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THE RANCHO SANTA FE NEWS
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MAKING WAVES IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
VOL. 11, N0. 17
AUG. 21, 2015
OH MY! Former Rancho Santa Fe resident and San Diego Padres broadcaster Dick Enberg receives honors on Aug.7 at Petco Park before the Padres played the visiting Philadelphia Phillies. Enberg, who’s spent 20 years broadcasting Major League Baseball games, was chosen as this year’s Ford C. Frick Award winner. The award is given out every year for excellence in broadcasting. In July, Enberg was recognized during the 2015 Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Cooperstown, NY. Photo by Bill Reilly
Assemblyman Brian Jones speaks to RSF Association By Christina Macone-Greene
RANCHO SANTA FE — At the last Aug. 6 Rancho Santa Fe Association board meeting, Assemblyman Brian Jones of the 71st District spoke to members about drought issues. After Jones introduced himself, he mentioned that he would be running for Senator Joel Anderson’s seat, which does include Rancho Santa Fe territory. Once Jones touched upon his political background, he delved into the lawsuit between the San Diego County Water Authority at the Metropolitan Water District (MET), who is Southern California’s wholesaler of water. They get most of their water, he said, from Northern California and then it is disbursed to other local wholesalers such as the San Diego County Water Authority. According to Jones, the legal battle has been ongoing for the past several years. “So the Water Authority, a couple of years ago, discovered that the MET was overcharging the Water Authority on their rates,” he said. Jones called the lawsuit groundbreaking. The San Diego County Water Authority is due back around $180 million, plus interest, he said. “The County Water Authority has promised that that money is going to be returned to the local
Assemblyman Brian Jones of the 71st District speaks to members of the RSF Association about drought issues and announcing he will be running for Senator Joel Anderson’s seat, which does include Rancho Santa Fe territory. Photo by Christina Macone-Greene
districts, and then the local districts will disburse that, and use it how they think is appropriated based on their each individual board,” Jones said. “I don’t know when the monies are going to change hands but the good news is we won the lawsuit.” The board of directors at the RSF Association then asked Jones if he could convey what was happening in Sacramento in terms of water issues and any upcoming legislature. Jones told everyone
that unfortunately not much has happened this year. “Last year at this time we were working on the water bond which is a $7 billion water bond,” he said. “The disappointing thing about it is the state hasn’t really started spending very much of that money yet. The main thing that Sacramento could do to help with water is reform CEQA, the California Environmental Quality Act.” Jones stated that through the majority party
and leadership through the governor’s office, their focus on CEQA is project by project. He added, “Rather than a statewide reform that we could all take advantage of, the way they want to mange CEQA reform is you have a project, you come to the legislature, hire a lobbyist and spend a lot of money to get your waiver from CEQA to special favors to the legislature.” Jones said a few CEQA waivers were for the highspeed rail authority, and the two stadiums being proposed in Los Angeles County. Jones believed a complete reform of CEQA was needed. According to Jones, 2,300 bills were introduced this year, which is a normal amount. He went on to say that about 1,100 of them die in committee while 1,100 of them may get to the governor’s desk. The governor typically signs 600 to 900. “This year, there was only a handful that dealt with the drought and the water,” he said. Jones pointed out that the governor called two special sessions: Medi-Cal funding and sustainable funding for highways and roads. “But no discussion about the drought and building reservoirs to make sure that we’re prepared for the next drought,” he said.
Laura Mabee Boswell, a representative of the Mabee Trust and Golden Eagle Management, which is proposing an age-restricted development in the Ranch, hosts a community meeting to provide more information about it. Photo by Christina Macone-Greene
Rancho Librado project’s proposed plans heard By Christina Macone-Greene vide people with an op-
RANCHO SANTA FE — The Rancho Santa Fe Garden Club was the venue for a community meeting to hear proposed plans for Rancho Librado. The project is an age-restricted development with a total of 50 single story casitas and four custom estates. The projected location is on 28-acres at Calzada del Bosque and Via de la Valle. The casitas will range from 3,200 to 4,800 square feet, whereas the luxury homes are expected to be at 6,500 square feet. What triggered the presentation was opposition from Neighbors for San Dieguito River Valley Preservation, who gathered hundreds of signatures against the development project. Laura Mabee Boswell, a representative of the Mabee Trust and Golden Eagle Management, which is proposing the project, hosted the meeting to provide more information about it. According to Boswell, from the more than 850 signatures against the project, about 20 of those individuals have actually seen the presentation. “And given that disparity, we thought it was really important to pro-
portunity to hear about our concept and then be able to make an informed opinion,” said Boswell, adding how they are presently working on a very long and technical process. Boswell conveyed how her family had been part of the Rancho Santa Fe community for the past 25 years. She was not a developer, but had a background in public health which had been the driving factor for this project. “It’s well known that being able to maintain your friendships and your sense of community and your sense of place is vital to healthy aging,” she said. “There’s one saying in the Ranch that you can ‘do anything but grow old.’ And I for one would like to help change that.” Boswell pointed out that Rancho Librado is intended to provide homes for members of the community who can no longer maintain their large estates but wish to stay in the Ranch. On a personal level, Boswell said that when her grandfather passed away, she remembered how the home became a burden to her grandmother. When she imagTURN TO LIBRADO ON 19