Encinitas panel approves downtown project
By: ADAM KAYE - Staff Writer
ENCINITAS ---- With no public speakers voicing opposition, the Planning Commission on Thursday approved plans for a mixed commercial and residential complex in the heart of downtown Encinitas.
The vote was 4-1, with commissioner Tom McCabe dissenting.
The so-called "Pacific Station" would bring three stories worth of stores, restaurants, offices and homes to South Coast Highway 101 at F Street.
The project, which includes two levels of underground parking, would be the largest of its kind in downtown Encinitas since The Lumberyard shopping center was built nearly 25 years ago.
Plans show 47 condominiums, 37,000 square feet of retail space, 10,000 square feet of office space and a 4,600-square-foot restaurant. The building floor area would total 105,244 square feet.
None of nearly a dozen public speakers opposed the project ---- a rarity in Encinitas for a proposal of such size and prominence.
"It's a project you hate to love," said activist Gilbert Foerster. "It's a sardine can, but it's a beautiful sardine can."
Previous blog post: Leucadia!: Density Destiny
What is wrong with the Planning Commissioners? They voice concerns about the new traffic, the reconfiguration of the main street 101, the loading zones, etc. and only one of them has the guts to say no to the project. The council should consider replacing those four with trained monkeys.
ReplyDeleteOn what legal grounds would you have had the PC reject this project?
ReplyDeleteOn the legal ground that i'm a blowhard NIMBY that will complain about projects on a local blog but not the place where it actually matters.
ReplyDeleteAlso on the legal ground that I'm more intelligent than any of the Planning Commissioners and City Council members.. can't you tell?
section 12.43.2 Business and professions code
ReplyDeleteDo not approve anything that sucks that bad.
What is wrong with being a NIMBY?
ReplyDeleteTo everyone who hates NIMBYs, can we put cell towers and power lines and toxic waste dumps and office buildings in your backyard?
ReplyDeleteNo cell towers and power lines and toxic waste dumps for this NIMBY, but yes to everything else .. including Pacific Station.
ReplyDeleteNo Fstreet Porn or Showgirls in Encinitas! You are all a bunch of NIMBYs!
ReplyDeletePornomaniac there's so much porn on line and obviously you have a computer, you can probably get all you need there without bringing it into town...ya think? or has mom and dad put some kind of anti porn lock on your computer and so instead you came to see us here. How nice.
ReplyDeleteThere are numerous legal grounds to attempt to kill this project...but please explain to me what you would do with this piece of property ...and not that the city should buy it for parking.
ReplyDeleteThe audience was not packed with opposition.(That's a joke.) With only three minutes, because there was no one to give me more, and it apparent that the supporters were out in force, I used the three minutes I had to voice my concerns.
I was concerned that the space for a market was so small that only a specialty market would be interested. That being the case, instead of one market-restocking truck per day, like the major chains dealing out of a main distribution center, the specialty market is going to many many specialty producers delivering stock throughout the day. More delivery trucks on 101 is not my vision.
I was concerned that the total number of parking spots required using existing CITY guidelines call for 262 spaces and not the 254 spaces in the presentation. I was concerned that the 154 "public" spaces would be taken by transnet commuters or different business employees from the downtown area. This would not help relieve the parking in the area OR provide that necessary for the NEW businesses in this project.
I was concerned that without some system in place to recognize when all the public spaces are full, and relay that information to something visible on 101, we were creating a situation where traffic would be piling into this parking garage even when it was utterly futile. The resulting traffic jam, fire hazard, unhealthful air, and flaring tempers is also not my vision.
And finally, after hearing their, "how wonderful it will be for families and professionals to be able to live in and enjoy the special village atmosphere of our downtown and this project", I was concerned that they write into the C,C,& R's, that the 47 living spaces not be allowed to be used for short term rentals.
47 units on 1.37 acres with short term rentals being the norm because after awhile the original owners got tired of their dishes rattling everytime a train went by or their heart jumping when the train fires its warning whistle. This kind of dense short term rental situation is not my vision for any dense development anywhere in Encinitas and certainly not on 101.
I felt it important to establish that as a precedent so all the future "mixed use" development on the 101 corridor has the same type restriction written into the deed/CC&R from the get-go.
That took over my three minutes but they were kind enough to let me finish my last thought.
There are and were other concerns but I had no more time.
I left right after my bit, 1-because I had just returned from my LA delivery day and 2-because it appeared to be a forgone conclusion that this was a done deal.
I don't know if anything I did bring up was addressed because I left so soon but I will check and decide how I feel about it. I have time to appeal to the Council if necessary and contrary to the City documents presented last night this project is very much in the coastal zone and possibly subject to review but I'd have to break out the Act and decide which part of it relates to this project.
Sorry about the length of the blog but you know I'm wordy.
Every project that goes before this planning commission is a done deal. The commission is either corrupt or stupid.
ReplyDeleteGil, have you ever supported ANY project? Just asking...
ReplyDeleteThe subject is the "Pacific Station" not the support of other projects. Good try in diversion.
ReplyDeleteThe north county times made it seem like Gil Forester was in %100 support of Pacific Station.
ReplyDeletelisten to the cry babied cry waa waa waa. Where were to protest this project? Embrace it now and try and make it better.
ReplyDeleteOf course I have supported projects, that's why I receive mixed feelings on this blog site. I try to evaluate each project as it is brought forward. Do I support projects in their original concepts presented by the developers, not very often. Most developers are primarily concerned with the quantity of $ in a project, I am most concerned with the quality of life in the City and how developments effect that quality. It's that simple...or complex.
ReplyDeleteF Street is open.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the big picture needs to be seen.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cleardemocracy.com/
Okay, this is a bit off topic, but I thought Dan Dalager went way overboard in the article on the Hall property in Sunday's NCT when he harshly criticized all those who are questioning the draft E.I.R. as "pernicious complainers."
ReplyDeleteper•ni•cious adj.
1. Tending to cause death or serious injury; deadly: a pernicious virus.
2. Causing great harm; destructive: pernicious rumors.
2. Archaic. Evil; wicked.
[Middle English, from Old French pernicios, from Latin perniciōsus, from perniciēs, destruction : per-, per- + nex, nec-, violent death.]
http://www.answers.com/topic/pernicious