PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID ENCINITAS, CA 92024 PERMIT NO. 94
THE COAST NEWS
.com
MAKING WAVES IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
VOL. 28, NO. 3
JAN. 17, 2014
EUSD votes to auction Pacific View property By Jared Whitlock
ENCINITAS — After rejecting a $4.3 million offer from the city to purchase Pacific View, EUSD (Encinitas Union School District) instead plans to auction the site. Negotiations over Pacific View — a property the city wants to buy and convert into a community arts center — began in closed session this past September. “As with any sale, there is an asking price and there’s an offer price,” EUSD Superintendent Tim Baird said. “And if those two don’t meet, the sale doesn’t work. We felt that the offer the city made was lower than the value of the land.” Baird added that $4.3 million just isn’t enough given that the district was offered $7.5 million from the nonprofit Art Pulse in 2012. And, since then, the economy has improved and property values have increased. The city submitted its offer in late November. When it didn’t receive a counterof-
fer, the city sought third-party mediation with the goal of finding a middle ground. EUSD, which stated the property could be worth as much as $13 million, said the two parties were too far apart to go through the process, City Manager Gus Vina said after a special city council meeting regarding Pacific View on Wednesday. “When do you use mediation?”Vina said. “When you’re too far apart and need to bring people to the middle. “I’m saying that’s exactly when you need mediation,” he added. At its Jan. 9 meeting, the EUSD board of trustees voted to auction the site off, ending negotiations with the city. “We made an offer with the best intent in mind for the community and it’s unfortunate it wasn’t reciprocated by the district,” Councilwoman Kristin Gaspar said during the TURN TO PACIFIC VIEW ON A15
The Encinitas Union School District declined a $4.3 million offer from the city to buy Pacific View. Instead, the district will auction the site, a process that will start with sealed bids. Photo by Jared Whitlock
Bluff failures remain an ongoing issue Flu activity hits state By Bianca Kaplanek
SOLANA BEACH — The vast Pacific Ocean, graceful surfers, splashing children, an occasional whale or dolphin sighting and picturesque sunsets can transform a walk along the sandy shores of Solana Beach into a Norman Rockwell experience. But the fragile bluffs that loom above nearly all of the 1.7 miles of beach in the county’s second smallest city also make it dangerous. Public safety officials estimate they make about 6,000 contacts annually, warning residents and visitors to stay away from bluffs and out of sea caves. The obvious solution for increased safety would seemingly be to build something that would keep the bluffs from crumbling and falling. But sea walls and other shoreline protection devices Sea walls have pitted the California Coastal Commission, environmentalists, surfers and beach lovers against TURN TO BLUFF ON A15
bluff-top property owners, who build the structures to prevent their homes from eventually falling into the ocean. Photo by Bianca Kaplanek
Workshoping
Plans workshopped over the Oceanside Municipal Airport look to continue serving smaller aircraft. B2 Surfing scientist A plaque was installed last weekend at Swami’s Beach to honor the late Terry Hendricks. B1
The family of an Escondido man shot and killed by police has filed a federal lawsuit against the city and police officers. B3
Two Sections, 40 pages
HOW TO REACH US (760) 436-9737
Arts & Entertainment . A13
Calendar: calendar@coastnewsgroup.com
Food & Wine . . . . . . . . . B9 Legals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A16 Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A4 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A18
Community News: community@coastnewsgroup.com Letters to the Editor: letters@coastnewsgroup.com
earlier than last year But when compared to other years, numbers are ‘par for the course’ By Tony Cagala
REGION — The flu season has started and the virus has reached widespread status earlier than last year. That’s according to the CDPH (California Department of Public Health), which held a conference call to report its findings last week. “As it is expected for this time of the year, seasonal influenza activity continues to rise in California,” said Dr. Gil Chavez with the CDPH. He announced that the flu has reached the widespread status for the state. “Of particular note, we have seen the flu activities trending up a little earlier than last year,” he said, adding that outpatient visits for influenza-like illness and hospitalizations for pneumonia and influenza are above what is expected for this time of year based on historical averages. During the conference call, the CDPH confirmed seven deaths since September
2013 from the flu. That didn’t include a Jan. 8 reporting of the death of a 51-year-old man in San Diego. The man, who died on Jan. 2, tested positive for influenza A, but also had existing medical conditions. On Wednesday, the county reported six new deaths in San Diego resulting from the flu. The age ranges in those deaths are from 35 to 80 years old, and all had pre-existing medical conditions. “The number of confirmed influenza fatalities reported to the California Department of Public Health is rising rapidly, and exceeds what is expected for this time of the year,” Chavez said. There are an additional 28 flu-related deaths in the state currently under investigation by CDPH. All of the deaths reported were adults, though the CDPH didn’t give the ages of those deaths. Historically, the influenza activity starts increasing late in December, Chavez explained, which they saw this year, and then peaks in January and February, which also is happening this year. “It’s just that it’s happening slightly earlier than you normally would have,” he said. Whether warmer condiTURN TO FLU ON A11