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MAKING WAVES IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
VOL. 13, N0. 22
JUNE 23, 2017
RSF board approves Gateway project
Weed abatement inspections underway
By Christina Macone-Greene
RANCHO SANTA FE — The Rancho Santa Fe Association board of directors voted 5-2 approving the two-story Gateway project in the Village. Directors Allen Finkelson and Janet Danola opposed the commercial project. The Gateway site will be at the existing gas station located on La Flecha. RSF Association building commissioner Tom Farrar explained to the board that a vote was required on the Gateway project due to bonus floor area ratio (FAR) and variance. The 27,017-square-foot project proposal was up for a consideration boost to a 28,875net size. Farrar said that Gateway was currently on a .59-acre site and the proposal was to expand it to
By Christina Macone-Greene
Yoga and Horses
Audrey Reynolds, founder and president of Saving Horses, Inc. with Beau, a 24-year-old retired thoroughbred that had 84 starts on the track. See story on page 7. Courtesy photo
TURN TO GATEWAY ON 6
Hotel robot sparks excitement, criticism By Aaron Burgin
A new “employee” roaming the halls of the new Fairfield Inn and Suites in San Marcos is getting a lot of attention — for better or for worse. “Hubert” is a 2-foot-tall, stainless steel “relay robot” that looks like a trash receptacle, but it actually delivers items to guests’ rooms such as shampoo, drinks and towels. Hotel owners say that the bot has stolen the show at the hotel, as guests can be frequently seen snapping pictures or taking cell-phone videos of Hubert on its delivery runs. “It has been phenomenal, people are following it around, they are using it to see how it works and wanting to know how it gets to the rooms,” said Cameron Lamming, co-owner of RAR Hospitality, which owns and operates the hotel. “There are often two or three kids filming it with their cell phones and following it around.” Hubert is guided through the hotel by a series of sensors throughout the establishment. When the
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front desk gets a call, they log the request into the system, grab the item, put it into Hubert’s “head” compartment and program the room number into its system. The robot then rolls to the elevator and can call the elevator and the floor automatically. Once it is out, the robot rolls to the room and sends a call to the guest’s hotel phone alerting them of the robot’s arrival. Once the item has been delivered, Hubert returns to the front desk. “It’s efficient, it’s quick and spares the front desk a lot of time delivering sundries to the room and allows them to focus on arriving and departing guests,” Lamming said. Lamming said the robot is part of the company’s strategy to introduce automation into the hospitality industry, which has been slower to embrace the trend compared to other branches of the industry, such as restaurants and fast-food establishments. “Part of our core philosophy is to try to do things differently to create a different experience at
“Hubert” delivers items to guest rooms at a San Marcos hotel. Courtesy photo
each of our hotels,” Lamming said. “Our intent is not to change any of our operating structure, just to provide a higher level of service.” But hotel representatives in a recent news release said the ultimate goal with Hubert was to bring technological advantages to the hotel industry that could combat rising wages, a point that drew
ire from the union that represents restaurant and hotel workers in San Diego. “With recent minimum wage spikes, currently $11.50 in San Diego, hospitality professionals are beginning to determine ways to combat rising labor costs. This has TURN TO ROBOT ON 11
RANCHO SANTA FE — As fire season approaches with warmer summer temperatures, the Rancho Santa Fe Fire Protection District mailed off letters to those residing in the district with weed abatement instructions. While the letters raised awareness, they also highlighted helpful tips for vegetation management. More than 32,000 citizens reside within the fire district and serve the communities of Rancho Santa Fe, Fairbanks Ranch, 4S-Ranch, Elfin Forest and Harmony Grove. According to Julie Taber, public information officer of the RSF Fire Protection District, now is the right time to start discussing how residents should be making plans to clear back the brush in preparation for fire season. “Now that the letters have gone out, our fire inspectors can start looking at people’s properties,” Taber said. “If they see a problem, they’ll notify the homeowner and give them an opportunity to fix the problem.” Taber said that residents within the district have 15 business days to comply after the first notice. “Then we will go out and inspect it again,” she said. If the issue(s) remains the second notice is sent by regular mail with 10 more business days to resolve the vegetation problem. If necessary, a final notice is sent by certified mail within another 10 business day to comply. If the weed abatement has not been done at this time, then the fire district has the authority to force abate it. “Force abatement TURN TO FIRE ON 7
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