Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Encinitans storm city council till 2 am

Cardiff neighbors win point on Lake Drive

Encinitas council meeting. "People are here to speak and are leaving in droves. They’re so ticked off."
Encinitas council meeting. "People are here to speak and are leaving in droves. They’re so ticked off."

Over 250 residents packed the Encinitas city council chambers, an overflow room, and a large patio outside city hall. 90 speakers signed up to address the council.

Lake Drive at Birmingham, Cardiff by the Sea

At issue at the June 20 meeting, California’s mandate to cities to add more low-income housing by identifying vacant properties in which developers could be given an up-zone, to build multi-unit condos or apartments — 30 units per acre.

“State housing laws are taking away our local control,” said Mayor Catherine Blakespear, who last year tried to rally Sacramento legislators to lessen the regulations for mostly built-out cities like Encinitas.

23 properties were slated for inclusion in the housing element update, to be placed before the voters on the November ballot. Under new regulations (Assembly Bill 1397) the city needs to provide up-zoning to allow developers to build 1,200-1,600 new low-income units in the next few years.

Sponsored
Sponsored

During an over one-hour presentation by city staff, former Mayor Sheila Cameron interrupted, grabbing the public podium mic.

“Excuse me. I’m sorry. People are here to speak and are leaving in droves. They’re so ticked off. They want to speak rather than this filibuster that should not be going on,” Cameron admonished the council, to a large round of applause (against Mayor Blakespear’s policy to not clap, but use “jazz hands” to show support to a speaker.)

Allison Wylot had other reason to be at the meeting, to oppose a possible inclusion that wasn’t even on the housing element map. Wylot was instrumental in rallying a large Cardiff by the Sea contingent that showed up to the meeting.

The possible inclusion of a four-acre former flower farm, at the corner of Cardiff’s Lake Drive and Birmingham Drive, surprised even the developer.

Since the Fugimoto family property sold in 2015, the developer, Zephyr Partners, had assured the neighborhood that their intension was to match zoning of the homes in the surrounding area — generally one or two houses per acre. It was the city that approached Zephyr about possible high density/low income zoning which may have allowed 120 three-story condos.

During the hours of public testimony, Jim McMinimum, representing Zephyr, stated to the council they have already submitted their plan for nine units, and weren’t going to propose anything different at this time.

Councilman Tony Kranz said that the council in 2012 removed the large Manchester Avenue strawberry fields from the then housing element plan. He asked the council to do the same, for the Lake Drive property. Councilman Mark Muir concurred.

Mayor Blakespear then pointed out to the audience that the Lake Drive property could not be included at this time, because citizens were not notified of the property’s possible inclusion in the plan’s mass-mailing to citizens.

However Councilman Muir pointed out that the Lake Drive property could be included later, and reminded residents to continue to pay attention, as the city’s plan will need to be revised again in 2020. He advised staff he was uncomfortable with the Lake Drive property being considered for a possible inclusion.

After almost eight hours of staff presentations and public speakers, four of the properties were finally removed for the plan as being inappropriate, too high density, to the surrounding community.

Just before 2:00 a.m., Wylot and her supporters heard the words they were waiting to hear. The housing element approved for the November ballot, and mentioned specially in Muir and Kranz’s motion, will not include the Lake Drive property. Councilman Joe Mosca voted in support.

“I think we really dodged a bullet tonight,” said Wylot.

Footnote: in 2016, voters overwhelmingly turned down the city’s proposed housing element, Measure T, which would have allowed low-income residential units above the El Camino Real corridor’s shopping centers. The city is currently named in three lawsuits over the lack of low-income housing.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Navy solves San Diego homeless crisis by retiring four locally moored ships

Decommision Accomplished
Next Article

San Diego Reader 2024 Music & Arts Issue

Favorite fakers: Baby Bushka, Fleetwood Max, Electric Waste Band, Oceans, Geezer – plus upcoming tribute schedule
Encinitas council meeting. "People are here to speak and are leaving in droves. They’re so ticked off."
Encinitas council meeting. "People are here to speak and are leaving in droves. They’re so ticked off."

Over 250 residents packed the Encinitas city council chambers, an overflow room, and a large patio outside city hall. 90 speakers signed up to address the council.

Lake Drive at Birmingham, Cardiff by the Sea

At issue at the June 20 meeting, California’s mandate to cities to add more low-income housing by identifying vacant properties in which developers could be given an up-zone, to build multi-unit condos or apartments — 30 units per acre.

“State housing laws are taking away our local control,” said Mayor Catherine Blakespear, who last year tried to rally Sacramento legislators to lessen the regulations for mostly built-out cities like Encinitas.

23 properties were slated for inclusion in the housing element update, to be placed before the voters on the November ballot. Under new regulations (Assembly Bill 1397) the city needs to provide up-zoning to allow developers to build 1,200-1,600 new low-income units in the next few years.

Sponsored
Sponsored

During an over one-hour presentation by city staff, former Mayor Sheila Cameron interrupted, grabbing the public podium mic.

“Excuse me. I’m sorry. People are here to speak and are leaving in droves. They’re so ticked off. They want to speak rather than this filibuster that should not be going on,” Cameron admonished the council, to a large round of applause (against Mayor Blakespear’s policy to not clap, but use “jazz hands” to show support to a speaker.)

Allison Wylot had other reason to be at the meeting, to oppose a possible inclusion that wasn’t even on the housing element map. Wylot was instrumental in rallying a large Cardiff by the Sea contingent that showed up to the meeting.

The possible inclusion of a four-acre former flower farm, at the corner of Cardiff’s Lake Drive and Birmingham Drive, surprised even the developer.

Since the Fugimoto family property sold in 2015, the developer, Zephyr Partners, had assured the neighborhood that their intension was to match zoning of the homes in the surrounding area — generally one or two houses per acre. It was the city that approached Zephyr about possible high density/low income zoning which may have allowed 120 three-story condos.

During the hours of public testimony, Jim McMinimum, representing Zephyr, stated to the council they have already submitted their plan for nine units, and weren’t going to propose anything different at this time.

Councilman Tony Kranz said that the council in 2012 removed the large Manchester Avenue strawberry fields from the then housing element plan. He asked the council to do the same, for the Lake Drive property. Councilman Mark Muir concurred.

Mayor Blakespear then pointed out to the audience that the Lake Drive property could not be included at this time, because citizens were not notified of the property’s possible inclusion in the plan’s mass-mailing to citizens.

However Councilman Muir pointed out that the Lake Drive property could be included later, and reminded residents to continue to pay attention, as the city’s plan will need to be revised again in 2020. He advised staff he was uncomfortable with the Lake Drive property being considered for a possible inclusion.

After almost eight hours of staff presentations and public speakers, four of the properties were finally removed for the plan as being inappropriate, too high density, to the surrounding community.

Just before 2:00 a.m., Wylot and her supporters heard the words they were waiting to hear. The housing element approved for the November ballot, and mentioned specially in Muir and Kranz’s motion, will not include the Lake Drive property. Councilman Joe Mosca voted in support.

“I think we really dodged a bullet tonight,” said Wylot.

Footnote: in 2016, voters overwhelmingly turned down the city’s proposed housing element, Measure T, which would have allowed low-income residential units above the El Camino Real corridor’s shopping centers. The city is currently named in three lawsuits over the lack of low-income housing.

Comments
Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

San Diego Reader 2024 Music & Arts Issue

Favorite fakers: Baby Bushka, Fleetwood Max, Electric Waste Band, Oceans, Geezer – plus upcoming tribute schedule
Next Article

OSHA rules wall falls our fault

Who, U.S.?
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.