by The Editors on January 5, 2008
In November The Carlsbad City Council voted to accept the build-out of the Ponto Vision Plan and part of that plan requires upgrades to La Costa Avenue. Problem is, La Costa Ave. is technically in Encinitas. The Carlsbad City Council decided that developers would only have to pay 27 percent of the estimated $5.34 million upgrade and Encinitas would have to pay the rest. Not so, says the Encinitas City Council. In fact, they believe it so strongly that the City of Encinitas has filed suit against The City of Carlsbad.
The lawsuit, filed Thursday in Superior Court, says the proposed, 50-acre Ponto resort in south Carlsbad would introduce up to 70 percent of future traffic onto La Costa Avenue; Carlsbad has proposed that developers cover 27 percent of the cost of improving the road. . . Citing state law, Encinitas is demanding that Carlsbad require Ponto developers to pay proportionately for improvements to La Costa’s intersections at the Coast Highway and at Vulcan Avenue, one block to the east.
The City of Carlsbad had not had enough time to go over the suit to make a comment in time for the North County Times story. Anything that slows this development down is fine with us. Let the lawyers pile on.
[Link: North County Times]
by The Editors on November 14, 2007
It came as no real surprise to anyone, but last night the Carlsbad City Council voted unanimously (as the seemingly do for most development plans) to approve the environmental impact report on the Ponto Village Beachfront Vision Plan, according to a story in the San Diego Union Tribune.
It envisions 180 hotel rooms and 126 time-share units in an upscale resort overlooking the lagoon; a 215-room Hilton at Poinsettia Lane and Carlsbad Boulevard; and a 269-room hotel on Ponto Drive. . . . The plan also projects 128 condominium units, shops, restaurants, a wetland interpretive park and trails.
Looks like it’s all downhill from here.
“This is a very special place in our community,” Councilwoman Julie Nygaard said before voting for the plan. “There’s a lot of increased amenities. In the end we’re going to come out with a really nice place for our community.”
Yeah, special like Main Street in Huntington Beach. Wahoo!
[Link: San Diego Union Tribune]
by The Editors on October 21, 2007
When the Carlsbad City Council meets on Tuesday October 23, 2007 Mayor Bud Lewis is expecting a large crowd to be on hand to voice their concerns about what is being called the Ponto Vision Plan, according to the North County Times.
Victor Ramirez, who lives in the Hanover Beach neighborhood, said Friday that the council can expect to hear from just as many public speakers as the planning commission did last month. . . “I think maybe even more,” he said, noting that his community has a Ponto meeting coordinator who is encouraging people to come. “I think they’ll have a full room and maybe overflowing.”
The mayor says the council will go until 10 PM and if they’re not finished it will be put off until next week. That sounds like a plan.
[Link: North County Times]
by The Editors on September 15, 2007
When the Carlsbad’s Planning Commission meets on Wednesday September 19 at 6 PM they will back on the Ponto express. After postponing a vote on September 5 they are now ready to weigh in on the Ponto Beach Front Vision Plan.
Known formally as the Ponto Beach Front Vision Plan, the document covers a 50-acre region that is mostly owned by three parties — Star Properties of Japan, Wavecrest Resorts of Carlsbad and Ponto Storage owner Dale Schreiber. The area is bordered by Carlsbad Boulevard to the west, the railroad tracks to the east, Batiquitos Lagoon to the south and the Hanover Beach Colony development to the north.
We’re going to go way out on a limb and guess that the plan will get a big thumbs up all around. Good-bye Carlsbad, hello Huntington Beach.
[Link: North County Times]
by The Editors on August 16, 2008
A Superior Court judge has sided with the City of Encinitas in the battle over who is going to pay for all the upgrades that La Costa Avenue will need for the increase traffic that the proposed Ponto hotel and resort development will cause, according to a story in the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Judge Robert P. Dahlquist said the Ponto plan’s environmental impact report, required under the California Environmental Quality Act as a step before anything can be built, is inadequate and should be set aside. . . . . . . . “At this time, the city is very pleased with the ruling,” Encinitas City Attorney Glenn Sabine said yesterday.
Carlsbad’s City Attorney Ron Ball is hoping to convince the judge otherwise. Apparently, the City of Carlsbad would like to get out of as much of the $5.3 million improvement costs as possible.
The judge agreed with Encinitas that Carlsbad’s methodology for calculating how much developers would pay without addressing who would make up the difference “is inadequate as a matter of law and is not supported by substantial evidence,” the ruling says.
We’d have to say we agree with Judge Dahlquist. The Carlsbad City Council really doesn’t seem too skilled at math.
[Link: San Diego Union-Tribune]
by The Editors on April 6, 2009
San Diego Union-Tribune surfing writer Brad Melekian visits Carlsbadistan’s southern most beach in his latest column and considers the rapid changes that are coming to one of his favorite surf breaks.
As things you can park your car on go, I’d always found this particular patch of sand on the south side of the Ponto Jetties in Carlsbad to be fairly remarkable. . . Of course, it was not remarkable. It was a patch of sand. But it existed – until two weeks ago – as a place where you could park your vehicle, step out barefoot with sand between your toes, climb a small dune and check the surf.
Melekian laments (along with many of us) the changes the Ponto Vision Plan will bring and what he’ll soon see when looking back at the beach from the water. It’s not going to be pretty. Click the link to read the rest.
[Link: San Diego Union-Tribune]
by The Editors on November 12, 2007
The wheels of progress seem to simply grind everyone into submission through sheer boredom. We’re reminded of a line from Tolstoy’s War and Peace quoted by Liesl Schillinger in the New York Times:
Where the issue is undecided it is always the most stubborn who come out victorious.
We’re not big fans of what’s called The Ponto Vision Plan, but at the same time we’re becoming less stubborn each day. Tomorrow, starting at 6:00 PM, the Carlsbad City Council will again meet to make up for a discussion that was postponed October 23 because of the fires.
At the meeting, which begins at 6 p.m. at City Hall, council members will debate whether to accept an environmental report on the Ponto planning document. That report was ordered two years ago after strong public opposition to the development plan surfaced.
If you still care, show up at City Hall Tuesday at 6:00. We might see you there.
[Link: North County Times]
by The Editors on October 18, 2007
If the Carlsbad City Council gives the Ponto Vision Plan (a development that could include “a 215-room Hilton resort; a 269-room hotel; a 161-unit condominium and live-work complex; and a 180-room hotel and 126 time shares”) the thumbs up it’s going to greatly increase traffic on La Costa Avenue. That means the road will have to be upgraded. But exactly who is going to pay for that has become a point of contention between the cities of Carlsbad and Encinitas.
Carlsbad estimated that the improvements would cost $5.34 million and determined that Ponto developers should pay 27 percent, with Encinitas paying the rest, Encinitas officials said. . . . Encinitas Planning Director Pat Murphy said Ponto’s developers should pay 70 percent of the improvements. His staff based its calculations on the developers’ share of the additional traffic that would be using La Costa Avenue, yielding a much higher share for the developers.
We have an easy solution: don’t build out Ponto.
[Link: San Diego Union Tribune]
by The Editors on October 4, 2007
According to the North County Times San Diego’s five congressional delegates have gotten together and sent a letter California Coastal Commission begging them to approve the Carlsbad Desalination Plant when they meet Nov. 15, 2007 on the project.
The letter states that the plant would enable the county to “pursue a water diversification strategy” to complement conservation and reclamation efforts. It was signed by Darrell Issa, R-Vista; Brian Bilbray, R-Solana Beach; Duncan Hunter, R-El Cajon; Bob Filner, D-San Diego; and Susan Davis, R-San Diego. . . It also suggests that the plant would reduce pressure on the state’s imported water system.
We would like the idea so much more if it wasn’t in our backyard. How about making it part of the Ponto Vision Plan?
[Link: North County Times]
by The Editors on September 20, 2007
. . . and then Ponto can look just like this! Epic.
At Wednesday night’s Planning Commission meeting, the Ponto Beach Front Vision Plan got thumbs up all around (no surprise) with a few slight alterations according to a story in the North County Times.
It was the second time the commission has backed the document. Two years ago, the group gave its endorsement, but the City Council later ordered an extensive environmental review. The council’s decision came after intense pressure from neighbors and coastal preservationists.
The “modifications” include:
- expanding the buffer zone — a public parkland — along Batiquitos Lagoon. The recommendation calls for a 75-foot buffer area, up significantly from the original footpath area that the plan initially called for;
- mandating underground parking structures unless the developers can show they aren’t feasible;
- requiring trail links and encouraging the state park system to allow public access through its South Carlsbad State Beach campground; and
- putting additional noise mitigation measures on a proposed hotel project in the northern end of the Ponto area.
This will go before the City Council in late October, so there is still time to slow it down.
[Link: North County Times]
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