PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID ENCINITAS, CA 92024 PERMIT NO. 94
THE COAST NEWS
.com SERVING NORTH COUNTY SINCE 1987
VOL. 33, N0. 5
FEB. 1, 2019
SAN County leases MARCOS land to-NEWS shelter migrant families
Levin gets San Onofre task force
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By Aaron Burgin
By Samantha Taylor
REGION — Rep. Mike Levin (D-San Juan Capistrano) has launched a task force comprised of local “stakeholders and experts” to address “safety challenges” at the decommissioning San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS). The group will meet on a regular basis to come up with solutions to move the spent fuel currently stored at the San Onofre site, according to a recent release. Levin spoke and answered questions about the task force at his first district town hall meeting on Jan. 26. The first-year congressman told members of the press he would like to meet between four and six times a year and wants to be physically present at each meeting. “It’s important we get a variety of local and federal stakeholders in attendance,” he said. Levin also hopes to have task force meetings open to the public but noted some meetings may need to stay private. The meeting will take place in late February contingent upon the federal government avoiding another partial shutdown on Feb. 15. The task force’s launch follows the recent publication of two reports by the Samuel Lawrence Foundation that claim the nuclear waste storage facility at San Onofre is “fatally flawed” and could cost the region as much as $13.4 trillion over a 50-year period of time if a radiological catastrophe were TURN TO TASK FORCE ON A10
strong that it was difficult to find parking at the Encinitas Library for the “ADU Open House” held on Jan. 28. Cailin Drakos, chief operating officer of Cross Construction Inc., stood in the library hallway handing out fliers advertising her company’s ability to serve as a “one-stop
REGION — The County Board of Supervisors voted Jan. 29 whether to lease land THE to a local organization to VISTA temporarily shelter migrant families as theyNEWS seek asylum in the United States. The proposal by Supervisors Greg Cox and Nathan Fletcher would allow the Jewish Family Service of San Diego to lease the former downtown family courthouse for one year for $1 to house asylum-seeking families as they make arrangements RANCHO with families in the United States. “It’sSFNEWS a practical solution for a problem we didn’t create,” Cox said. The Board voted 4-1, with District 5 Supervisor Jim Desmond voting in opposition. A number of high-ranking officials have thrown their support behind the proposal, including newly elected District Attorney Summer Stephan, San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, National City Mayor Alejandra Sotelo-Solis and Sheriff Bill Gore. Communities on both sides of the border have grappled with how to handle the influx of Central American migrants legally seeking asylum in the United States, arriving in large caravans. Previously, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement allowed for these families to make arrangements with families before their release, but the agency abruptly ended the program, known as “Safe Release,” in October. This briefly led to what
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TURN TO SHELTER ON A9
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SONGS OF PRAISE
The African Children’s Choir will perform at 6 p.m. Feb. 13 at Oceanside First Presbyterian Church. The talented group of 17 vocalists is composed of children ages 7 to 10 offering an energetic program comprised of traditional hymns set to African rhythms. Story on Page A8. Courtesy photo
Open house for granny-flat designs a success By Carey Blakely
ENCINITAS — As Encinitas continues to unveil the ways that homeowners interested in building granny flats in their backyards can save time and money through the city’s innovative program, members of the public and business community have stepped forward with enthusiasm. The Permit-Ready
Accessory Dwelling Units (PRADU) Program provides Encinitas residents with free, ready-to-use architectural plans for building stand-alone accessory dwelling units — often referred to as granny flats and in-law units — on their properties. There are eight pre-approved design plans that can be used to build units ranging
in size from studios to three-bedroom homes no larger than 1,200 square feet. To further incentivize the construction of these backyard houses, the city has also waived certain permitting fees and promised that building permits for the eight plans will be issued quickly. Interest has been so
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