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. 25
SEPT. 6, 2013
The city was recently provided with two appraisals of Pacific View, one for $3.29 million and another for $7.28 million. The Encinitas Union School District, the owner of the property, is also assessing the worth of the former school site. Photo by Jared Whitlock
ALL HANDS ON DECK Over the Labor Day weekend, visitors were treated to tall ships and mock maritime battles during the Festival of Sail on San Diego’s waterfront. Above: San Diego resident Nicholas Keifer plays at the wheel of the HMS Surprise, the tall ship featured in the movie “Master and Commander.” See more photos on page B15. Photo by Daniel Knighton
City releases Pacific View appraisals By Jared Whitlock
Sheriff captain clarifies sharrow rules By Bianca Kaplanek
COAST CITIES — A strange new symbol that looks like a bike under a roof is being added with more frequency to local streets. The symbol denotes sharrows,or lanes that can be shared by cyclists and motorists. They were installed along Coast Highway 101 in Encinitas in 2012 and more recently on the same roadway in Solana Beach. Sheriff Capt. Robert Haley said sharrows are a great concept but there has been some confusion on the proper way to use them. According to the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices, which is used by the U.S. Department of Transportation and law enforcement, sharrows alert motorists that a bike rider may use the lane. They also help cyclists on roads with on-street parallel A cyclist riding through Solana Beach uses the recently installed sharrow parking. lane on southbound Coast Highway 101. Capt. Robert Haley said the TURN TO SHARROWS ON A26
Complaint filed Sage Naumann, an applicant for the CUSD Board of Trustees, has filed a complaint with the FPPC. A9 Q&A The anonymous street artist who goes by the name BERT has installed a Have you seen more crows second piece in downtown than usual around the county? Encinitas. A11 You’re not alone. B3
law requires riders to stay to as far right as possible unless it is unsafe. Photo by Bianca Kaplanek
Two Sections, 52 pages Arts & Entertainment . A10 Food & Wine . . . . . . . . A16 Legals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A22 Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A4 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B12
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ENCINITAS — Two varying appraisals of the 2.8acre Pacific View school property were posted on the city’s website last week following City Council direction. The first appraisal, from Carlsbad-based James W. Waldorf, came in at $3.29 million. A second appraisal completed by Integra Realty Resources was listed at $7.28 million. The city asked for appraisals of the site’s market value after it agreed to consider buying Pacific View from EUSD (Encinitas Union School District). In June, each firm was presented with the same guidelines, including taking the location’s current public/semipublic zoning into account. To determine the value of the site, both appraisers looked at comparable properties that were recently sold. After receiving the appraisals in closed session, council members were “concerned and curious” about the discrepancy, said City Manager Gus Vina earlier this week. So, the City Council directed Vina to sit
down with both appraisers at the same time. What the gap came down to: Waldorf’s appraisal was lower because it largely looked at inland North County areas when searching for comparable buildings, while Integra cast its net up to Los Angeles. Relatedly, Integra placed more value in ocean views, according to Vina. “I asked both if they had reason to change their appraisals at the end of the meeting,” Vina said. “And they said ‘no.’” Vina added that Pacific View is a “rather difficult property to appraise” given its age. Both appraisals note that the buildings on the property are in poor condition, with significant signs of deferred maintenance. The Waldorf appraisal also mentions that the buildings have termites, and there are reportedly bees in some of the structures’ attic spaces. The former school, located near the beach on Third Street, between E Street and F Street, shutTURN TO APPRAISALS ON A26