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VOLUME 27 NUMBER 16
SD City Council approves Flower Hill Promenade in unanimous vote The San Diego City Council voted this week unanimously to approve the revitalization of Protea Properties’ Flower Hill Promenade shopping center. This decision, which follows favorable votes from the Carmel Valley Community Planning Board and City of San Diego Planning Commission, represents the final approval needed to allow construction to begin. “We are thrilled the City Council voted to support the revitalization,” said Jeffrey Essakow, president of Protea Properties. “This decisive victory reflects seven years of work developing a plan in concert with the community that will bring the type of center that this community deserves.” Prior to the vote, the City Council heard positive testimony from neighbors, tenants and shoppers from the center. A number of other supporters attended the hearing wearing stickers that said “Yes on Flower Hill!” This strong display of support prompted the Council to remark on Protea’s commitment to the community. Representatives from Spindrift, a community of 144 homes located directly north of the shopping center, were particularly persuasive advocates for the revitalization. “After working closely with Protea to refine the revitalization plans over the course of several months, we are pleased to see the City Council allow this project to move forward,” said Horace Dietrich, President of the Spindrift Homeowners Association. “We believe these kinds of changes are definitely needed and will provide significant benefits to our community.” Spindrift residents initially expressed concerns about the revitalization due to the potential realignment of Flower Hill Drive, which is located on the shopping center’s proper-
APRIL 21, 2011
The Easter llama!
Ava Moslehi gets close to Naysa the llama, and Colin Duong befriends the Easter Bunny at the Easter Eggstravaganza held April 16 at Piazza Carmel. See page B14 for more. Photos/Jon Clark
Fairgrounds redevelopment plans advance BY MARLENA CHAVIRAMEDFORD Staff Writer Plans to redevelop the Del Mar Fairgrounds moved one step closer to happening Monday, April 18, when the 22nd District Agricultural Association (22nd DAA) board certified a master plan that spells out some major changes to the property. During a public meeting held on the property, 22nd DAA board members voted to certify the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) for the 2008 Master Plan, which includes replacing the 50-year old exhibit halls, widening the turf track, and adding a health club, a parking facility and an electronic reader board
sign. The 22nd DAA board members also voted to eliminate a proposed hotel-condo from the plan, which had spurred strong outcry from surrounding communities and conservation agencies that claimed it was too much development for a property so close to fragile wetlands. Board members also modified the plan to include a 100-foot greenway buffer between the San Dieguito River and the new exhibit halls. The board also agreed to hold public meetings to discuss the design of major developments on the property, such as the reader board sign and the exhibit See FAIRGROUNDS, page 6
See FLOWER, page 10
CV News writer nets award at state-wide competition Longtime Carmel Valley News senior education reporter Marsha Sutton won second place in the writing category (for this newspaper’s division) at the recent California Newspaper Publishers Association journalism contest, a statewide competition. Sutton won the award for her story, published in this newspaper last year, titled “TPHS student convicted of drunk driving speaks out.”
Sutton, this newspaper and its sister newspapers have won numerous local, regional and national awards over the years, including three national Marsha Sutton “General Excellence” awards.
JOHN R. LEFFERDINK
619-813-8222
Del Mar Mesa forms panel to look at redistricting BY SUZANNE EVANS Contributor The Del Mar Mesa planning board discussed April 14 a possible change in scope of Sherri Lightner’s District One (including Carmel Valley, Del Mar Mesa, Pacific Highlands Ranch, Rancho Penasquitos, and La Jolla, among other areas) as a result of the upcoming redistricting process that includes the addition of a ninth district.. In an effort to evenly balance district populations based on the federal census, every 10 years the city is required to redistrict. This could result in certain district boundaries
changing. For example, District One could combine with another district, whose scope may be different. Board member Lisa Ross said she favors “communities of interest staying together.” If Carmel Valley is combined with another district not involved in coastal interests and land planning, it could be complicated, she said. “It’s a complicated issue, full of gray areas” of possible combinations that could be the “source of lawsuits,” Mesa board vice chair Elizabeth Rabbitt cautioned. Chair Gary Levitt agreed with Ross’s suggestion that the board form a sub-committee to meet
Real. Results. Guaranteed www.johnlefferdink.com A
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soon and study the redistricting process. Council District 1 representative Mel Milstein said that a District One Redistricting Commission public hearing will be held at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, May 11, in the La Jolla Library Community Room at 7555 Draper Avenue, La Jolla, 92037. Public hearings will also be held in April and May in each of the eight existing council districts. The commission will propose a pre– and posthearings redistricting map. In June, the Redistricting Adviso-
MEAKINS-BERGMAN
858-405-9270
See MESA, page 6
LISA KELLEY
CONNIE SUNDSTROM
858-880-5242
858-334-8114