PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID ENCINITAS, CA 92025 PERMIT NO. 94
THE COAST NEWS
.com MAKING WAVES IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
VOL. 28, N0. 21
May 23, 2014
SAN Encinitas raises MARCOS -NEWS traffic mitigation fees .com
Unanimous decision doesn’t raise fees as sharply as proposed
By Aaron Burgin
Emmett Franch, 9, right, shows his appreciation to Phill Veneris of Cal Fire, with a handshake, a card and a goodie bag. Photos by Tony Cagala
Firefighters receive thanks By Tony Cagala
SAN MARCOS — Just a few months ago, Cal Fire and the majority of county fire departments were participating in an annual wildland fire training exercise. The message resounding throughout the event at that time was that this was going to be a fire season the likes of which has not been seen before. On May 13, the fire season began — abnormally early — fueled by extremely dry brush as a result of severe drought conditions and Santa Ana winds. Emergency calls went out that day of a fire spreading through 4S Ranch, pushing towards Rancho Santa Fe. And then another fire was reported in Carlsbad. By the end of the day, there were at least seven wildfires burning “This was a natural disaster,” said San Marcos Fire Chief Brett Van Wey, right, during a press
conference on Monday at the San Marcos Fire Station No. 4. with Cal Fire Battalion Chief Nick
TURN TO FIREFIGHTERS ON A16 Schuler.
ENCINITAS — The Encinitas City Council backed off of a proposal to sharply raise the fee it charges homebuilders for traffic impacts, but said the issue is not over. The City Council voted unanimously Wednesday night to approve raising the so-called traffic mitigation fee from $2,225 per unit for a single family residence to $2,254 per unit — the amount originally proposed by staff last week before the council requested a higher increase. But the council directed staff to return as soon
as possible with information to determine why Encinitas’ neighboring cities charge significantly higher fees than they do,THE possibly leaving the door open for a VISTA future increase. NEWS “This will allow us to look at the issue from a more holistic approach rather than it just showing up on the agenda because we have to meet a deadline,” Councilman Tony Kranz said. “But we need to bring it back so we can address the issues of traffic impact, which are significant.”RANCHO The proposal at SFNEWS Wednesday’s meeting would have raised the fee by more than 60 percent for single-family homes, from $2,225 per unit to $3,552 per unit, and 30 percent for
.com
.com
TURN TO FEES ON A16
Investigations into fires continue By Rachel Stine
REGION — Despite three arrests for alleged arson last week, investigators have determined the cause of only one of the more than 20 fires that burned through San Diego County last week. To coordinate efforts to uncover the cause of the numerous fires, the county established the Joint Arson Task Force Information Exchange on May 14. The task force consists of representatives of all agencies investigating the fire, including Cal Fire, the San Diego Sheriff’s
Department, the FBI, and local fire and police departments. “They are working around the clock to determine the cause of all of these fires,” said Chet Bertell, a fire investigator and bomb technician for the San Diego Fire Department’s Metro Arson Strike Team. Investigators are using a variety of methods to examine the fires, including scientific testing of the burn sites to collecting evidence and witness stateTURN TO INVESTIGATIONS ON A6