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U M J LI A N
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PERMIT NO. 30 JULIAN, CA
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ESTABLISHED
An Independent Weekly Newspaper Serving the Backcountry Communities of Julian, Cuyamaca, Santa Ysabel, Shelter Valley, Mt. Laguna, Ranchita, Sunshine Summit, Warner Springs and Wynola.
Julian News
PO Box 639 Julian, CA 92036
1985
Change Service requested
DATED MATERIAL
For the Community, by the Community.
Wednesday
Appealete Court Finds San Diego County Erred In Approving Hoskings Ranch San Diego – Late last week, California’s Fourth District Court of Appeal published a decision that reverses a Superior Court ruling in Cleveland National Forest Foundation et al. v. County of San Diego. The July 25th decision held that San Diego County officials acted wrongly when they approved a map for the subdivision of the 1,400acre Hoskings Ranch near Julian. The court found the subdivision would have set the stage to replace ranching with residential development on the property, all while allowing the property owner to enjoy tax breaks intended to keep the land in agriculture. “This decision is an important victory in the long effort to protect San Diego County’s agricultural land and open space from sprawling development,” said Cleveland National Forest Foundation Director Duncan McFetridge. “Over the years, the county has repeatedly sided with developers to promote growth in our fragile forests and ranchlands. This decision is a clear rebuke to the county’s approach.” At issue in this case was San Diego County’s interpretation of state law designed to protect agricultural lands from development and to support agriculture as a financially viable land use. Under the Williamson Act, agricultural landowners can enter into a contract with the county to reduce the landowner’s property tax burden in exchange for a commitment to maintaining agricultural uses on the land for at least the next 10 years. The contracts renew perpetually until a landowner indicates that they would like to leave the agreement. The companion Subdivision Map Act sets the terms under which land under a Williamson Act contract can be divided into parcels and sold for development. Specifically, it requires that subdividing Williamson Act land must "not result in residential development not incidental to the commercial agricultural use of the land." The court found that San Diego County’s approval of the plan to allow Genesee Properties to subdivide Hoskings Ranch into 40-acre ranchettes violated the Map Act. The court’s decision noted, “The practical effect of the tentative map [for the Hoskings Ranch subdivision] is to permit Genesee to prepare its land for future residential development that is not tied to the commercial agricultural use, while still giving it the preferential tax treatment for owners who are supposed to be engaged in purely agricultural or compatible uses.” The court also found that, “…if residential development proposed by a tentative map has no relation to or is unnecessary for the commercial agricultural use, the law mandates that the local body deny tentative map approval.” The residential use proposed for Hoskings Ranch, the court found, lacked the required relationship to agriculture, making the subdivision illegal. San Diego County must now vacate its approval of the tentative map for the proposed Hoskings Ranch subdivision, which will prevent the project from moving forward. This recent decision is yet another clear rebuke of San Diego County’s deficient approach to land use planning, and a reminder that the county must adhere to state land use laws. The appellate court’s published decision means that its finding in this case may be cited in future court cases with similar facts. Local governments across the state must also now follow the court’s ruling when evaluating proposed subdivisions of land under Williamson Act contract. “This decision sends a signal to jurisdictions throughout California that they must comply with state laws designed to keep agricultural land in agricultural use,” noted attorney Gabriel Ross of Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP, who represented Cleveland National Forest Foundation in the case. Background- Land use advocates have been pressing San Diego County to protect its agricultural preserve lands from subdivision and sprawl-style development for more than 20 years. Groups like the Cleveland National Forest Foundation and Save Our Forests and Ranchlands (SOFAR) pushed the county to establish rules for the primary use and lot size on 200,000 acres of agricultural preserve lands that would protect these lands from development due to their significant cultural and ecological value. At one point, the county’s actions were so egregious that the court declared a temporary moratorium on development proposals on any of the county’s agricultural preserve lands and granted SOFAR land use authority over these lands.
www.JulianNews.com
Robery At Mount Palomar
A ranger arriving for her morning shift on July 31st at the Palomar State Parks entry station/information kiosk discovered the site had been burglarized overnight, according to the California Highway Patrol. Items taken in the burglary include two patrol rifles, one patrol shotgun, rifle magazines, ammunition, three Motorola handheld radios, several keys, and a taxidermy red-tailed hawk. The investigation is ongoing and is being handled by Oceanside CHP personnel with the assistance of the CHP Border Division Investigative Services Unit and California State Parks. Anyone with any information concerning this crime is asked to contact Investigator Vinyard at (858) 650-3629. After business hours, you can call the Border Division Communications Center’s non-emergency line at (858) 637-3800.
August 7, 2019
Julian, CA.
Volume 35 — Issue 01 ISSN 1937-8416
A WonderFest It Was
Eductational talks where a feature at Wonderfest, everything from snakes to land management.
Six Part Series On Maintaining A Healty Brain Dementia related brain diseases have reached epidemic proportions, with more than 5.8 million Americans having been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s alone. Currently, there is no meaningful treatment for these diseases and there is a common misconception that a dementia diagnosis is not within our control. This is absolutely untrue. Our actions today pave the way for our brain’s destiny. Please join Vista Hill SmartCare at the Julian Library for a six-part series on how to reduce your risk for dementia, improve your overall health, and discover the keys to living a long, healthy, fulfilling life. This event begins September 4th and runs through November 20th, meeting every 1st and 3rd Wednesday from 12:15 to 1:15pm. Registration required. Please call Christy Findeisen, LMFT, BHC at 760504-1407.
Wolf education from the Wolf Education Center, shoeing off their new puppy.
*** What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal. — Albert Pike ***
Deer Mouse In Warner Springs Tests Positive For Hantavirus A deer mouse trapped during routine monitoring in Warner Springs has tested positive for the potentially deadly hantavirus, leading County officials to remind people they should never sweep up or vacuum up after rodents if they find them in homes, garages, sheds and cabins. Hantavirus is not uncommon in San Diego County. However, people are not likely to be exposed to it so long as they keep wild rodents out of their living spaces and structures. Wild rodents generally live away from people, but if people do find them in homes or garages or sheds, and if they must clean up after them, they should always use “wet cleaning methods,” so they don’t stir the virus into the air where people can breathe it in and become sick. Wild rodents, wild mice in particular, are the main carriers of hantavirus. They can shed the virus in their urine, feces and
www.visitjulian.com
By Gig Conaughton, County of San Diego Communications Office
Getting set up for the star party - the crowd grew after dark to fill the park and view the night sky
saliva. That infected matter can then dry out, become airborne and be inhaled if people sweep or vacuum to clean up rodent droppings and nests. Instead, if people must clean up after rodents, they should “wet clean”: ventilate the areas, use bleach and water solutions or disinfectants, and use rubber gloves and plastic bags. Hantavirus can cause deadly
infections in people and there is no vaccine or cure. Here are tips for people to keep them from being exposed to wild rodents and hantavirus, and how to use wet-cleaning methods: Avoid Exposure to Hantavirus Seal up all external holes in homes, garages and sheds larger than a dime to keep rodents from getting in. continued on page 12
Main sponsor - the Volcan Mountain Foundation had a bust tent answering question about the mountain, trails and membership (we hope)
Shuttle service - provided by the Elementary school busses.
Julian Grape Stomp Festa at Menghini Winery, Sept. 7th Get the Details at www.Juliangrapestomp.com