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VOLUME 27 NUMBER 45
Church plan prompts concerns BY KAREN BILLING The proposed St. John Garabed Armenian Church on El Camino Real is running into some issues with its location within the city’s Multi-Habitat Planning Area (MHPA), as well as its mass and intensity in a very restricted area that planners have fought hard to preserve in the San Dieguito River Valley. The proposed church project was reviewed by the Carmel Valley Community Planning Board’s Regional Issues Subcommittee on Nov. 2 and co-chair Jan Fuchs said that the proposal exceeds the 25 percent development allowable within the MHPA. The MHPA is part of the Multiple Species Conservation Program See CHURCH, Page 6
Nov. 10, 2011
Reflections at Ashley Falls
Police: Burglary part of a series At least five incidents have been reported in the area since Oct. 27
Ashley Falls held a Reflections Reception Nov. 2 at the campus. This year’s theme was “Diversity means ...” (Above) Fifth-grader Mathieu Barthelemy with two of his entries, ‘The Serious Side of Nature’ and ‘Baby Cub Alone in the Grass.’ See page B12 for more. Photo/Jon Clark
BY JOE TASH San Diego police believe a home burglary in Carmel Valley on Oct. 29 — in which a resident came home to encounter an armed intruder — was part of a series of at least five residential break-ins in Carmel Valley and Del Mar Heights, and they are asking the public for information to help them identify suspects. All five of the crimes occurred between Oct. 27 and Nov. 7, said Capt. Lori Luhnow, who heads the San Diego Police Department’s Northwestern Division on El Camino Real. In three of the cases, residents had left town for several days when their homes were burglarized. In only one case — the Oct. 29 incident in the 5100 block of Seagrove Cove in Carmel Valley — did a victim confront the suspect, Luhnow said. The other four cases occurred in Del Mar Heights: two in the
2100 block of Cordero, one in the 2000 block of Demayo Road and one in the 14000 block of Bahama Cove. All five of the burglaries occurred at single family homes. Several common elements run through the five breakBurglary suspect ins, said Luhnow. For example, in each case, the residents had left home without locking the interior door between their garage and home, but when they returned, the doors had been locked. Also, jewelry was the primary item stolen in the burglaries. Luhnow said investigators beSee BURGLARY, Page 6
DM seeks clear vision for fairgrounds
Board votes to keep elephant rides at SD Fair
With eye on development potential, city pursues LCPA
BY JOE TASH Elephant rides will continue to operate at the San Diego County Fair for at least three more years under a split vote by the fair board at its meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 8, in spite of a request by animal rights groups to ban the popular fairgrounds attraction. The board of directors of the 22nd District Agricultural Association, which oversees operations at the state-owned Del Mar Fairgrounds, listened to more than two
BY CLAIRE HARLIN EDITOR@DELMARTIMES.NET
As it stands, the Del Mar city plan does not pay much attention to the development potential and vision for the Del Mar Fairgrounds, and city officials are looking to change that. The Del Mar City Council gave direction to city staff on Nov. 7 in pursuing a Local Coastal Program Amendment (LCPA),
as well as changes to the zoning code and community plan that will outline more specific development parameters for the fairgrounds. The issue will return to the council on Dec. 12 for further discussion. City planning manager Adam Birnbaum said the California Coastal CommisSee FAIRGROUNDS, Page 11
hours of testimony by supporters and opponents of the elephant rides before voting 4-3 to reconsider the issue following the 2014 run of the fair. Board members Adam Day, Russ Penniman, Lisa Barkett and Frederick Schenk voted to keep the elephant rides for three more years, while directors Tom Chino, David Watson and David Lizerbram voted against the motion. Director Ruben Barrales was See ELEPHANT, Page 7