JAN. 13, 2017
A9
T he C oast News
As deadline looms, group continues to weigh lawsuit
SHARING IS CARING At Wednesday’s Encinitas City Council meeting, Mayor Catherine Blakespear, far right, presents a proclamation to Encinitas brand Electra Bicycles, recognizing their donation of four bicycles to kick off the city’s brand new Employee BikeShare program, which is a program component of the City’s Climate Action Plan. The bikes will be available for employees to borrow on their breaks and at lunch as an alternative to using their car to run errands, grab lunch, or just get some exercise, while producing zero greenhouse gas emissions and easing traffic and parking congestion in downtown Encinitas. Pictured at the proclamation presentation, from left to right: Travis Vance, Electra Bicycles director of sales; Crystal Najera, city of Encinitas Climate Action Plan program administrator; Nick Buck, city of Encinitas special projects supervisor and Kevin Cox, Electra Bicycles president. Photo by Aaron Burgin
Tree updates given at Escondido City Council OKs recycled water facility RSF Association meeting By Steve Puterski
ESCONDIDO — Despite dozens of protests and pleas, the City Council approved, 4-1, a conditional use permit, denying an appeal in the process, to relocate a recycled water facility. The reverse osmosis facility, which will be at 1201 E. Washington Ave., will add 2 million gallons per day of treated recycled water to the city’s system. It will provide advanced treatment of recycled water from the city’s Hale Avenue Resource Recovery Facility (HARRF) station. However, residents cried foul on Wednesday at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido. More than 90 percent who spoke at the meeting were against the location, saying it doesn’t fit the surrounding area, as the plant is an industrial facility, which will sit in a residential and commercial neighborhood. None, though, said they didn’t believe the facility is unwarranted as the city moves forward to diversify its water portfolio. It is the location that drew their ire. In addition, The Springs of Escondido, a senior living facility, will be less than 300 feet away from the plant. Numerous residents and Assistant General Manager Russell Nakaoka spoke against the location. One resident shouted at the council saying, “old lives matter” and “give a damn about us people.” “The Planning Commission had an issue with its visual compatibility,” Nakaoka said. “We have an active place and don’t want a monolithic facility. The city
is large enough to find alternative areas.” Residents also suggested the council was approving the plant due to residents’ social-economic status and ethnicity. Many noted how the project was delayed last year when residents from the Chaparral Glen neighborhood objected. However, the council said it wasn’t due to social status, but because the project would be within 10 feet of homes. As for the implications of social inequalities, Councilman Ed Gallo and Deputy Mayor John Masson defiantly and loudly shot down those claims. “When you bring up ethnicity, that really bugs me. That is B.S.,” Gallo said. “We don’t play that game,” Masson added. “Saying we are doing this because of social injustices … that crap doesn’t belong here.” Masson also asked to see evidence of the plant reducing property values, after residents made such claims. Gallo, meanwhile, said the plant would save the city $400 million, as it won’t have to expand its outfall. The two councilmen, along with Mayor Sam Abed and councilman Mike Morasco, said their decision was based on the needs of the city. In addition, the majority said it doesn’t make sense to spend millions for a new piece of land or put the facility at the Public Works Yard. Several residents put TURN TO FACILITY ON A14
By Christina Macone-Greene the event is also coordinat-
RANCHO SANTA FE — Rancho Santa Fe Association Interim Manager Christy Whalen noted how its parks crew had been busy cleaning fallen trees during the rain and heavy winds at a Jan. 5 board meeting. “I would like to point out that the number of trees that we’ve seen falling is not as great as it’s been in the past five years or so,” she said. “There’s been a concerted effort by our parks department, led by Arnold Keene, to maintain trees on the roadway, and remove those trees that are dying, so that when we get the heavy winds these trees are not in the roadway creating safety problems.” While on the subject of trees, Whalen also shared with the board and members present at the meeting about the “Plant our Future” community event for Covenant families at the Osuna Ranch Jan. 28. In addition to the Rancho Santa Fe Association’s park department,
ed by the Committee on the Natural Environment (CONE) and the Osuna Committee. According to Whalen, there will be 35 indigenous trees, which would be planted on this day. “We’re also going to have an opportunity for tree sponsorship,” Whalen said. For those that want to plant a tree and then sponsor it, a plaque will be available for purchase. Participants also have the opportunity to tour the Osuna’s historic adobe, chat with local plant and water organizations, and create a mini succulent piece for their very own to bring home. “It should be a fantastic event,” Whalen said. For those interested in reserving a tree by Jan. 20 or learning more about the event, contact Karlin Molina at the Association at (858) 756-1174.
By Aaron Burgin
appeared and submitted a letter of opposition and a representative from another group attached themselves to their complaint letter. These letters are typically precursors to legal action. The Highlands project has been in the works for more than 30 years since Farouk Kubba purchased the property in 1981. Kubba originally proposed a 275-home development in 1990, but over time he has reduced the number of homes with each iteration of the project before finally settling on the 189-home version that received the Planning Commission approval in September. It was revived in late 2014 after developers temporarily shelved the plans, and has been very controversial in the communities immediately surrounding the project, which is proposed on 262 acres northwest of Palomar College. Consultants representing Kubba said that each variation of the project has improved its impact on the surrounding habitat, and that the current project calls to preserve 240 acres of open space. But opponents said the improvements don’t go far enough.
TRACKS
that come with loss of life. We’re going to spend it on trenching or on lawsuits of loss of life. I’d rather spend it on trenching and save the lives.” Other benefits, meanwhile, include reduced traffic, air pollution due to idling cars at railroad crossings, less noise pollution and easier access for fire and police personnel. “There will not be all the delays,” Packard said. “The safety factors will be significantly enhanced as well. Not just socially and environmentally, economically this makes sense.” Yet another bonus, he said, is the options available to the city should the tracks be trenched. “You can build things over the top of it, depending on what you want there,” Packard added. “Parks, or a parking structure, for example. There’s lots of different things you can do. That’s a good problem to have.”
SAN MARCOS — An environmental group said it was still considering filing a lawsuit to challenge the San Marcos approval of a residential development in the foothills on the eve of the deadline to do so. Dan Silver, the CEO of the Endangered Habitats League, said that the organization would “likely file,” a lawsuit challenging the 189-home San Marcos Highlands project, but was still weighing its options as of last week. The deadline for groups to challenge the city’s approval is Jan. 13, 30 days after the city approved the second reading and officially approved the project. The City Council originally voted 4-1 on Nov. 15 after a four-hour public hearing in which most of the speakers railed against the project, citing environmental, traffic, open space preservation, wildlife protection and school overcrowding as flaws of the current project. Councilman Chris Orlando cast the lone dissenting vote. A search of the Superior Court’s register of actions show no cases filed against San Marcos related to the project, but at the Nov. 15 meeting, an attorney from at least one organization
CONTINUED FROM A5
tal reviews, construction plans and other logistical details. One of the big reasons trenching is the preferred, Packard said, is to prevent loss of life on the tracks. Over the past year, the council has discussed trenching, specifically with their counterparts in Solana Beach in mind, where the tracks were trenched years ago. Since then, Solana Beach has not recorded one death due to a train accident. Carlsbad, Packard said, has had 19 over the years. And a cold fact is the city must spend money to either defend or settle lawsuits, which Packard said total more than eight figures. “We expect the same thing to happen to Carlsbad,” Packard said of the fatalities. “That’s a significant savings in life and the cost of the legal challenges