Volume XV, Issue 14
■ Mayor delivers meals to seniors during ‘March for Meals.’ Page 3
www.solanabeachsun.com
Feathers ruffled over backyard chickens New group asks city to relax ordinance regarding hens BY MARLENA CHAVIRAMEDFORD Staff Writer A group of Solana Beach residents is asking the city to relax its ordinance so
that more residents can keep backyard hens. Right now the city allows residents with at least 20,000-square-foot lots to keep backyard hens and roosters, with one chicken per 2,000 square feet — and a maximum of 25 chickens allowed. The problem, said Solana Beach resident Kath-
arine Lundby, is that most Solana Beach residents don’t have a 20,000-square-foot lot, which is about half an acre. That means many residents who want to keep backyard hens for the purpose of harvesting eggs are not allowed to due to the city’s lot size requirement. Therefore, the group is ask-
Solana Beach Green Fair ■ Torrey Pines senior is state’s top scorer. Page 17.
■ Local student makes final of national design contest. Page 5
Griffin Danninger, CJ Von Herrath and Tatum Conley help clean up the beach at Fletcher Cove during the Solana Beach Green Fair held March 26. See more page B10. Photo/ Jon Clark
Fairgrounds board position fails to sway CV planners BY KAREN BILLING Staff Writer
■ Local surgeon helps people in need overseas. Page B1
March 31, 2011 Published Weekly
A representative of the Del Mar Fairgrounds stopped by the Carmel Valley Community Planning Board’s March 24 meeting to speak against the city of Del Mar’s proposed purchase of the fairgrounds. Del Mar Fairgrounds COO Becky Bar-
tling ended up running into a wall of resistance — planning board chair Frisco White admitted that the board was a tough crowd for Bartling, as its members are mostly dissatisfied with the 22nd District Agricultural Associaton’s management to SEE PLANNERS, PAGE 14
ing the city to lower its lot size requirement and allow residents with at least 5,000 square-foot lots to keep backyard hens. The amended ordinance would exclude mobile homes, apartments, or condos — and it would only apply to hens, not roosters. The city would also still keep its stance on one
chicken per 2,000 square feet and a maximum of 25 chickens. “Looking at the zoning map, I would guesstimate that less than 5 percent of the residential area in Solana Beach meets that [20,000square-foot requirement],” SEE CHICKENS, PAGE 15
Bully beware: A serious issue takes center stage BY MARSHA SUTTON Contributor In an attempt to bring more focus on the chronic problem of bullying in schools, local California Assembly member Ben Hueso introduced a resolution declaring March to be School Bullying Prevention Awareness Month. The resolution, which was heard in Sacramento March 25, passed. A related bill sponsored by Hueso, AB 630, would establish programs to train teachers and educators to spot bullying and provide techniques for prevention and intervention. According to the resolution, bullying in California causes 160,000 students to miss school every day due to “fear of attack or intimidation by their peers.” It states
that “both bullies and their victims are more likely to drop out of school and engage in unlawful activity.” School violence and suicides have also, famously, been connected to bullying. An article in the Aug. 26, 2010 issue of this newspaper reported on bullying at Solana Santa Fe School in Fairbanks Ranch. The bullying, which was primarily confined to a group of fourth-grade girls, triggered at least one parent to pull her child out of SSF and prompted the Solana Beach School District to take a deeper look at the problem. As a result, last fall the school implemented the “Second Step” program which includes lesson plans for each particular grade levSEE BULLY, PAGE 6
Parking changes down the road for DM MARLENA CHAVIRA-MEDFORD Staff Writer The parking ordinance in Del Mar’s central commercial zone may be relaxed in hopes of creating a more pedestrianfriendly city and helping to revitalize downtown. During its March 28 meeting, the Del Mar City Council agreed to start the ball rolling on amending those parking standards, a lengthy process that must be approved by the California Coastal Commission and could take 18 months to two years.
“This isn’t an end all, be all — but it’s the start of moving in the right direction,” councilman Mark Filanc said of the decision to start the process. Right now, the city’s ordinance requires a set amount of parking spaces based on the square footage of a business. The problem, said Mayor Don Mosier, is that this ordinance was adopted more than 20 years ago and it does not take into account that today many people don’t rely on their cars, opting instead to travel by mass transit, bicycle or on foot. “We’re trying to get away from the 1950s and SEE PARKING, PAGE 14