Encinitas city staffers: Beacon's Beach should be top-priority project
By: ADAM KAYE - Staff Writer
ENCINITAS--City staffers on Tuesday identified Beacon's Beach improvements as the highest-priority capital project for Encinitas to complete.
The job, which calls for a new trail, sea wall and parking lot to be built at the beach just west of Leucadia Boulevard, earned the most points in a ranking exercise by city department heads.
Other top-ranked projects included construction of the first phase of the Hall property park in Cardiff and accompanying road improvements, the design of a new interchange at Encinitas Boulevard, safe routes to school and pedestrian crossings along the railroad.
City Manager Phil Cotton presented the assessment of more than 40 projects to the City Council at its first of two goal-setting sessions for 2007.
Beacon's as priority #1? I guess I'm a little surprised. That's cool though. It's a controversial project (of course). There is a lot of opposition to the proposed seawall. Some folks are even against stabilizing the bluff at all (not me). As is, the city has a $5 million dollar plan. The state grant is for $2.8 million. Does the city even have the extra funds for this? Can the city planners come up with a solid non-seawall plan that won't get us sued by the Surfrider Foundation and other groups?
I wonder where a walkable downtown Leucadia mainstreet with sidewalks and lighting ranks on the list?
Also in the NCT.com article you will find concerns about traffic and smoking on our beaches.
If everyone who smoked stayed home instead of driving around, half our problems would be solved!
Focus on improving the safety and access to the coast, thats the reason we live by the coast and why people visit our town.
ReplyDeleteI think lower the speed limit on Leucadia HW101, more sidewalks, bathrooms at the beaches, and make it look nice without the weeds.
ReplyDeleteInteresting. I heard a lot of public comments on addressing the environment, protecting and improving our Coast and addressing traffic gridlock. I did not hear any public comments to build 3 Fire Mansions nicer than most homes, and a park that will serve the region and cost the Encinitas taxpayer huge operating costs for years to come.
ReplyDeleteI sure hope council can set more balanced priorities and focus on sustainable City Financial health and not Bling Bling Trophy Projects.
So why didn't you say what was on your mind?
ReplyDeleteDon't just whine, get off your ass and move.
last post by anon is cyber bully, again.
ReplyDeletePeople are saying what's on our minds; and the meeting was overflowing.
Take your mean spirits elsewhere.
I agree, somebody around here is obsessed with the word "whine." That is his mean way of dismissing everyone's comments except his own.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad people are speaking out about what's important, here and at Council Meetings.
Like JP said, before, we should be able to take the 2.4 million dollar grant, or is more? and definitely improve the access.
ReplyDeleteDo we have to match the funds? At the Planning Commission, which I did attend, no one was in favor of the Sea Wall except Charles Marvin.
Stonesteps does not have a seawall, neither does Grandview. We can and should redesign this without a seawall.
The Planning Commissioners seemed to agree, at the meeting when this was discussed.
I am not someone "obsessed with the word whine", and I am not mean-spirited nor interested in dismissing anyone's comments.
ReplyDeleteI am, in fact, encouraging everyone to actively participate in the process. My comments were in response to the previous poster who wondered why others didn't raise questions regarding the fire stations or the park on the Hall property.
Perhaps I wasn't clear. I appologize if that was the case. I only wondered why, if these items were important to the poster, why didn't he/she speak up at the meeting.
I don't believe I am who you think I am. I rarely post.
Not everyone can go to meetings that begin at four on a Tuesday.
ReplyDeleteWe can speak up here, too.
If you can not attend a meeting, you can email the councilmembers with your comments.
ReplyDeleteSame is true for Planning Commission issues....send an email to the planner assigned to the project or the planning director.....
Pmurphy@ci.encinitas.ca.us