Open Space Purchase!

Good news, bad news.

Part of this bluff at the corner of Piraeus and La Costa has been purchased by SANDAG for habitat mitigation. Although there is a majority on the Council who have made campaign promises of purchasing habitat for natural resource conservation and recreation, the current city council has a weak record of open space preservation.

Leucadia Weather

There are few places in the the continental US where you can find peaches growing in January.

Be proud of our Leucadia 101 rail corridor and public transit!

Will JP Cry Uncle?

The NCTimes reports, "The construction of a parking structure at Scripps Memorial Hospital in Encinitas could send truckloads of sand, about 16,000 cubic yards, to Moonlight Beach next month." [emphasis added]

After JP blogged for years about Moonlight Beach getting "replenished" with "itchy and scratchy ash tray sand" the city is now dumping construction excavation material on Moonlight beach instead.

Will they dump it in the surf zone or in the sunbathing zone/volleyball zone?

See Also
Leucadia Blog: Sandy Beach "Replenished" with Developer's Construction Dirt

Leucadia Blog: Sand Series

WAL*MART IN ENCINITAS???

There is some disturbing news in the North County Times today, and I'm not even sure if it news or just a rumor, but in an op-ed piece about how the empty Home Depot Expo building should become a movie theatre (something we suggested on this blog months ago) there is this chilling sentence,

I got a text message from a friend who said, "Thought you should know Walmart is definitely going into the Expo spot."

Is this true? Can the ultimate symbol or white trash loserville really be coming to the yuppie surfburg that is Encinitas?

More from the article,

This news was something I had heard before during the summer when concerned tenants in the area mentioned it to me. I decided to take action and walk the shops on both sides of Leucadia Avenue to see what working folk had to say, and what I heard is that almost unanimously, no one wants a Walmart and everyone really wants a movie theater.
So I took my findings to a City Council planning session and gave a presentation. What I learned that night is that the site is zoned accordingly and that Home Depot has the right to sublease to the party it chooses, as long as the building stays the same and the arrangement is acceptable between Home Depot and Walmart.

This is a dark day folks, Wal*Mart will truly be "the biggest thing that ever happened to Encinitas". If the city and chamber of commerce let this happen you are going to see vacancies all over Encinitas. There will be a horrible sucking sound as the majority of businesses on the El Camino Real corridor are shuttered.

Don't let this happen people. This is the one enemy that could unite all the different factions of Encinitas. A Wal*Mart will be culturally and financially devastating to Encinitas. I know some people will think it's a great idea, people who enjoy purchasing low quality plastic crap from China in bulk, but don't listen to them. The numbers don't work out when you bring Wal*Mart to town. They destroy sales tax, property tax and jobs. This is bleak.

The Expo site would be a perfect location for an IMAX movie theatre. An groovy community like Encinitas should not have to drive all the way to Mira Mesa to see Avatar in 3D IMAX. A multiplex theatre would compliment REI and Islands restaurant.

WE MUST FIGHT WAL*MART COMING TO ENCINITAS!

Read the story on NCT.com click me

The Trees Strike Back

Support your local donut merchants

Your homework for this week, buy a Leucadia Donuts t-shirt, even if you don't eat donuts you need a shirt.

Narrows and Curves

Cardiff locals declare road not curved or narrow enough.

Two tools of traffic calming are narrowed lanes and shortened lines of sight.

Most Important Blog Post You'll Ever Read

The is cross-posted from the Wave Blog.

GP UPDATE 2010

Meat and Potatoes of Public Policy in Encinitas 2010

A vitally important municipal committee with citizen participation is about to begin at Encinitas City Hall; an update of the City of Encinitas General Plan.

What is a General Plan?
The General Plan is the City’s blueprint of adopted policies that collectively allow the City Council, City Staff and City Planners to administer growth in an organized, productive and legal way.

This General Plan Update is the first attempt at changing zoning and land-use policies since the General Plan was first adopted in 1989.

Because a majority of the homes and businesses and services that will be affected by the changes ultimately adopted and implemented as a result of this 2 year committee action are located in New Encinitas; and because 7/8ths of the folks appointed to the GP Update Advisory Group do not live or work in New Encinitas; we will be observing the weekly and monthly progress of this ad hoc committee closely; because the “advice” this committee ultimately forwards to the Encinitas City Council will become “law” or policy that will effect all of the City for another 20 years.

The first GP Update Meeting is this Monday evening at City Hall.

Primary Function of GP Update Advisory Committee is Communication
The City of Encinitas Official Agenda info states about this Monday’s meeting,”…the primary function of the group will be for Members to report back to their constituents, solicit feedback and build consensus and support…”

The Specific Issues that the 2 Year GP Update Advisory Committee will entertain are, “…sustainable communities, healthy communities, climate change, storm water cleansing, green building, walk-ability, recycling, waste reduction and traffic circulation.”

Major Land-Use Changes
“Major land changes are not proposed as part of the GP Update unless dictated by policies…” and “the Update will evaluate (3) land-use alternatives to address affordable housing and green-house gasses…”

GP Update Advisory Group Calendar

GPAC Meetings in 2010, all 6:30pm-8:30pm (Poinsettia Room)
1. January 11
(Following are all tentative dates)
2. April 14
3. May 12
4. Sept.20
5. Nov.15

Public Workshops in 2010
a) Community-Specific, all 6:00pm-8:00pm and all on weekdays in mid
to end March 2010 (tentative dates)
1. March 15 (Monday)
2. March 16 (Tuesday)
3. March 18 (Thursday)
4. March 22 (Monday)
5. March 23 (Tuesday)

b) Community-Wide, all 9:00am-1:00pm and all on Saturdays
6. May 1
7. October 16

Additional outreach efforts are planned and meetings will City
Council/Planning Commission will occur throughout this process. Note
that this is a two-year process and events are planned in 2011.

We will attend Monday evening’s Organizational Meeting and report back in the next E Blast, January 15th, 2010.

Teachers Donate Talents to Reynolds Fundraiser

Dear Friends and Teacher-Colleagues:

On January 29, The Credentialed (a rock band made up of fellow San Dieguito UHSD faculty members) will be performing at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach from 5:30 to 8:00 P.M. We would like to make our musical event a benefit and fundraiser for SABRINA REYNOLDS, the wife of our teacher-colleague BILL REYNOLDS (Oak Crest Middle School). We will be donating our pay to the account set up to help the Reynolds family.

Additionally, we will make some fundraising opportunities available to our audience. We will make several of these opportunities available throughout the show. We will also ask someone close to the family to explain how each of us can help the Reynolds family even further.

We hope you will come out on January 29 from 5:30 to 8:00. Bring your family and friends. The Belly Up Tavern is located at 143 S. Cedros in Solana Beach. Belly Up happy hour admission is $5. Age 21+ only. Many thanks.

Swamis Sells California

I happen to have met the people who were given the contract to market the State of California to world as a place to work and visit. The very first advertisement I found of their's was in Sunset Mag.

They used a full page image of Swamis to sell California as the good life.

We still live other people's vacations.

Looking Back

Photo: NCTimes

Found this quote from the UT archives. It is about a council race, like 10 years ago. I had forgotten that Andreen once ran for city council.

"Leading money-raiser among council challengers is candidate Mike Andreen, a marketing consultant.

In preparing for his run, Andreen has attended nearly every council meeting during the past two years. "I have a firm grasp on all the issues," he said. "I'd be ready to go on day one."

He criticized the current council as "not being well-briefed . . . Much of what they do is all for show."

He sees the city's future as working well only if it puts emphasis on its coastal roots, rather than continuing to develop its inland areas. "This council needs a beach person, someone who will work to put sand back and re-energize downtown," he said. "There's been a drop in (tax) receipts as the sand disappeared. We need to bring it back."

Somethings have changed, other things haven't.


See Also: NCTimes New Chamber Sprouts

Weathering the Weather

It's amazing how this storm has created so much activity around town.
SDG&E trucks, Cox cable, AT&T, city of Encinitas vehicles, tree
trimmers and others are out in force dealing with the storm carnage.
Be careful out there, the gnarly clearing winds can be worse than the
storm itself.

Marco to Leucadia

We're going to send I-5 traffic back the the 101!

From the NCTimes:
There will be a fight over plans to expand Interstate 5.

That much was clear last week when roughly 50 coastal residents and several land use attorneys united in Del Mar to outline their efforts to block the planned widening of I-5 from Oceanside to La Jolla.

Transportation officials say the multibillion-dollar expansion ---- which would add up to four carpool lanes ---- is needed to alleviate I-5's traffic crunch. Opponents say it would invite even more congestion.

"We have the experience and we will be going after every (legal) hook we can ... to try to stop this," said Marco Gonzalez, an environmental attorney and cofounder of the Encinitas-based Coast Law Group...

Glimpse of Noah's Ark

Fred Caldwell found this eerie youtube video of a road trip down the southern California coast. Proof that Noah's Ark in Leucadia is not an urban myth.
Bonus photo, the 101 back in the good 'ol days when there was no traffic.

Another RSP tree goes down

I assume this afternoon's super storm will finish off the lone
survivor. I say don't replant until the streetscape plan is finalized.

Leucadia gets a round of applause

San Diego Union Tribune columnist Logan Jenkins wrote about the Leucadia Streetscape on Sunday. It's a nice piece except he blows the "Hey, we are not trying to turn Leucadia into Bird Rock, we are doing our own thing here." argument by noting that now Leucadia will be just like Bird Rock.

Read: Leucadia plan gets a round of applause by Logan Jenkins
Bird Rock.

Swamis Meeting

Linda Benson gave an inspiring presentation. The contest is going to be good fun, and there is little doubt her contest won't trash Swamis. She is doing it for the community and is not taking a salary for her efforts.

The contest will be combined with a festival on K-street with 50 or so vendors. They will mitigate parking issues and she is going to have an Olympic village atmosphere. Coastkeeper is helping to green the contest and will be there to make sure the place is improved by the contest.

Benson said something close to, "Many worry about more contests at Swamis. It is not a good place for a contest unless it is were very small." The WWLC contest won't be big because there will only be 64 contestants. According to Benson the contest normally draws only a small crowd and its a very congenial group.

Commissioner Goad had a good comment, "It's really a contestant's event and not a spectator's event."

A bunch of people who know the promoter validated the claim that the contest was going to be small.

The contest will cost $130,000 to run and if any extra revenue comes in that goes to charity.

Tim Fields, a lawyer type, did a good job of supporting the contest. He also said that the number of contests should be limited, provide a public benefits, and go beyond serving just the local community by drawing people into the neighborhood.

Scott Bass spoke too. He spoke about how the absence of contests at Swamis made it a gem and that contests displace citizens from the beach. But a contest will bring more people to the beach and give people an opportunity learn about Swamis and its history.

Michelle X made a great case that Cardiff would be a great venue for a surf contest, but Cardiff is not a world class longboard break and you can't turn it into an Olympic village.



The goal of the contest is to provide opportunity for women surfers and to provide economic stimulus to the community. The whole thing will be a celebration of the spirit of women's surfing and beach culture.

The contest will be open to ALL women surfers, but there will be limited openings. Qualifying rounds will be at Moonlight.

Commissioner Valios asked Benson if her contest would truly be a world championship. I was convinced by Corri Schumacher that the pros would accept the WWLC winner as the true world champion even if the ASP crowns a world champion too.

Commissioner Greene asked a pressing question about the possibility of getting the genie back in the bottle after allowing nonreservable spots to be reserved. She asked Benson how many contests should be held at Swamis. I think this was the most troubling aspect of their presentation. Benson didn't really justify a number, but said that places like Malibu and Trestles have 3-4 contests a year.

Benson also noted that when two groups want the same permit slot at those surf breaks they are selected on their merit. As to the number of contests, she said there should definitely be a limit on the number of contests. Why limit or ban more contests? If one can be justified why not more? What if we can find sponsors for 5, 6, or 7 contests? If one helps the community why not help the community 7 times?

I think the whole community could get behind the contest. First, let's decide if we should have contests at Swamis, the criteria for issuing permits, and then issue permits based on a competitive approval process. I'm certain that all the supporters of the contests have no fear that the WWLC can come out on top. Going that route would win over the community, which is critically important to the success of the contest.

Tornado Warning Issued for Encinitas

The National Weather Service just issued a tornado warning for
Encinitas. This not a hoax.

Sent from my groovy iPhone
www.surfysurfy.net

Pacific View Declared Surplus

A committee declares Pacific View surplus.

Here is the article.

Here is their report.

There is a School Board meeting tonight on the subject.

Swamis Meeting

R.d. Cummins, Swamis

The Parks and Rec Commission has Swamis contests on its agenda tonight. Here is the agenda. There is no associated staff report on the P&R webpage. The important part is this:



Actually, that is the only information the city has published on the P&R webpage. Actually, Swamis contestS are not on the agenda. The agenda looks more focused just on the single contest. I agree with Doug Long, that a discussion about contests policies for Swamis should precede a discussion about a particular event (I spoke with Doug about a month ago). Can you determine if a contest meets the treshold if no thresholds have been set?

It is rumored that the P&R staff want the Commission to make a recommendation tomorrow night. That seems weird because the public and most of the commission have no idea about details of what is being proposed. There is no outline of the event. No background. No information on the regulations and rules for reserving Swamis. I hope they did their homework. They could be heading toward making some big mistakes.

Mayor Dalager recently made a bold statement about taking sides on an issue before knowing all the facts. Because of that statement, many of us had hoped this issue would be the most transparent issue ever to come to Encinitas. If they vote tonight, with only 10 words in the agenda about the issue, that sure would be the Encinitas Way of doing things.

Or, it could be a new day in Encinitas and tonight the promoters will describe what is going on and then the commission and the public will be given time to digest what they have learned. The commission will make their recommendation at a later meeting and allow the public to comment on what is actually being promoted.

For all those interested in this issue, we will have people at the meeting taking notes on what happened. It is more important that you be there when the City Council makes a decision on the contest.

Rain

MLK

Today the country recognizes Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King was one of America’s greatest citizens and greatest leaders. What he did was heroic.

Martin Luther King’s legacy serves to remind us that America is not honorable, just or free by default.

Martin Luther King’s legacy serves to remind us of the greatness of the American ideals of freedom and equality.

The promises of America are not realized without the actions and risks taken by an American citizenry who stand for justice. Because we have citizens who take personal risks to move us forward, the USA can reach its promise.

Here is one of the greatest speeches of all time. Watching it is a great way to start this day.

Leucadia family needs our help!

The following email concerns some friends of mine, Billy and Sabrina Reynolds. You know Billy as Mr. Reynolds from Oak Crest Jr High School. Please read!

Dear Family and Friends,

Many of you know that on Christmas night 38 year old Sabrina Reynolds, mother of two girls ages 3 and 7, suffered a brain hemorrhage on the left side of her brain. After 10 days in the hospital with multiple tests and medications administered, Sabrina was released believing this was a one time event that would be treated on an out patient basis. Well since last Friday, January 8, 2010, Sabrina has suffered several types of seizures and had another bleed in the front of her brain and is again in ICU for more testing to determine the course of treatment.

Since these two episodes happened in 2009 and now in 2010 Billy and Sabrina Reynolds have incurred two annual deductibles with a myriad of other co-payments. They are facing hospital bills in the 10's of thousands of dollars even with PPO insurance. We have set -up a bank account at California Community Bank (in The Lumberyard) at 851 South Coast Highway 101, Suite 300, Encinitas, CA 92024. This is a new community bank and Ann Lim, New Accounts Representative, has waived the fees for this bank account to accept donations for the family. The bank is open from 9-5 Monday through Thursday and 9-6 on Friday.

Many of you have asked how you can help and this is how....you may make a direct deposit into the account, checks made payable to Billy Reynolds, you do not even need the account number since the staff has been alerted that donations will be forthcoming. You may also mail checks to Billy Reynolds, Care of Judi or John Finkbiner, 140 Range Street, Encinitas, CA 92024 and we will deposit these checks into this account. CHECKS MUST BE PAYABLE TO WILLIAM REYNOLDS AND NOT SABRINA since the bank was unable to identify Sabrina in person.

The bank can also accept ACH or wire deposits please just contact me via e-mail for the wiring and ACH instructions.

Please consider making even the smallest donation since you will be helping a family in your own community. Billy has taught many of the children in this community as a History Teacher at Oak Crest Middle School. Sabrina has also touched many of your children's lives as the Treatment Coordinator at Rawlings & Hydo Orthodontics in Encinitas and Solana Beach.

This has been an unbelievable event that has occurred to this famliy and we appreciate any help you may give. Billy was a bit hesitant of "being
on the dole" so to speak and suggested that you could also help the family by purchasing his educational CD titled "Professor Presley" on www.cdbaby.com/cd/professorpresley which is a rockin' way to learn historical facts. Also, you may purchase his band’s CD, Lo-Fi Nipple available at www.cdbaby.com/cd/lofinipple

Thank you for your continued prayers and positive thoughts for Sabrina and please feel free to forward to other angels!

Sincerely

Judi and John Finkbiner

I know that money is tight after Christmas and that you probably already donated your grocery money to the Haiti disaster, but please help the Reynolds if you can. Thanks!

NCTD Arborist Report

Last year JP and I ran a bunch of blog posts about tree removals along the HWY 101 corridor. Recall,

• The Four Arborists
• Seven Points
• Tree Trimmers
• Internal Anatomy of Trees Exposed.
  

The city was ready to chop away. Happily, some of the key trees that were slated for removal by the contract arborist/tree trimmer were saved.

Many of the public trees that provide the foundation for Leucadia's aesthetic infrastructure are/were in the NCTD right of way. Back in September we posted a letter in response to Fred's inquiry at the NCTD. The letter says they plan on cutting down more trees based on the "most recent arborists survey."

I did a little research. What they planned on cutting down should not have been a surprise. It turns out the most recent arborist's report dates back to 2007. I've posted it up here for everyone to take a look. Does anyone know if the NCTD's arborist was also paid to remove trees (like they do here in the City of Encinitas?)

I think our next project should be to see if the NCTD will allow us to plant something along the RR corridor.

Fred's case for the Leucadia Streetscape

Fred Caldwell presented a slideshow at the council meeting but that was off the cuff and a lot of fun. But the video we saw at the meeting did not have the actual audio. Watch the above video and listen to Fred's amazing commentary.

The Three Horsemen of the Apocalypse

A black muslim president who was really born in Kenya,

Dudes getting married,

Roundabouts in Leucadia.

HOW DID IT COME TO THIS???

Streetscape council meeting reactions

Did you attend the big city council streetscape meeting or watch it on tv or watch the live webcast?

What is your reaction? Please post your thoughts in the comments section.

(please be respectful to people with opposing opinions)

*The NCT has already posted it's story online click to read.

Leucadia Mornings Networking, Thurs Jan 14 8am

Leucadia Mornings Networking: Tomorrow, Jan. 14th at 8 am is the new Thursday morning networking meeting at Auggie's House of Crab, located at 1468 N. Coast Hwy 101. If you want to meet and chat with your fellow fascinating Leucadians.

Streetscape meeting on Ch 19 right now

Streetscape plans 4A vs 5

It's the battle of the streetscape plans.

Plan 4A contains all the bells and whistles. Roundabouts, sidewalks, tree planting, bike lanes, reverse angle parking and a reduction of the north bound lane.

Plan 5 is more minimalist with no roundabouts and basic beautification of the 101 Leucadia corridor.
EDIT-Plan 5 calls for adding new traffic signals at El Portal and Grandview.

City councilman Jerome Stocks suggested there may be another plan that combines elements of both 4A and 5.

From the North County Times, The council's expected to tell city planners which of the two it prefers so that the project can move into the final design stages. Construction work is expected to occur over several years.

"If I had to predict anything, I would predict that the council will likely come up with yet another alternative that somehow blends various elements of 4A and 5," Stocks said Thursday. "That would be consistent with what I've experienced over the years."

Check out the different streetscape plans on the city website.

What plan do you prefer? 4A or 5?

Let's count the dog poop at Orpheus Park

Video by Steve Meiche.
Leucadia Blog: Letter of Complaint to the City of Encinitas

Surfrider-Washed

Jim Moriarty the CEO of Surfrider made a cameo appearance at Swamis today.

Jim looked super stoked. The weather was perfect, the waves head high with clean lines. I was wondering if Jim was thinking, "This is why we love North County, but I sure wish there was a contest today." Surfrider folks have said some zany things over the years.

So, I did an impromptu interview with Jim. I appears that the promoters of the surf contest are leading sponsors to believe that Surfrider is on board with the contest. Jim said that Surfrider has not taken a position to back the surf contest at Swamis. That squares with Surfrider's #2 mission.

2. SURFRIDER promotes the right of low-impact, free and open access to the world's waves and beaches for all people. SURFRIDER acts to preserve this right of access.

Jim said that when the community sees the restricted access that contests require as a negative, Surfrider supports the community. I was surprised to hear this.

There are people who support "the" contest. I've not heard anyone say that, in principle, that the lack of Swamis contests is bad. They like the promoter and in the case of one council member, the promoter has been here longer than any of you, so we should give her the contest.

The City should decide if, and how many contests we should have each year, and under what conditions. Then slots for the contests should be competitively granted and the contest operators on the hook for living up their promises. Why is that a bad idea?

The contest promoter has claimed that the contest is not even the main part of the event (that's weird). We should decide how many street fairs we are going to have each year. If the contest has a big street fair, should there be another street fair several weeks later? Recall: this will be the biggest thing ever to happen to Encinitas.

Boycott the LA Fire Dept

Traffic plans will interfere with fire safety, by David Smith

The city of Encinitas must be held responsible and accountable for its plans to “improve,” or change, Coast Highway.

Our community has been unsuccessful in getting the city to agree to make the changes in a such a way that they will not negatively affect Fire Department access to our homes west of the highway.

This is a time-critical issue as the Encinitas City Council will be voting on the plan at its regular meeting Wednesday.

The plan, called “North Coast Highway 101 Streetscape Project,” is an outline that will likely change Coast Highway in a way that not only will fail to meet, but will fall significantly below, Encinitas Fire Code specifications, Encinitas General Plan specifications and Encinitas Road Standards specifications.

These changes will certainly impede and delay the potential emergency response times to the community of about 1,000 homes west of Coast Highway between Encinitas Boulevard and La Costa Avenue and the three dedicated beach accesses in the area.

There are two options in consideration and up for City Council review on Wednesday.

One is “option 4A” and the other “option 5.” They both implement “traffic calming measures” that will significantly delay Fire Department response abilities.

The most drastic is option 4A. This option will incorporate multiple one-lane roundabouts that are below U.S. Department of Transportation size specifications for a four-lane major arterial right-of-way such as Coast Highway, and a complete elimination of a northbound lane for approximately two miles. The new planned northbound lane will have an overall improved width of 20 feet, curb to curb, with roundabout entrances at 16 feet.

Currently, the Encinitas Fire Department does not meet its response time goal of five minutes or less 80 percent of the time to the 1,000 homes in the area of the mentioned above.

According to records provided to me by Encinitas Fire Department, in the last three years it has met the response goal of five minutes or less only 45 percent of the time. Also, it cannot provide any precedent for a major arterial right-of-way like Coast Highway being changed as proposed in the leading options.

I have been employed by the Los Angeles Fire Department for the past 23 years as a firefighter/paramedic and a firefighter/engineer, and I have been driving fire engines and ambulances for the city of Los Angeles for the past 20 years. I have a firsthand working knowledge of how road design and traffic conditions can potentially delay response times, and how these potential delays can negatively affect the overall outcomes for people and property that need the service of a fire department.

Since April, we have made multiple attempts to contact and inform our City Council and city management of our concerns via letters, phone calls, community petitions, e-mails and attendance at council meetings and project workshops. We have received minimal to no response from the city.

What we would like see from the city is a serious response to our concerns and some investigation into what other municipalities have done to accommodate both walking paths and bike paths near railroad tracks, as has been done in San Clemente, instead of compromising a major arterial right-of-way like Coast Highway as the current plans will do.

Smith is an Encinitas resident.

Are these Walkable?

No auto traffic. Next to bus routes.

Good Lighting

Plaza like

Art by Encinitas Resident

Hush Puppy "Mall Walkers"

Definitions of Walkable

Fred's: Leucadia's business district means just about any flat surface that doesn't trip you, or make you wade through quagmire.

Anon's: True walkable communities you step out your door in the nice open air and walk or ride your bike to your destination while enjoying the outdoors, sun, moon, breeze, other animals, neighbors, and all local the community.

Anon 1139: Walkable is a touchy, feel good marketing term to get people to take mass (or group) transit.

Leucadia 101 and the long dark winter

Now that the holidays are over and the festive lights are coming down we are entering several months of the long dark. Driving down the 101 and entering Leucadia in the winter is dismal and depressing. The street lighting is terrible to non-existent and most of the businesses close early and do not have any ambient lighting to make the coast highway a cool place to cruise or walk at night.

Once the town settles on a streetscape design I would really like to see some lighting elements installed, especially in the center median. I want old timey streetlamps to line the coast highway like in downtown Encinitas (not the tall imposing streetlights that actually create a creepy vibe).

At the very least our Leucadia sign should be lighted. Sheesh.

However, the streetscape is still a long way off. Are there any temporary lighting measures we can do so that our winters are a little more cheery? What is the most energy efficient and environmental way to achieve this?

Streetscape on City Council Agenda, Wed Jan 13 !!!

A City Council meeting will be held on Wednesday, the 13th of January 2010 at 6:00 p.m., to review and discuss the plan alternatives, 4a and 5, of the North Coast Highway 101 Streetscape Project. The City Council meeting will be held in the Council Chambers; Encinitas Civic Center; 505 S. Vulcan Avenue; Encinitas, CA 92024.

In early 2008, the City initiated a streetscape project to enhance the North Coast Highway 101 corridor. Community input has been heavily utilized to create design concepts for beautification, landscape, pedestrian, circulation, and parking improvements for an approximate two mile stretch from A Street to La Costa Avenue. To date, four community workshops and additional public meetings and presentations have been held to receive citizen input in developing the project design. To allow for additional public input related to project alternatives, the City conducted a fourth Community Workshop at which time two plan alternatives, 4a & 5 were presented along with the results of additional traffic analysis. Following the workshop, the plan alternatives were on display at City Hall and available for review to allow for additional public input.

The January 13th meeting is being held to receive public comment and to allow City Council to review and discuss the plan alternatives. An overview of the design & community participation process, the project plan alternatives, workshop results, design and traffic calming concepts and traffic analysis will be presented by the project consultants. Additionally, staff will be seeking Council direction on which plan alternative, Plan 4a or 5, the City should pursue.

more info on the City of Encinitas website

Medicine Man