SignOnSanDiego.com story: Leucadia plans streetscape workshops
By Her name was Lola and she was a dancer Sherman
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
ENCINITAS – The mantra remains: Keep Leucadia funky.
Representatives of a consulting firm hired to formulate a “streetscape” plan for the area along North Coast Highway 101 between A Street and La Costa Avenue say they'll keep that in mind during two public workshops set for next week.
“We've actually been at it for about a month,” consultant M.W. Peltz, head of the consulting company that bears his name, told the Encinitas City Council during a presentation Wednesday night.
He said he has walked the entire 2 miles of highway, hearing often about the need to retain its artsy, surf-town appeal. Peltz's firm has been hired for $231,000 to draw a plan for landscaping, sidewalks and street design. The workshops on Thursday and Feb. 23 will give the public a chance to offer suggestions.
Peltz, in an update to the council on his firm's efforts, described Leucadia as an area of “an eclectic mix of architecture, business types and trees,” plus traffic from cars, pedestrians and bicycles.
“Leucadia likes to present itself as very artsy and funky,” said Mike Nichols, an associate of the Peltz firm and a Solana Beach city councilman.
“It's very important to listen first and design second,” he said.
The consultants offered no specific plans, although Peltz said he had heard a lot about a desired return of the “canopy of trees” that once lined the boulevard and helped define it. Many of the old eucalyptus trees have been removed after succumbing to disease.
Several members of the audience supported the idea of a streetscape plan.
“Leucadia's time has come,” said Morgan Mallory, a member of the Leucadia 101 MainStreet Association and a business owner along the highway.
Mallory, who described the area as an eclectic mix of shops, restaurants and a mobile home park, asked the council to “maintain the identity, community character and scale” of Leucadia while fostering improvement.
“This is like the most wonderful thing,” said Rachelle Collier, president of the Leucadia Town Council. Residents want a plan that creates a walkable community and slows down traffic, she said. And that canopy of trees.
Councilwoman Maggie Houlihan said “a great chapter is opening” with the preparation of the streetscape plan. But she, too, told the consultants to “be sure it remains artsy, funky.”
Houlihan suggested the addition of a forum area – a poet's corner – and places for people to sit and relax. “We want it to be enhanced, we just want it to be cool,” she said.
Councilwoman Teresa Barth had one specific request: “We just have to put the canopy back,” she said.
Nichols said he expects 100 to 200 people to attend the workshops. The city has mailed out 4,000 invitations to homes and businesses within 500 feet of the highway.
Mr. Peltz, the consultant invited Council to attend the upcoming workshops.
ReplyDeleteJerome Stocks mentioned the conflict on Saturday, 2/23, with the second workshop, and the big grand opening of the library.
Stocks and Bond both said they would not be attending the workshops, anyway, because they did not want to be involved in the "process" of something they would be voting on.
That didn't make much sense to me. Seems as though, through subcommittee's, etc., they do get involved with the process all the time. Stocks and Bond apparently do not want to be involved in the PUBLIC process, prior to voting.
Although the library opening is on the same day, the consultant did say that people could just come for part of the day, on Saturday, too. That's my daughter's birthday, but I hope to go Thursday night. Hope to see you there, at the Oak Crest Community Center!
Their decision was appropriate.
ReplyDeletebecause they are going to break the participants up into tables of about eight persons during the
ReplyDeletebrainstorming part of the design development i think it is important that EVERY table have the
basic underlying desires front and center. i would hope everyone chimes in here during the next
few days and expresses what is most important to them. the things that i care about are:
1. slow the traffic down through design and speed limit modifications
2. a walkable, bikeable design
3. that BOTH sides of the highway be upgraded, not just the west side
4. that parking be addressed as best as possible
5. that a tree lined (canopy) highway be developed and maintained
6. that the integrity of the area be maintained by paying attention to existing scale
these are just a few that matter to me. speak up folks. this is the time.
i feel it is important that every table has the top ten priorities as determined by the community.
i do feel that the cardiff community input discussion played to a stacked deck where the paid
design team were able to pick and choose the table input that most matched THEIR preconceived
notions. i hope there is some universal solidarity on the top ten design criteria at EVERY table
for leucadia so that the design team and city staff have little wiggle room.
I hope at the workshops Peltz has clear birds-eye views of the property line for the railroad right of way on their maps before we begin making suggestions. Our property on this side of that line is our most valuable asset for this StreetScape. Only then can we determine where to put extra parking; plant trees; make safe bike lanes etc.
ReplyDeleteyes fred. very important. called the Peltz office today but they close at 12 on fridays, didn't see ur post till later. will call them monday fred. if i don't post something by 2:00 remind me.
ReplyDeleteI have the perfect plan. Considering I5 backs up every morning. Lets construct another like I5 passing lane on Hwy 101 southbound to take more commuters from north of Leucadia to south of Encinitas and dump them in Solana Beach’s laps. Common fo…… you know LA sytling cruising…. Fast like.
ReplyDeleteFuck all those wantabe yaga shop loosssssaaaas….. if you had my body, you don’t need yoga.
That way we are saving the world of all those terrible toxic hydrocarbon exhaust excrements. We are also allowing a person to drive cars which is what southern CA is all about. I am going to speak my piece at the work shops. Common girls, who is with me?!!!! Common say YeEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Say YeAAAAAAAA……. Say YOoooooooooooooooooooooooo
The primary purpose of the specific plan is to address the unique aspects, problems,
ReplyDeleteand opportunities of the North 101 Corridor, and to maintain its identity, community
character, and scale, while fostering the revitalization of the North Highway 101
commercial corridor.