing staff to return with additional information rather than a resolution establishing the fee. In 2008, five different council members approved an in-lieu program that permits owners to satisfy up to half of their mandated parking stalls, in the central commercial zone only, by paying into a fund that would be used for off-street public parking, such as a garage, or a shuttle service. Some owners have expressed interest but no applications have been submitted, likely because how much they would pay hasn’t been established in the five years since the plan was adopted. At the March 18 meeting, council discussed a potential fee of $30,000 per space and asked staff to return with more specifics. At the July 1 meeting, staff recommended setting the fee at $30,000 per stall per year, excluding land costs, based on the average cost to build a parking structure. The full fee would be required up front for major remodels or any new projects, which are limited due to available space in the downtown area. Existing owners who want to expand or change their business use would be allowed to TURN TO PARKING PLAN ON A20
Talk over bar moratorium to continue next week By Jared Whitlock
ENCINITAS — Residents gathered en masse at Wednesday night’s City Council meeting to weigh in on a proposed citywide bar moratorium. The moratorium, a freeze on all new bars, pubs and breweries, was placed on the agenda in response to residents’ concerns over nightlife. As written, it also puts a hold on applications for businesses wanting to expand their liquor licenses to serve more people or remain open later. Rather than give that moratorium a simple up or down vote, councilmembers took two separate actions. First, City Council asked the Encinitas Hospitality Committee, a newly minted group made up of bar owners, to bring back a comprehensive plan addressing nightlife concerns in 45 days. Councilwoman Kristin Gaspar said the bars should be given a chance to develop their own proposal. When it comes to bars and other businesses, selfpolicing is a better course of action than legislation, she said.
Back to the future
Two Sections, 48 pages
Oceanside celebrated its 125th anniversary last week, where city organizers buried a time capsule. B3 Logging on Community colleges around the county are facing challenges that come with trying to bolster their online classes. A3
“What I learned over time in managing people, when I allowed our employees to be empowered and identifying solutions to problems…the outcome was much better,” Gaspar said. Second, councilmembers voted 3-2 to place a revised moratorium on next week’s agenda. Instead of a freeze on all liquor licenses, the new moratorium applies to liquor-license applications for businesses planning to offer alcohol after 10 p.m. Deputy Mayor Lisa Shaffer, who made the motion, said the moratorium should focus on latenight bars and restaurants, because most complaints can be traced to those establishments. She added a 45-day moratorium would let the city incorporate policy suggestions from the Encinitas Hospitality Committee into plans for new bars and restaurants. “This gives us time to hear from the hospitality group,” Shaffer said. However, Gaspar opposed the motion. She said a moratori-
Arts & Entertainment . . A8 Food & Wine . . . . . . . . A12
The North County Film Club begins its second season this weekend.Their aim: To make indie films more accessible.
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Legals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A21 Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A4 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B5
TURN TO BARS ON A17
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The proposed residential development, Valiano, lies at the crossroads of Mount Whitney Road and Country Club Drive. The property encompasses 209 acres of unincorporated land between the cities of San Marcos and Escondido. Photo by Paige Nelson
Plans for higher-density housing spark debate By Paige Nelson
REGION — Early development plans to build 362 new homes in Eden Valley have some residents concerned. “This has reinforced what we’ve always believed — development equals more development,” said JP Theberge, Board Member of the Elfin Forest and Harmony Grove Town Council. Theberge has been a resident for two years and said people are worried about losing their way of life and community character to big developers. “Our motto is to keep it rural,” Theberge said. “This is one of the last few pockets of rural areas in San Diego and we want to keep it that way.” The proposed project, known asValiano,is a gated residential development that would occupy 209 acres of unincorporated land between the cities of San Marcos and Escondido. Construction of Harmony Grove Village, a 742-home-
development adjacent to the property is already underway and would bring the total number of houses in the area to more than 1,000. New Urban West, the original developer of Harmony Grove Village, opened communication lines and collaborated with residents to ensure the layout blended with the rural community. After dozens of public meetings, the revised plan was approved by the County Board of Supervisors in 2007. “The community has worked diligently for the past 10 years, on taxpayer money, to plan for overall density,” said Jacqueline Arsivaud, Vice Chair of Elfin Forest and Harmony Grove Town Council. The community’s collaborative efforts with county planners led the county to adopt a General Plan in August 2011, which zoned the property for TURN TO HOUSING ON A16