PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID ENCINITAS, CA 92024 PERMIT NO. 94
THE COAST NEWS
.com
MAKING WAVES IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
VOL. 27, NO. 34
NOV. 8, 2013
Carlsbad city manager resigns Reasons for abrupt resignation are undisclosed By Rachel Stine
CARLSBAD — Carlsbad City Manager John Coates resigned from his position for undisclosed reasons in an announcement on Wednesday night. City Council decided to place Coates on paid leave and selected Fire Chief Kevin Crawford as acting City Manager in an unannounced meeting held on Oct. 31. Following news reports of his leave, the city issued a statement on Wednesday night announcing his resignation. Coates will remain on paid leave until March 12,
Voters will decide use policy for center
CP Air plans merge with existing air carrier
By Bianca Kaplanek
By Rachel Stine
CARLSBAD — California Pacific Airlines (CP Air) is working on merging with an existing, certified airline to advance its plans to fly out of the McClellan-Palomar Airport in Carlsbad. CP Air owner Ted Vallas stated Wednesday that he plans to merge with a small airline in the coming months and eventually buy it entirely to obtain the company’s FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) air carrier certification.Vallas said he would then be able to expand the existing certificate to cover the types of planes he plans on flying out of McClellanPalomar Airport. This would effectively circumvent the years of delays the FAA has imposed on CP Air’s application to start an airline from scratch. “You’re immediately certificated,” Vallas explained. “It only takes a couple of months to add a new type of aircraft to the certificate.” FAA spokesperson Ian Gregor confirmed that the FAA does allow airlines to do this. “Airlines all over the U.S. add new aircraft models to Ted Vallas, owner of California Pacific Airlines, announced that the airtheir fleets from time to time,” he said. “It’s a much simpler line now has plans to merge and eventually buy out an existing airline TURN TO CP AIR ON A18
Holiday lights out
to receive FAA certification to begin flight operations out of the McClellan-Palomar Airport in Carlsbad. File photo
Two Sections, 52 pages
Construction work at the Del Mar fairgrounds cancels the annual Holiday of Lights this year. B2
Arts & Entertainment . A24 Food & Wine . . . . . . . . B12
Legendary surfer and shaper Donald Takayama is being remembered in a memorial exhibit, one year after his passing in October 2012. B1
Legals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A20 Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A4 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A19
Medicare Open Enrollment is 10/15/13 to 12/7/13
HOW TO REACH US (760) 436-9737 Calendar: calendar@coastnewsgroup.com Community News: community@coastnewsgroup.com Letters to the Editor: letters@coastnewsgroup.com
SOLANA BEACH — Solana Beach will hold a special election, at a minimum cost of about $200,000, to let voters choose how and when Fletcher Cove Community Center can be used. Council members at a special meeting on Nov. 13 made the unanimous decision. The election, which will likely be held Feb. 11, will ask voters, “Shall the proposed ordinance amending the Solana Beach Municipal Code allowing for Special Use Permits at the Fletcher Cove Community Center be adopted?” City Council followed a recommendation by ad hoc committee members Lesa Heebner and Dave Zito to forgo adding a competing measure. “It would be superfluous,” Heebner said. Some residents wanted to be able to use the recently renovated facility on Pacific Avenue for private celebrations. Others said such events would likely result in traffic, noise and safety issues, especially if alcohol con-
Local Doctors. Local Care.
sumption was allowed. When City Council failed to adopt a use policy in June, a group of residents circulated petitions and gathered enough signatures to qualify the measure for an election. Then in August, council did adopt a trial-period policy that initiative proponents said was too restrictive so they submitted the document for certification. Election laws contain specific timing deadlines. Had they waited a few weeks, the initiative could have been included in the June primary election at a cost of about $10,000. Since they didn’t, council members were faced with two options. They could adopt the initiative as written or call for a special election. Council members all agreed the initiative is flawed, most notably because the only way it could be altered was with another election. “It’s bad policy to have a policy that can’t be changed” without an election,” Mayor Mike Nichols said. “No policy is perfect. … Our policy is not perfect but at least you can change it (without a vote).” He said the counciladopted policy allows discretion and can be expanded if no problems occur. TURN TO FLETCHER COVE ON A18
North Coastal Regional Offices VISTA OFFICE
The area’s largest independent Primary Care Medical Group
3
OCEANSIDE OFFICE
Locations spanning the 78 corridor from Carlsbad to Escondido plus Fallbrook and Temecula
3
VISTA
TOW NSI TE D R.
OCEANSIDE TRI-CITY
T VI
VISTA
Y WA S TA
FAMILY CARE URGENT CARE
IN AM
We accept Medicare, Medicare supplement/Medigap, TRICARE for Life, Medicare Advantage PPO, and United Healthcare Medicare Advantage HMO insurance (through Sharp Community Medical Group).
O RE
AL
W ES
V IL
THUNDER DR.
70+ Physicians, Affiliates and Practitioners
3
866-228-2236 www.graybill.org
LAG ED R.
OFFICE
LC
The Banksy effect? An Encinitas woman finds a canvas with an image of street artist Banksy’s work on it. Could it be the start of an art scavenger hunt? B1
Election slated for Feb. 11 is expected to cost city $200k
CARLSBAD SA N
CARLSBAD OFFICE
SB RCO MA
LVD.
CR
AV E N DR.
TWIN O AKE S VA LLEY RD.
John Coates has worked for the City of Carlsbad since 2010. On Wednesday, he resigned from his position for undisclosed reasons after being put on paid leave last week. Photo courtesy of the city of Carlsbad
E
TURN TO CITY MANAGER ON A18
Solana Beach will hold a special election to let voters decide a use policy for Fletcher Cove Community Center. Photo by Bianca Kaplanek
R A N C H EROS
DR.
SAN MARCOS AUTO