North County Advocates

“In other words, what can you do? Why does it matter? What is city council for if the state can do what they want?” Sager added

Carlsbad Village Plaza to be demolished, turning into apartment buildings The battle is officially over for a group of people trying to save the Carlsbad Village Plaza. The city council recently voted 4-1 to demolish the shopping center in favor of two high-rise apartment buildings.

We continue our fight for parks and open space which the citizens of Carlsbad were promised decades ago. Check out the updated news and information on our website to see how tenacious North County Advocates is. Your donations are appreciated to help us enhance the quality-of-life in our community for all.

https://northcountyadvocates.com/

https://thecoastnews.com/carlsbad-to-install-new-community-garden-at-stagecoach-park/

Carlsbad to install new community garden at Stagecoach park The Carlsbad City Council approved plans for a new community garden at Stagecoach Community Park and will raise in-lieu fees at the park.

“The city of Carlsbad has local control of land use at the airport. That was part of our annexation agreement,” said Vickey Syage, president of C4FA. “That got lost along the years, and it was reaffirmed by the courts from C4FA’s litigation.”

Carlsbad zoning updates solidify local control over airport The city of Carlsbad will have the final word on the county’s airport expansion plans after adopting a series of code amendments on April 23.

NCA Fights Back!

Judge agrees Carlsbad failed its citizens but rules for the city on NCA lawsuit and NCA can use your help!

North County Advocates, 501(c)3, is fighting a recent court decision which allows Carlsbad to continue ignoring the citizens initiative Prop E passed in 1986 which mandates sufficient park acreage in each party of the city and manages traffic congestion, among other standards for citizens’ well being.

If allowed to stand it would create a dangerous precedent not only in Carlsbad but throughout California.

Carlsbad for decades has ignored the requirements using faulty traffic studies and exempting developers in various cases. Investigations in public record requests have shown Carlsbad has told voters that they are governing with one set of standards but doing nothing of the sort.

Now is the time to step up and help North County Advocates with a donation towards the appeal filed in December 2023.

NCA will show the court decision on its lawsuit was flawed. The judge ruled four years after NCA filed the lawsuit that the City of Carlsbad was doing things directly counter to the citizens Prop E and was exempting roads and intersections that did not meet the performance standards but misinterpreted previous cases and ignored others.

For more information and to donate, see the NCA website: North County Advocates

https://conta.cc/3uKDsvG

Here's the latest on Carlsbad Parks and Open Space NCA can use your help!   NCA Fights Back! Judge agrees Carlsbad failed its citizens but rules for the city on NCA lawsuit and NCA can use your help! North County Advocates, 501(c)3, is fighting a rece

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/communities/north-county/carlsbad/story/2023-12-06/carlsbad-wants-more-data-on-noisy-airplane-flights

Carlsbad wants more data on noisy flights at Palomar airport Mayor would send letters asking pilots to follow voluntary abatement program and stop flying during 'quiet hours'

"The Carlsbad Growth Management Plan (GMP), established through a citizen’s initiative in 1986, had two key components to ensure a high quality of life for the residents of Carlsbad...."

Letter: Empty promises in Carlsbad People don’t seem to pay attention to recent decisions that will affect their quality of life and promises in Carlsbad are forsaken.

https://thecoastnews.com/where-does-open-space-fit-in-carlsbads-general-plan/

Where does open space fit in Carlsbad’s general plan? | The Coast News Group Where does open space fit in Carlsbad’s general plan? | The Coast News Group

ENCINITAS — A Southern California nonprofit has filed a lawsuit against the city of Encinitas seeking to overturn its recent approval of the Piraeus Point affordable housing development, claiming the city refused to identify environmentally sensitive habitat areas at the project site.

Read more here:

Group sues Encinitas over sensitive habitat at Piraeus Point site A statewide nonprofit has filed a lawsuit against the city of Encinitas, seeking to overturn its recent approval of Piraeus Point.

City of Carlsbad is in the process of choosing plots for building state required low cost housing. Plot 18 is near Ponto and Plot 19 is near La Costa Glen.

These new 19 plots are on the Carlsbad Planning Commission Agenda for October 18. That’s Today at 5pm!

Attend tonight’s meeting to make sure our City Planning Commission doesn’t sell out to big developers taking advantage of our coastal city!

Planning Commission meeting
Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023
5 p.m.
City Council Chamber
1200 Carlsbad Village Drive

How to participate
Email comments to [email protected]
Provide comments in person

Three ways to watch the meeting from home:
Watch the meeting live on the website
Watch a recording of the meeting afterwards
Watch live on the city's cable TV channel, Spectrum channel 24 and AT&T U-verse channel 99

You can sign up to receive the Planning Commission agenda via e-notification or check the city website.

www.carlsbadca.gov

Sacramento v Small Cities: The Housing Battle (Saturday, October 7th @ 10am)

A conversation about the challenges state housing policies create for smaller cities. Moderated by Voice of San Diego reporter Tigist Layne.

Panelists:

Richard Bailey, Coronado Mayor
Tony Kranz, Encinitas Mayor
Catherine Blakespear, State Senator
Ricardo Flores, Executive Director, Local Initiatives Support Council

Politifest 2023 Voice of San Diego and CalMatters invite you to Politifest 2023. Launched in 2011, Politifest has been an annual public affairs summit produced by Voice of San Diego. For the first time, we’ve joined forces with CalMatters to bring together prominent political leaders, policy experts and thought l...

We’re only a few days away from Politifest, our annual public affairs summit that brings politicians, policy experts, journalists, authors, and activists to you – our readers.

This year is all about water and housing and will feature panels, discussions and interviews with a variety of water and housing experts. It will be at the University of San Diego on Saturday, Oct. 7, so get your tickets here if you haven’t already.

It’s called Sacramento v. Small Cities: The Housing Battle, and it will feature a robust discussion with four panelists: State Sen. (and former Encinitas mayor) Catherine Blakespear, Encinitas Mayor Tony Kranz, Coronado Mayor Richard Bailey and Executive Director of the Local Initiatives Support Council Ricardo Flores.

North County Report: Let’s Get Into the Housing Battle Politifest is around the corner, and we’ll be diving into one of the key issues North County’s small cities are grappling with: state housing laws.

Upcoming event announcement:

Katie Melendez has represented citizens of Vista as a community also impacted by McClellan-Palomar Airport. She is a 'voice of reason' representing Vista and North County at S​ANDAG. Her impact is felt in all of North County.

The 2-day countdown until is on! Here are two ways to give on Thursday: The San Diego Gives website:https://rb.gy/kdoub
The AHLF website: https://www.aguahedionda.org/donate
Don’t forget all donations will be matched up to $10,000. Double the impact, double the ways to donate!

Over excessive development on Quail Gardens Drive area is getting ridiculous! It will take you like 30 minutes longer to get to the beach!

HOAs urge Encinitas to reassess impacts of Quail Gardens projects The Four Corners Consortium is hoping to work with the Encinitas City Council to reassess a slate of developments along Quail Gardens Drive.

UPDATE:

“The California Coastal Commission has filed a separate appeal and is preparing recommendations based on the project’s potential conflicts with the Coastal Act.

Marea Village, a mix-use development proposed by developer Larry Jackel of Solana Beach-based Encinitas Beach Land Venture, would consist of 94 rental apartment units, 34 hotel rooms and six commercial buildings, serving as a sister project to neighboring Alila Marea Beach Resort.”

“…Along with not providing a valid full range of costs for travelers, the project will increase 1,173 average daily trips on the road and change the La Costa Avenue and Sheridan Road intersection, which was inconsistent with how it was portrayed in the project’s planning stages, the commission said.

The commission noted La Costa Avenue is a primary east-west connector that provides access from I-5 to Coast Highway 101. The approved project will make accessing the coast more difficult and discourage public access due to longer wait times and increased traffic inconsistent with the certified local coastal plan and the public access policies of the Coastal Act.”

State agency prepares revisions over Marea Village concerns The California Coastal Commission has filed an appeal of the Marea Village project in Leucadia based on several Coastal Act concerns.

Stop the insanity before it's too late!

GOODSON PROJECT Will be in Court June 29th
Donate Now – EncinitasRRD.org

Many think the Goodson Project has been approved and nothing can be done about it. Well, something can be done. The Encinitas RRD case is scheduled to be in Court to contest the Goodson Project on June 29th. This last effort to make a change can only go forward with your donations. Visit EncinitasRRD.org for the summary of the Trial Brief. To reach as many concerned residents as possible, help us get top post status by responding “STOP THE INSANITY” in the comments below.

With so many issues about this project concerning the community, safety is at the top. This development puts us at risk by increasing emergency response times and creating a bottleneck at one of our primary evacuation exits. Our safety should have been the most important aspect to the City, yet they ignored the evidence. Add a high-density development at a problematic intersection and what happens? We really can’t afford to find out!

Aside from safety issues, here are some specifics of the project you may have forgotten:
- Project building height is 69’ at its highest point (5 floors, with partial basement and roof top amenities, totaling 7 levels). Story poles to demonstrate planned rooflines were not required.
- The plan has 250 units, with junior 1-, 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom apartments.
- There will be a 431-car parking structure in the middle of project.
- This project is grossly under-parked, where will the surplus cars go?
- 1500 vehicle trips per day in and out of this project.
- The developer will add a new traffic light on Encinitas Blvd. at McCain Lane to enable tenants to exit eastbound onto Encinitas Blvd. The new traffic light will be less than 300’ from the existing traffic light at RSF Road where the intersection is already overly congested.
- One of the bulkiest buildings in North County with 489,906 sf building area and 20,909 sf of additional rooftop pool and “party deck”.

When sites were being approved by the City for the Housing Element, Mr. Goodson proposed a 200-unit senior living apartment, with minimal traffic and parking impacts. Even though the voters rejected Measure U, the City had a judge overturn the vote, which approved multiple sites including the Goodson project. This went forward with minimal Environmental Impact Review and no CEQA requirements. Fast forward to the present - the current approved plans have no resemblance to the original proposal.

Now is not the time to stand on the sidelines and watch!

Make online donations via PayPal on EncinitasRRD.org
Or make checks payable to “North County Advocates” (our fiscal agent)
Please write “ERRD” in the memo line so we get the credit.
Mail to: Encinitas RRD, 2240 Encinitas Blvd., Suite D-336, Encinitas, Ca 92024

Attention: Carlsbad Residents interested in open space near Ponto Beach!

We need emails to go to the City and CCC ASAP as the meeting is Wednesday. May 3, 2023 at 5pm at City hall | Planning Commission Agenda item #4 | Portion of Ponto Site 18 land use change and development applications. If you or others you know can speak at that meeting that is great also.

Request the Planning Commission require the developer to provide actual parkland at Ponto to meet the developer's required Parkland dedication per Carlsbad Municipal Code 20.44

The City is required/allowed by law to get free City Parkland from the Ponto developer to mitigate for their increased City Park demand (due to the increase in population created by their development).

All the Planning Commission and City Council have to do is say they want the developer to pay the developers park requirement in actual Parkland at Ponto. The Ponto developer owns over 17 acres of vacant Ponto land so can easily provide his required parkland Dedication in actual Parkland. The developer wants to get off cheap, by paying an ‘in-lieu-fee’ that is about 1/3 the cost to provide Parkland at Ponto. The City is giving a huge gift to the developer by not mandating Parkland Dedication as is required by Carlsbad Municipal Code 20.44.

SEND YOUR EMAILS to: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]

For more information about Ponto-related development, please contact [email protected]

NCA is proud to have helped many community groups from Oceanside to Encinitas through the years to fight unwise development and to acquire open space.

Now we have finally gotten the go-ahead from a judge to proceed with a lawsuit April 24 against the City of Carlsbad. The City has failed to set aside 15% of unconstrained developable land as open space, which is their Growth Management Plan performance standard for each quadrant in Carlsbad. They have repeatedly ignored the residents who have said in survey after survey and in a referendum going back to the 1970s that they want permanent open space set aside.

We are asking you to help us in this lawsuit with whatever you can give. Any amount is appreciated. Your donation is tax deductible, and you can donate through Pay Pal on our website, www.northcountyadvocates.org or mail a check to NCA, 7668 El Camino Real, Suite 104-258, Carlsbad CA 92009.

Check out our website to see some of our contributions and influence in the county.

Your neighbors on our volunteer NCA board

Carlsbad Residents: Growth Management Citizens Committee Meeting, TONIGHT, Thursday, April 20 at 5 p.m. to discuss and finalize report for City Council.

Please speak up or forever hold your peace!

See agenda here, including open space and parks suggestions in the draft report: https://www.carlsbadca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/13376/638168889296444011

Growth Management Citizens Committee | Carlsbad, CA A new citizens committee will recommend to the City Council the key elements that should be addressed in a new plan to manage growth in a way that maintains an excellent quality of life and ensures compliance with state law. Members were selected by the City Council at its March 8, 2022, meeting.

John Wayne Airport in Orange County has earned a reputation as one of America’s scariest airports. How does it compare to Carlsbad's Palomar Airport?

Follow Citizens for a Friendly Airport https://www.facebook.com/c4faCarlsbad for the latest news...

https://shoutout.wix.com/so/e9OOYzmRS?languageTag=en

What makes this Calif. airport one of the 'scariest' in America John Wayne Airport is the closest to Disneyland and has a thrilling takeoff due to noise...

Congratulations to the newly elected Mayor and Council Members. 🙌