Read plucky North County Times reporter Adam Kaye's story click me.
Why does Michael D. Pattinson, president of Barratt American and occasional NCT columnist, hate grading permits so much?
Pattinson once wrote that a man who hopped on a tractor and graded his property without a grading permit was a comparable hero to civil right defender Rosa Parks. click
Pattinson also writes that any citizen who opposes any developers grandiose plans is merely a grouch. See Michael D. Pattinson Hates You & NCT link
Never mind that these big multi-million dollar corporate developers are dramatically changing the face of your sleepy neighborhood, you should lump it and like. Afterall, this is the new America where resistance and ethics and morals are frowned upon.
Barratt American is a huge development company that reported record profits in 2005. Pattinson gets a lot of press talking about how his childhood experiences influenced his goals of bringing affordable housing to the people. Unfortunately he doesn't apply this thinking to California. Most of Barratt's homes sell in the million dollar range. Pattinson is quick to blame fees and opposition lawsuits (Pattinson/Barratt has sued the city of Encinitas in the past but I guess those lawsuits are okay).
It's always great when I get to use this Nantucket lobster man artwork.
There are lots of ins and outs to this story. The North County Times publishes a column twice a month written by Pattinson that are really propaganda pieces for the building industry (and often unintentionally hilarious. I recommend reading them. They are a laugh riot much like that train wreck Bill O'Reilly is fun to watch on teevee because he is such a tool).
Encinitas councilman Jerome Stocks got busted awhile back for taking illegal campaign contributions from Barratt. Pattinson was a big backer of Prop A the Ecke rezone which was crushed at the polls. The fill dirt for the Nantucket project came from that strange piece of land off La Costa Ave (it has the chain link fence around it) that was traded by the city to a guy named Robert Barrelmann for some land off Leucadia Blvd. that he then attempted to have it rezoned for a commercial building.
It just goes on and on man.
Thanks to your blog, and the group, "LEUCADIA CARES" , and "COMMON SENSE" and other local activist publications... I think we are ALL beginning to see just how important community involvement is. Our democratic process invites participation, but boy, is it time consuming. And a pain in the ass. City Council meetings are better than a sleeping pill.
ReplyDeleteBut aren't you proud when you DO attend a meeting at City Hall, and you DO attend a neighborhood rally? I know I sure do.
Information is power.
I want to build a big fat ugly house in front of Pattinson's house and see if he gets grouchy.
ReplyDeletePattinson is the grouchy one. Why is he so truculent? Because he knows he has a real problem with the Leucadia Cares lawsuit. I hope he turns around and sues David Meyer. Meyer is the one who guided this project through the Planning Department. The city council planned to discuss changing the municipal code on Wednesday night April 19. This was Item 5. It was quickly withdrawn and continued to an unspecified date. The change was to cover their asses when they violated the code in rejecting the Leucadia Cares appeal. Wow!! Caught with their pants down and their asses uncovered.
ReplyDeleteI can't disagree more with the first post.
ReplyDeleteOnce you know the players and some context City Council meetings are better than reality TV because you can play if you want to.
Good luck with the lawsuit. The big money groups always win. Leucadia doesn't stand a chance.
ReplyDeleteYou can fight City Hall. One might not win, but we can begin a chain of events that makes a change. Cause and effect.
ReplyDeleteThe Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, the Encinitas Taxpayers Association, the Quality of Life Group, all have taken on the deep pokets of Guerin, Sabine & Morrison, and Kerry Miller, our overpaid, money mad city manger.
All of these lawsuits, brought by indididual citizens of Encinitas were victorious, as were Props A and C and the Lighting and Landscaping vote, all defeated by people, individuals, banding together and saying enough is enough. We are tired of your corruption, deceit, status climbing, and yes, greed.
When you go to the polls in November, remember who is sitting on the City Council that are behind the poor decisions by this City. We need to elect people that will sack Miller and Sabine. Someone who will lower the number of employees. Someone that will work within the budget and taxes they have now and quit trying to go to the well (us) to get more.
ReplyDeletenot only did D. meyer steer this project through but he also is making a mockery of the use of density bonuses. They were granted for this overbuilt project because two units were to be affordable housing. It is my understanding that he dealt seven to Pattison and keep the two that were to be affordable, plans to develop the two affordable, rent not sell them for twenty years and then cash in. As a member of the Ecke clan he may well be able to make this kind of "long=term" investment but it is not what the affordable housing density bonus was intended for. He now touts himself as the density intensification expert for the city. Shame on all of them.
ReplyDeleteThere is a lot of new development in that neighborhood yet only the Barrat Nantucket project has people up in arms. Why was there no ruckus about the Cabanas by the Coast or any of the other housing projects? Is it the culture of obnoxiousness that Pattinson brings along with him? Pattinson obviously loathes the old school Leucadia locals, this is easy to figure out from reading his columns. Is it his hatred for you guys or his hatred for building by the book or a combination of both?
ReplyDeleteThe dude needs to chill out, eat a fish taco and relax or something, sheesh.
Maybe those other developments didn't cheat and misrepresent the City Code Definitions as represented in Chapter 30.04. This says the 26' building height should be measured from the lower of the natural grade or the finished grade. Why no story poles?
ReplyDeleteSo many people cannot understand, read blueprints, plans. Story poles would show what views would be affected.
It turns out that you have to ask the City for story poles, or the developer doesn't have to put them up. Another coup for the developers.
ReplyDelete