Leucadia was founded in 1870 but it has been viewed as the red headed stepchild of Encinitas since incorporation in 1986. Leucadia has a neglected and unsustainable infrastructure. The highway is in horrible condition. The Leucadia Blvd/101 intersection is dangerous and dysfunctional. The once impressive tree canopy has been hacked by the careless and destroyed by the heartless. Our sidewalks are incomplete, we have no streetlamps and our center medians are weedy and void of the flowers that once bloomed. This is a fragile time in Leucadia's history, that is why we must come together as a community and support the Streetscape project.
Three years ago there was push to declare Leucadia "blighted" and form a Redevelopment Agency that would have drastically altered Leucadia and swept away private properties under eminent domain. Leucadians fought the RDA and won. The natural solution to our rough edges was not redevelopment, but a downtown main street program. A decade since the general specific plan was written, Leucadia is on the cusp of receiving the investment it needs to survive into the 21st Century.
There is opposition, Leucadians fear change and some of the Streetscape concepts are new and bold. Roundabouts and a reconfiguration of the northbound lanes seem wild and out of the box. But, roundabouts may be a clever solution a dangerous strip of highway that routinely takes lives, and a single northbound lane allows for the replanting of 1000 new canopy trees.
I predict the movement to halt the Streetscape will only lead to another, and this time unstoppable Redevelopment Agency. As a community we can hammer out the details, but to kill the Streetscape project entirely would be reckless.
J.P. St. Pierre
Age 38, born and raised in Leucadia.
Crossing the coast highway at Leucadia Blvd in 2007.
I agree.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, the Coast News does not have your letter or another in the same issue supporting the Streetscape Plans on the web edition. It does have the one monthe old Enc.Chamber's misleading and unfactual editorial still up.
Thank you for caring, JP.
If you readers believe that Leucadia deserves these long awaited improvements that other areas of the city have received, write letters, email the Council, talk to folks and keep informed.
Don't let the Encinitas Chamber of Commerce hinder our commerce.
Nice letter.
ReplyDeleteThe streetscape will be a blessing for Leucadia. Addressing unsafe road conditions that lead to fatalities every year.
Plus that road is contributing to making the area more like "blight". Just look at all the businesses that close in Leucadia... the list is long including Long Board Grotto and Wade Koniakowsky Art Studio to name a few recent failures. More to come.
Fix the road conditions and fix the terrible conditions of Leucadia's downtown area. Without a fix, I agree that a redevelopment district is more likely.
There is a small group of fear based folks who fear any change at all cost. If Lynn Braun is against it, you know it has to be good for Leucadia.
Embrace Leucadia- Embrace addressing the unsafe conditions and support the streetscape.
Plus the trees need much more love.
JP - Thanks for writing a letter to the Coast News. Everyone should follow JP's lead. The papers typically would rather focus on opposition than support, so one way to show support is to write positive letters to the Editors.
ReplyDeleteAlso write the City Council.
Thank you.
What's wrong with a redevelopment agency. Afraid of change?
ReplyDeleteRoundabouts or a redevelopment agency talk sounds scary.
One northbound lane is not the only way to have a tree canopy.
Alternative 1 will not fix the flooding.
Alternative 1 will not lower the tracks.
Alternative 1 will not fix the Leucadia Blouvard, 101, vulcan intersection.
Alternative 1 is not the only vision for leucadia that will benefit Leucadia.
There's PLENTY wrong with change if it involves Redevelopment. First of all, it's not "re-development", it's a process that gives a city a lot of power, and one of these powers is to take your land-leaglly-and then sell it to whomever wants to build on it. Of course, if it's for the "common good", like to widen a freeway, etc, it may be a good thing, but in Leucadia's case, 200 parcels were being eyed to seize by eminent domaine and sold to the highest bidder. Get online and type in "California Redevelopment Agency" and you'll find out this is not the kind of change that benefits anyone except city hall, and those who sit on an RDA. They typically make $100k a year. Then consider who supported this in our community.
ReplyDeleteAnon 8:13-
ReplyDeleteGet with the times. Alternative 1 is dead. Go look at Alternative 4. Its sweet for Leucadia.
We need to LOWER THE TRACKS and FIX THE FLOODING.
ReplyDeleteI could give a damn about the roundabouts and pretty flowers. You don't build a house will out pouring a solid foundation FIRST!
Lowering the tracks and flooding are not issues for the first phase of the streetscape. Complete the design. Its a long term planning tool.
ReplyDeleteThe flooding is already half fixed and it was simple. Note that the flooding wasn't bad after the heavy December rains. The bad flooding this year was on El Camino Real. Maybe JP or Kevin can blog about the way the city handled the recent rains or ask Gary Murphy why the flooding wasn't as bad this year.
ReplyDelete9:58 - Two vehicles could not pass each other on Vulcan with out driving through inches of water. (This, of course, sprays any pedestrians in the area.) How is that 1/2 fixed? The city used to send out puddle suckers. I was told by phone that they cost $100 / hour, which was too expensive, so they stopped. And yet, the city has $60M for a soccer park…
ReplyDeleteWell said, J.P.
ReplyDeleteWell hidden, Coast News.
The flooding is an engineering issue that could be easily solved with the will of the city. The streetscape is a downtown beautification project. Related but not really related.
ReplyDeleteThe streetscape has morphed into more than a beautification project. The project is designed to transform the types of uses we see in Leucadia and an alteration of the traffic patterns.
ReplyDelete"the types of uses"- Oh you mean safer walkway for more pedestrians and bike lanes for safe bike rides. Yeah - I support that.
ReplyDelete"Alteration of traffic patterns"- Oh yeah. You mean addressing the speeding and unsafe traffic conditions where people die each year. Yeah - I support that.
Nice letter, though disappointing you couldn't hold back the urge to include the "fear change" canard.
ReplyDeleteThe "fear change" talk is accurate. Just go spend a few minutes talking with Lynn Braun.....
ReplyDeleteactually Lynn lives in Encinitas but claims to be Leucadian and man does she fear change at all costs. I think some people are just born with it. I wonder why?
Have your streetscape plan, just don't include roundabutts or one lane north or diagional parking. And start it at Leucadia Blvd and go north.
ReplyDeleteAnon 6:11 am- Why would the City do that when we could do so much better?
ReplyDeleteWe don't want Hwy 101 south of Leucadia Blvd. to remain an unsafe bad road. We want the whole area to prosper.
I know the roundabout on Leucadia Blvd. are a major improvement for that street and roundabouts on our main street will realize the same types of benefits of slowing traffic down while keeping the flow moving and increased pedestrian safety. Sorry you don't like them, but over 70% of our community loves them. (You must be one of the 30%).
To ease you pain, just think- Over 70% of the public hate Signals and Stop signs because of the unsafe conditions and senseless stopping that occurs at each intersection. So we have more to be hateful about than you. See- it’s still all good.
Alternative 4 is looking very promising and I am excited to see it through completion.
One thing we probably agree on, the City sure needs to fix that deadtrap intersection at Leucadia Blvd. and Hwy101.
anon 811,
ReplyDeleteDo you support it enough to use your real name?
I use my real name. Do you?
ReplyDeleteOh, it's you, Johnny Anonymous. It's been ages! How have you been?
ReplyDelete"I think some people are just born with it. I wonder why?"
ReplyDeleteThe trip down the tube can be harrowing for some!
If Leucadia was worthwhile for anything except funky motels, car lots, liquor stores, crummy surf shops, rental yards, Mexican food, antique/trick shops, crabby bobs shack, the encinitas post office annex, sevvieleven, Hermies St, Vulcan's apartments, rundown greenhouses, trailer parks they would have their own zip code. But as it is, being called a red-headed step child is a complement.
ReplyDeleteI haven't had a trick shop here since the 70's, Mike. But I still have some Poo Poo Cushions. (Remote control ones too!)
ReplyDeleteThe fire department used one of those remote stinker units on Kerry Miller when he spoke at the podium once. Not too surprising, Kerry was never a hand for such foolishness.
ReplyDeleteWho gives a shit about a zip code. That’s about as important as an area code. My gosh there is way more to character than numbers.
ReplyDeleteAs an example, I sure love Cardiff.... original architecture.... but the downfall to their awesome ocean views for the hillside is they don't have many big trees.
Leucadia has rolling hills with the Neptune bluff being high enough to block most views unlike Cardiff. As a result, we have way more unique structures and mature landscaping. Big trees are much more common in Leucadia than other parts of Encinitas.
Everyone I talk to says the reason they moved to Leucadia was because they love the unique features of the area and the big trees. Do we need to say more?
So we don't have our own zip code, but what we have is an appreciation for big old trees. which is really more important?
Mike should have been named Richard, so he would have his appropriate nickname- Dick!
ReplyDeleteI think Mike (Dick) and Lynn should hook up. They could become the two most change adverse duos in the history of CA.
ReplyDeleteBirds of the feather flock together. DoDo Birds that is......
Boy, I bet they'd have one hell of a lot of fun together. Phhhhh....
Leucadia has it's own zip code 92924 it's not our fault Encinitas uses it.
ReplyDeleteMy property tax bill says I live in Leucadia. The North 101 Streetscape project defines Leucadia as stretching from A Street to La Costa Avenue.
ReplyDeleteHere's my letter to the editor in the following week's Coast News, from January 2, 2009:
The majority of residents support beautifying North 101 in Leucadia, Contrary to JP’s letter, we aren’t afraid of change. We don’t have to sacrifice majority concerns for special interests, a few business owners paying low property taxes.
To suggest it’s either one of the currently proposed alternatives, or declaring Leucadia blighted, and foisting a redevelopment agency upon us, is a fallacious argument. Leucadians don’t have to be manipulated by fear.
The only public input at the last workshop at Encinitas City Hall was the survey, which showed a strong majority supported none of the proposed alternatives. When Bob Nanninga called out advocating planting native species, he was “shouted down;” public speakers weren’t allowed. Additionally, over 450 signatures on petitions at Leucadia Glass and Sub Palace against roundabouts shouldn’t be discounted.
Business owners want more parking; this shouldn’t come from the general fund. I saw no mention on the survey or any of the petitions re blocking Leucadia Blvd. Alternative One would have required cutting down most of our canopy, then “restoring” it. Only at the last workshop was Alternative Four presented, which still mandates five roundabouts and three narrow lanes.
Five roundabouts in just over two miles would necessitate private property encroachment, as admitted by Peder Norby, 101 Czar. We aren’t in favor of limiting northbound traffic on Highway 101 to one lane and narrowing all three lanes. We can slow traffic by enforcing the existing speed limit. More stop signs and u-turn lanes could be helpful.
NCTD should be required to provide landscaping along the tracks. The specific plan for Leucadia isn’t now being enforced consistently by providing adequate parking. A few business owners want to stop cut through traffic from I-5. We can slow traffic, also preserving and protecting the canopy without five roundabouts.
PS: The Coast News does not have an "opposition" bias, but prints letters it receives that are within 300 words or less.
ReplyDeleteI noticed more letters to the editor in this week's Coast News, but none were about the Streetscape Project, either pro or against Alternative No. 4, which is still flawed.
The majority of residents and business owners have shown by signatures on petitions and by filling out surveys, that we do not want five roundabouts in just over 2 miles, and we are not in favor of changing a major highway artery to only one lane going northbound.
Lynn-
ReplyDeleteWrong again. The participants of all the public workshops have always supported the roundabout over the other alternatives which are signals or stop signs.
I know you cannot get that through your thick skull. But if you could, you would understand that most people prefer roundabouts to stop signs or signals because they are safer, more efficient, better for the environment, and look much better.
We know you hate roundabouts for whatever reason, but most people actually like them. I am one of them.
I think the roundabouts throughout town work great. Please tell us why you hate roundabouts so much.
Dear Lynn,
ReplyDeleteMost people know that I5 was built for commuters and interstate traffic in the late sixties. The ol'101 than became a local road. We would like our local main street to accommodate all the users and interest of the community including a large canopy, landscaping, safe walkways and bike lanes for a walkable leucadia and ample street parking for a successful business corridor.
The existing hwy101 street was designed for 70mph speeds and is too wide. The 2nd northbound lane is not needed for traffic capacity and is just a waste of tax dollars, increases impervious areas to increase runoff, decreases area for landscapiing, trees, bike lanes and walkways and other items that are a higher priority than having an unnecessary 2nd lane serving only Carlsbad and not Encinitas Residents.
You seem to be uneducated on the subject. May I suggest that you try and learn about the topic before venting. People may give you more respect.
I also like Roundabouts more than traffic signals and stop signs. Your hatred to roundabouts baffles me. As a final request, will you please explain why you hate roundabouts so much?
Wow-
ReplyDeleteThis is the first time Lynn has nothing to say. I guess she can't figure out why she doesn't like roundabouts.
Maybe after thinking about it she realized they are much better than a signal or a stop sign.
Cool Lynn. I am glad to see you can learn why some newer things are better than the way cities have been doing them in the past.