MARCH 27, 2015
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recreational resource that gives visitors an up-close look at the San Dieguito Lagoon. But according to a Coastal Commission staff report and based on the findings of an ecologist, the heavy use is one reason it should be relocated closer to Jimmy Durante Boulevard when the ongoing restoration of an overflow parking lot previously used by the fairgrounds is completed. If allowed to remain in its current location, the boardwalk would “introduce significant human interaction that could further degrade the biological productivity within the restoration site,” the staff report states. Another concern is that the boardwalk could negatively affect the water flow or deteriorate once water is flowing beneath it. Representatives from the various organizations who want the boardwalk to remain say both claims haven’t been fully substantiated. According to the staff report, the boardwalk also occupies land within the restoration site that could become an additional 1-acre of wetland habitat. The Coastal Commission’s final vote was a tie, which meant a request from the JPA to delete a section of a development permit that identifies the structure as interim so it can remain as is was denied. Commissioners said the JPA could reapply and include ways to mitigate for the 1-acre loss of wetlands resulting from the boardwalk. On March 20 the JPA board voted to resubmit the same application for another hearing. “New information about providing mitigation was presented by the Coastal Commission that had a significant impact,” Trish Boaz, executive director of the River Valley Conservancy, said. “We had no opportunity to address that at the meeting.” Boaz said “ideas for mitigation are being negotiated” but she declined to comment further. The request for a new hearing must be submitted by April 11. “We are ready to do that,” Boaz said.
umented incidents of cars driving off the edge and onto the tracks, but they have come “dangerously close.” “Just because they haven’t gone on the tracks doesn’t mean that it is not an issue,” Whichard said. “We want to encourage people to be safe when they park here.” The barriers stand about 5-feet tall and 3-feet wide and are 10 feet apart from one another. Bruce Cook, who was eating lunch along the dirt strip, said he was skeptical as to whether the barriers
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MARK THE CALENDAR ART FAIR Oceanside Days of Art committee continues its call to visual artists and artisans to participate in the 23nd annual Oceanside Days of Art, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 18 and April 19. Download the 2015 Artist Application Form, at ocaf.info/ or email inquiries to oceansideday-
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County Water Authority. “He’s quick on the return phone call and email, he lines up the right people for interviews, and he turns over relevant reports and data on the county’s water history without prompting,” the SPJ nomination states.
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Pam, John, Ciska and Geo Heatherington say they want to boardwalk moved so the wetlands can be fully restorationed. Photo by Bianca Kaplanek
“We’re going to pull out all the stops to appeal this bad decision,” Del Mar Councilman and JPA Chairman Don Mosier said. “We’re hopeful that we’ll get back to the commission and we’ll have a full commission with all 11 members, and instead of a 5-5 tie vote we’ll get a 6-5 winning vote. “The JPA felt that the commission totally ignored the years of contributions the JPA has made to restoring wetlands,” Mosier added. “This is like we’re a victim of friendly fire. … This is going to be a real fight. It’s a long shot but sometimes the little guy wins.” “There is no day that I come by here and do not see people using this trail,” former Supervisor Pam Slater-Price said. “This trail is very, very much a part of the community fabric. “There’s no reason to undo such a beautiful construct that was put here by the citizens,” she added. “This is built by the community. It serves the community. It needs to be made available to the community because how can we get people and children to appreciate the environment if we do not expose them at an early age?” “Boardwalks are a great way for human beings to interact with nature without disturbing nature,” Eric Lodge, vice president of the River Valley Conservancy said. “It’s absolutely no detriment to the wetlands, the wildlife or the vegetation. It’s
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a great way for people to enjoy it.” “It would be an injustice to take this out,” Boaz said.”It’s a public boardwalk paid for by the people. It gives them an opportunity to get close to nature.” “These wetlands are the Yosemite of Southern California,” Roberts said. “A lot of money went into the restoration. This boardwalk is critical for people to see what true working wetlands look like.” “It’s a no-brainer to me,” Solana Beach Mayor Lesa Heebner said. “The boardwalk needs to stay where it is.” Not everyone agrees. Four San Diego residents attended the rally, holding signs that support moving the boardwalk. “You can’t fully restore the wetlands with this (boardwalk) here,” John Heatherington said. “This is paradise. We want to restore as much as we can.” “We want them to keep the boardwalk and just move it,” Pam Heatherington said. “There needs to be a full restoration.” Geo Heatherington said the structure was “well-intended but ill-engineered.” The next Coastal Commission meeting is April 15, 16 and 17. Visit the San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy website for updates, more information and a QR code to sign a petition to keep the boardwalk.
vided by the director. Performances May 15 through AUDITION The Lake San May 17. Contact sanmarcoMarcos Players announc- splayers@gmail.com for any es open auditions for the questions. “Carol Burnett Comedy SWEET SOUNDS The Buffet” show at 6 pm April 13 at the Lake San Marcos Quartetto Gelato will perRecreation Facilities, Con- form at 7:30 p.m. April 7 ference Center, 1105 La at the Center Theater, CalBonita Drive, San Marcos. ifornia Center for the Arts, Available roles: Six to eight Escondido, 340 N Escondido male actors and Six to eight Blvd, Escondido. Tickets are female actors, ages 18 and $10 to $35 at (800) 988-4253 up. Readings will be pro- or online at artcenter.org sofart@gmail.com.
District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis and former newspaper writer Gerry Braun were the other two Wall Award nominees. Dumanis made the list for her reluctance to release a college letter of recommendation she wrote for the son of a campaign contributor involved in a campaign finance scandal. Braun was nominated
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for his role as spokesman and interim chief executive officer for Balboa Park Celebration, a city funded nonprofit that received $3 million for a centennial party for Balboa Park that was never held. According to the SPJ nomination, Braun “resisted opening contracts, letters and other documents to public inspection.”
mental effect” on his property value. “It’s a really beautiful view that I would be sad to lose,” Kornher said. As an advisory board, the VAC must focus on five findings when making recommendations to City Council. 1. The applicant has made a reasonable attempt to resolve view impairment issues. 2. The proposed structure doesn’t significantly impair view from public property. 3. The project is designed and situated to minimize view impairment. 4. There are no significant cumulative view impairments. 5. It is compatible with the immediate surrounding
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some flexibility, and can be amended if conditions change. Other council members did not wish to pursue a study. Councilman Jack Feller supported the Park Villas project moving forward. “I’m excited about the idea of mixed-use commercial on the first floor,” Feller said. “We’re acting like
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step before adding additional lanes to SR-78 to accommodate an anticipated million more people who will be living and driving in sprawling North County cities in 30 years. The interchange project aims to create smoother traffic flow, and is expected to start build in 2018. “The cities (of Oceanside and Carlsbad) would have to concur,” Allan Kosup, Caltrans I-5 corridor director, said. “We’re a few years away from asking cities that question.” Before any construction can start, a lengthy development process must be followed that includes preliminary designs, engineering and environmental studies, project design and review, financing, and community input throughout the process. During initial public meetings in January schematic designs were shared
would be effective given the distance between them. “If a car is going to drive through, it is going to drive through,” Cook said. “If there was a more permanent fence, then perhaps.” Whichard said that is the plan. The transit district is coordinating with the city on a more formal parking plan, which will include a continuous barrier that is not as visually intrusive, she said. “We understand that they are not visually appealing, but this was in response to a direct public safety issue,” Whichard said. “We are hopeful that the permanent solution will not ob-
struct views and won’t have to involve the Coastal Commission as a result.” At least one person along the stretch who talked to The Coast News said she didn’t feel the barriers were an issue. Ann Marie White, who was having lunch during her break from work at Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas, said she understood the purpose. “They are not too bad, and they’re for public safety,” White said. “If you live here, of course you might see it differently, but I don’t think it blocks views too much, and it is a good reminder to be safe.”
neighborhood character. Members can deny a project, approve it as presented or with conditions or continue the hearing to a subsequent meeting. They said they could not make any of the findings, especially the first and third. “We tend to think of sunsets over the ocean as the only possible type of view,” VAC member Jack Hegenauer said. “But to many people other types of views are highly valued, including the ribbon of lights at night from the cars on Interstate 5 in spite of the fact that they’re spewing air pollutants and greenhouse gases. “So I think that we do have to acknowledge that (a view) toward the east, toward Cedros, toward the hill … is an attractive view,” he said, adding that the views from both units “are significant and the impairment is
not only significant but it’s actually rather complete.” “It’s pretty clear that not much, if anything, has been done to minimize the view impairment if it was really understood in the first place,” Hegenauer added. “The record is virtually devoid of any meaningful communication between the applicant and the appellants. “I think the appellants asked for some consideration,” he added. “What they got in return was a visitation to their properly to see the situation. But their further attempts to communicate with the architect and further up the line … were pretty much rebuffed.” City Council will use the commission’s recommendation when making its final decision about the project. At press time, representatives from American Assets had not responded to a request for comments.
business killers here.” Mayor Jim Wood was absent. Sudberry Properties group’s request to amend the specific plan to allow horizontal mixed-use development, with a combination of buildings with two floors of residential or two floors of commercial, received a more positive review. The council supported the proposal of 270 housing units and 5,000 square feet
of commercial space on one lot, with a promise from Sudberry to develop a total of 337,000 square feet of commercial space throughout the three lots the company plans to develop. The meeting was for feedback only. No vote was taken. The developers can choose to take the projects forward through the public hearing process, and receive formal feedback from the City Council.
to spark conversation. Residents responded with numerous concerns. They expressed worries about permanent closure of current freeway overpasses, which would isolate neighborhoods from services. There were also questions over noise impacts, increased traffic on residential streets, the enormity and height of the six-ramp interchange, and pedestrian safety where interchange traffic spills into a residential neighborhood. “It will gridlock traffic on our surface streets, it will undermine home value, and only help people driving from L.A. to TJ,” Lowery said. Kosup said there are no design plans yet. He added four alternative designs and a no build option are being developed with regard to community input. Those plans would be shared, and residents’ stat-
ed concerns would be addressed at the next round of public meetings in July or later. In addition to public meetings, a work group has been formed that includes community representatives from Oceanside, Carlsbad, area businesses, and lagoon and coastal resources. Kosup said the work group meets in closed sessions to participate in small group, in-depth discussions, and all information is shared at public meetings. The next public meetings on the project will be held in late summer, or early fall. Lowery said he asked for upcoming meetings to be postponed to September to allow for more people to attend. He said he wants to ensure that residents are kept abreast of the project, and receive ample notification of public meetings so they can voice their concerns.