Our e-mail addresses are: Advertising: donp@rsfreview.com | Editorial: editor@rsfreview.com | Web: www.RSFReview.com
National AwardWinning Newspaper
LOCAL REAL ESTATE LISTINGS PHOTO PAGES & FEATURES
Boxholder Rancho Santa Fe CA 92067
SECTION B
ECRWSS
Providing The Ranch with Three Decades of Quality Journalism
Volume 32 Number 4
Association redefines Open Space Policy BY KAREN BILLING The Rancho Santa Fe Association’s Open Space Policy and Fund will now be known as the Covenant Enhancement Policy and Fund, to better reflect the issues the Association is facing today and establish clear guidelines for making property acquisitions in the future. The board voted on the change at its Oct. 4 meeting. The redefined policy now allows for acquisition of several types of parcels including: critical parcels for open space; purchase of parcels to allow the removal of existing development; purchase of buildings, land easements or development rights to preserve community features, landscapes or historic resources; partnership acquisitions of open space parcels; purchase of parcels for recreational needs; and expenditure of See SPACE, page 26
RSF Tennis Club turns 50
Oct. 11, 2012
Construction set to begin soon on Plaza De Acacias
Above: Carlie Headapohl, former professional Tracy Austin and Diana Clark played at the Rancho Santa Fe Tennis Club’s 50th Anniversary celebration on Oct. 7. See page 8. The event also wrapped up another successful Rancho Days celebration. Left: Austin on the court. PHOTOS/JON CLARK
BY KAREN BILLING Construction on the new village commercial center Plaza De Acacias will kick off in the next couple of weeks. Located at the southeast corner of Avenida de Acacias and El Tordo in the RSF Village, the two-story, 6,170-square-foot project is expected to be complete by May 2013. The project came before the Rancho Santa Fe Association board on Oct. 4 for the last of three reviews — it was conditionally approved in October of 2011. Only small changes
have been made to the project since last year, all driven by the county approval process, according to developer Mike Grehl. The changes include a set of stairs deleted from the front of the building and replaced with a planter, a mechanical equipment screen and an ADA-accessible elevator added in the lobby. Developers Brad Geier and Mike Grehl, who both grew up in the Ranch, hope not to disrupt the community during the estimated seven-month-long construcSee PLAZA, page 14
New community playground coming to RSF Covenant BY KAREN BILLING New playground equipment for Covenant kids is set to land at the Rancho Santa Fe ball fields this week. The arrival marks a near yearlong process and is the first successful effort of many to get a community playground in place.
If all goes as planned, the equipment could be ready for miniature princesses and ninjas to be climbing and sliding by Halloween. “I’m still just so giddy, I’m still sort of shocked,” said Heather Slosar, the local mother of five who led the playground effort, first ap-
proaching the Association in March 2011. “It feels great. There are a lot of people who really wanted this for our community for years. It just came down to the community and the Association really getting behind it. Everyone had a ‘We Can’ attitude.”
The wooden, natural-looking play structure will be located near the back of the dirt parking lot, tucked behind the baseball diamond backstop at the RSF ball fields, south of Richardson Field on See PLAYGROUND, page 26
Covenant assessment rates to stay same BY KAREN BILLING The assessment rate for Covenant homeowners will remain 14 cents per $100,000 of assessed value in 2012-13, the Rancho Santa Fe Association board voted on Oct. 4. Of that assessment, 11.5 cents will go to general services and 2.5 cents will go into the newly renamed Covenant
PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID SAN DIEGO, CA PERMIT 1980
Enhancement Fund. Assessment billings will be sent out to residents at the end of October and are due Nov. 1. The total valuation for all Covenant properties per the July 2012 edition of the San Diego County Tax Assessor’s roll is $3,914 billion, representing a 0.14 percent decrease over last
year’s value of $3,930. The 14-cent assessment equals $5,479,133 of revenue and the Association has taken a conservative stance in the budget by reducing that revenue by $110,280, the current amount of delinquent properties if none were See ASSESSMENT, page 26
Golf Club’s Hoedown Dance, BBQ Children enjoyed the hayrides during the Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club’s Hoedown Dance and BBQ on Oct. 6. The event was part of Rancho Days. See page 18. PHOTO/JON CLARK
SYLVESTER Construction
Building the Ranch for over 20 years Spencer Sylvester Award Winning Premium Builders • Architectural Design • New Construction • Remodels
Jim Sylvester (619) 840-6688
www.
j sy l vest erconst r uction.com •
C o nv e nie ntly lo c ate d in downt own Rancho S ant a Fe
(858) 735-4814