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VOLUME 27 NUMBER 32
‘Tis the season in Carmel Valley
Judge denies Flower Hill stop-work request BY KAREN BILLING Staff Writer An effort to halt construction at Flower Hill Promenade was blocked in court on Friday, Aug. 5. At a preliminary injunction hearing, San Diego Superior Court Judge Ronald Prager denied the work stoppage effort in the “Citizens Against Flower Hill’s Excessive Expansion’s” case against the Via de la Valle mall and its holder Protea Properties. Another hearing in the case (Citizens Against Flower Hill Excessive Expansion vs. Protea Properties) is set for this Friday at 10 a.m. Currently, there’s a tug of war over who has authority for the project between the city of San Diego and the California Coastal Commission. In April, the San Diego City Council unanimously approved the renovation project, which includes adding office and retail space, a new Whole Foods Market in place of the UltraStar Cinema, and a four-story parking garage. Last month the Coastal Commission tagged Flower Hill with a stop-work order, contending that the mall is not within the city’s certified Local Coastal Program and that only they could give the go-ahead to a project in that area.
Direct access ramp to fairgrounds on DM’s radar BY CLAIRE HARLIN STAFF WRITER With the first phases of the proposed I-5 widening projecting beginning as early as 2013, it’s an opportune time to look into the possibility of constructing a direct-access ramp from the interstate into the fairgrounds, said Del Mar City Councilmember Mark E. Filanc on Aug. 8. Filanc’s suggestion comes after a recent meeting with the California Department of Transportation (Cal-
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trans). “Studies at Caltrans indicate that would be the best thing to relieve traffic there,” he said, urging the council to consider seeking funding for an environmental analysis of such a project as soon as possible. “Let’s be honest,” said community member Bill Michaelsky. “Aesthetically, that’s not going to be the most attractive solution. I think we need more information.” See RAMP, Page 6
Impediment to PHR development stuns Carmel Valley planners BY KAREN BILLING Staff Writer Members of the Carmel Valley Community Planning Board said they were “blindsided” by city staff last week when they were told that Pacific Highlands Ranch (PHR) would not be able to build past its 1,900 development units until SR-56 was widened. The news especially came as a shock after the group worked with city staff for months last year to prepare Proposition C, which untied PHR’s development from the SR-56 and Interstate-5 interchange project. Proposition C passed with 70 percent of the vote, allowing PHR to work on getting the facilities it is lack-
(Above) Bryn, Taylor and Annika Pallia attend a showing of the film ‘Hook’ on Aug. 3 at the Piazza Carmel Shopping Center. The San Diego Asian Film Foundation has partnered with the plaza for a summer series of movies and entertainment. (Right) Mersalle Haider and Kristine Mayo at the Carmel Valley Recreation Center’s family movie night, which was held Aug. 6 and featured the film “Tangled.” See pages B12-B13 for more. Photos: Jon Clark
See JUDGE, Page 6
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Aug. 11, 2011
ing, such as parks, shopping, library, trails and recreation facilities. “We wouldn’t be where we are now without the passage of Prop C,” said Frank January, a project manager for the facilities financing section in the city’s department of development services (DSD). “This is another issue that has come up right behind it.” “Prop C removed one transportation issue, this is another one that has always been there,” said Tom Tomlinson, also a project manager in the same department. Tomlinson said that the development restriction is in Pacific Highlands Ranch’s transportation financing plan. Development is See PLANNERS, Page 6
Resident wants walls spruced up BY KAREN BILLING Staff Writer Just as Del Mar Highlands Town Center has given itself a makeover, a Carmel Valley resident hopes to do the same in her neighborhood. Resident Donna Staubin-Vehar hopes to “reimagine” her neighborhood, specifically the walls along Carmel Creek Road, from Carmel Country Road to just before Mykonos Lane. The not-so-white-anymore walls are “nasty,” stained and deteriorating, much in need of a fresh See WALLS, Page 6
A Carmel Valley resident hopes to get these walls on Carmel Creek Road looking fresh again. PHOTO: KAREN BILLING
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