April 8 Council Agenda
Three presentations/proclamations:
DMV/Donate Life California Month
Presentation of San Diego Excellence in Energy Award to the City for it's solar roof project
April Earth Month in the City of Encinitas
Five items on the Consent Calendar
Two Items on the Regular Agenda:
*Public Hearing on appeal filed by the city concerning a condition of the Planning Commission's decision concerning pedestrian railroad under-crossings.
***Status update and discussion of the North Coast Hwy 101 Streetscape project
view agenda online
The C.ity appealing another Planning Commission decision...looks like the City staff is creating work to justify their salaries...anybody else been to the City lately...it is dead quiet. We need staff cuts now. This is becoming ridiculous. Planning is dead except for City generated projects. We are going to see a City tax imposed to keep pace with City spending as the State is not contributing. When will this City get the picture?
ReplyDeleteOuch! Direct but true.
ReplyDeleteGood point. Council needs to address this issue fast.
Attended the City Council meeting last night, predictable in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteLynne spoke (several times) and I wanted to respond to a suggestion she made regarding the use of city staff to complete the proposed workshop and plan for the Leucadia Streetscape Project. The City Council did BTW vote to fund another study.
It's not the first time anyone has made this suggestion, and I just wanted to explain why it does not work that way.
The most obvious reason is that they lack the skills needed to produce the documents necessary. The firms they contract with are creative, graphic-based design firms whose specialty is to summarize material graphically.
Hardly anyone on our staff can draw, much less produce quality presentation material. But, honestly, they are Planners, trained not to be creative thinkers, but to document verbally and in written form land use information. They also review proposed development for compliance with existing ordinances. It's clear they don't possess the necessary skill set to do much more than schedule, manage and facilitate these projects.
For any quality plans we must rely on outside consultants for these skills.
I sent Council an article about how they are laying off people in Roseville, CA, a suburb of Sacramento. No comments back.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know much about the Scripps expansion? I read Rachelle's letter to the editor and do not know really what the neighborhood is speaking of about mitigating traffic. As much as I hate certain kinds of development, I believe that we need and deserve addition hospital facilites in North Coastal area. Scripps is the only place we have. What is the problem, as I have not kept up? Can anyone brief us?
ReplyDeleteThis is a bit off topic, but is it just my imagination or do other Cities on the coast seem to have a better relationship with the North County Transit than we do, here in Encinitas. All the way from ground covering and to who removes "rogue" chips, it seems like the two of them are always fighting about something. We cannot get undergrounding; we get double tracking; whistles blowing louder than necessary; underground passes instead of quiet zones; the list goes on. What's the story?
ReplyDeletetwo words:
ReplyDeleteJerome Stocks
How come Jerome Sotcks? I know he is on the NCTD board, but I would think that he would be more active in attempting to get us the same things Solana Beach has.
ReplyDeleteAs this BLOG has opined, the NCTD hates us. I had hoped that new leadership would help, but no. They keep adding [neon] signs to restrict turns, but the noise, speed, dust is as bad as ever. And, when are they going to move the pile of rocks near the crossing?
ReplyDeletevote for Jerome Sotcks in 2010!!
ReplyDeleteanon 8:47
ReplyDeleteThe neighbors of Scripps have proposed traffic mitigation to reduce the estimated additional 1,000 car trips per day projected to impact the 20 foot wide residential Devonshire street. Neighbors want the access to originate on Santa Fe, as it is currently. Scripps is building a medical office on the north parking lot, as a result, the main entrance to the MOB is off Devonshire, where a manned toll booth is planned -- smack in the middle of a residential street. The City and Scripps refused to analyze the impacts if the Melba access was restricted to fire/emergency vehicles and the south Devonshire driveway made card reader only for hospital employees. The neighbors have also proposed an internal road to bear most of the traffic, but Scripps refused to include this in the EIR because it would cost $3 mil dollars, less than 1% of its 350 mil dollar budget. Neighbors want an expansion, don't oppose it, but the EIR was inadequate. Stay tuned.
What is obvious regarding the Devonshire neighbor's plan for an internal road is that it still exits onto Devonshire, just further North.
ReplyDeleteAll the impacts of the Melba exit are the same, just moved North. So all traffic (90%) that leaves the "spine road" enters Devonshire and travels the entire length of Devonshire to get back to the freeway at Santa Fe. Very few cars exiting onto Devonshire are going to continue North to Requeza (then where?)
Not so well thought out.
The neighbors will probably appeal the PC decision, the Council will finally uphold a PC decision and the neighbors will have to be satisfied with the concessions given.
Tom,
ReplyDeleteThat was a bit of a low blow. If you really want to know what I think than spend a good hour with me. I did not like how you mischaracterized what I said.
I support staff, but yes, many people did not know about the streetcape effort. Even now, many are not sure about the current scope of the project (the name has something to do with that).
Also, it is easy to talk about your love for the new Leucadia blvd and that it should be duplicated everywhere from your one block cul de sac. I doubt you have problems going east on Leucadia during busy times or are worried that there will be cut-through traffic on your street.
In all, I am just disappointed.
John Gjata
Thank you Tom for contacting me. I appreciate your explaining your thoughts to me. I look forward to working with you and the rest on the future of this project.
ReplyDeleteI do believe that you and most in the community have the best interests of our city at heart.
Respectfully,
John Gjata
(My apologies for the anonymous tag - I was too lazy to set up an account. As a result, I cannot delete my previous posting. JP, if you could help, that would be great.)