Volume XVI, Issue 25
www.solanabeachsun.com
June 28, 2012 Published Weekly
Polo property lease situation still in limbo City says request for bids likely to be issued ‘this summer’
■ Woman sees life through lens of Navy Combat Camera division. Page 14
BY KATHY DAY While city officials still haven’t decided when to request bids for a new lease on the 80 acres that’s home to the San Diego Polo Club, life goes on for the club and the organizers of the Surf Cup soccer tour-
nament. The land, which the city acquired as part of the development of Fairbanks Ranch, has been used by the polo club since 1986 for its matches and offices. City officials decided late last year to request new proposals for the lease, even though club officials proposed their own rent increase in exchange for a new lease. Noting that the club has not seen anything from the city, club
president Ron Bonaguidi said, “For now, it’s business as usual. … We pay rent and keep moving forward.” The club pays $9,842 a month to the city and subleases the property to raise money to help support and maintain the property. One of the groups with a sublease is the Surf Cup soccer tournament, which is gearing up for the 2012 competition that will draw about 7,500 participants. The club also subleases the site
for lacrosse tournaments and corporate and charitable events. Last week Alex Roth, spokesman for Mayor Jerry Sanders, said it will likely be “this summer” when the request for proposals is issued. “We’re not saying anything definitive at this point,” he added. When asked about the situation in March after the polo club’s lease expired, Roth said the city would
SEE POLO, PAGE 6
Caltrans I-5/56 report lacks needed information, Torrey Hills board says
Concerts at the Cove
■ Carmel Valley artist to show at Spanish Village Art Center. Page B3
The Sabet family takes in a Michael Tiernan performance at Fletcher Cove Park on June 21 during the summer debut of the Concerts at the Cove series. See page B11. PHOTO: JON CLARK
BY KAREN BILLING The Torrey Hills Community Planning Board voted to send a letter to Caltrans asking them to reissue its draft environmental impact report (DEIR) on the Interstate 5/SR-56 interchange project due to a lack of information. The group voted unanimously at its meeting on June 26, taking the same action the neighboring Torrey Pines Community Planning Board did earlier in the month. Torrey Hills Chair Kathryn Burton said after looking through the thousands of pages in the report, she found it difficult to find specific information. “It didn’t include any information about the height impacts of this $260 million flyover ramp,” Burton said. “Why are there no maps or drawings that re-
flect the project? In this massive document, they really neglected the elephant in the room.” Patti Ashton, speaking on behalf of Torrey Pines Planning Board Chair Dennis Ridz, said their board came to the same conclusions, that the report appeared to be deceptive with the amount of information not included. The board decided not to deal with its preferences or concerns with the build alternatives in the DEIR (the direct connector, auxiliary lane improvements, hybrid and hybrid with flyover) and instead pointed out inconsistencies in the report. The board encouraged Caltrans to get the document right so that the community can have mean-
SEE REPORT, PAGE 19
Community discussion held on potential water rate increase ■ For photos of Del Mar’s Summer Twilight Concert series and Summer Solstice, see pages B10 and B14.
BY KAREN BILLING Stephenie Caughlin has owned her two-and-a-halfacre farm high on a hill off Arroyo Sorrento Road in Carmel Valley since 1978. For the last 24 years she has operated Seabreeze Organic Farms on that pristine land, offering farm-to-home delivery of vegetables, herbs, flowers, fruit and poultry.
About 15 years ago, her water bill was $200 a month. Despite making a 20 percent decrease in water use as urged by the city San Diego, she is now seeing a monthly water bill of $2,500. “It just cripples our business,” Caughlin said. “We can’t charge $12 for a head of lettuce.”
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Caughlin held a discussion at her farm on June 23 to get a dialogue going with her neighbors and customers about the upcoming San Diego County Water Authority vote on June 28 to raise untreated water rates by 9.7 percent over the 2012 rate. She invited District 1 City Council member Sherri Lightner and Teresa
Penunuri from the San Diego County Water Authority to offer some insight. “We’ve gone through a couple of pretty bad draughts and we San Diegans have been asked to cut back on water,” Caughlin said. “We’ve done our job and cut back.” Lightner agreed. “The city of San Diego
came through on conservation. Single family homeowners did a phenomenal job,” Lightner said of achieving a 35 percent reduction in water usage. “That buys time…but we need to take control. It does affect quality of life and whatever economic development we have in the future.
SEE WATER, PAGE 6
LOOKING TO BUY? BE SURE TO WORK WITH AN EXPERT! The City of Del Mar' #1 Choice for Real Estate. Have a safe and enjoyable 4th of July.