by The Editors on February 19, 2009
The City of Carlsbadistan is now getting anti-power plant support from the California Department of Transportation according to a letter sent to the California Energy Commission on February 5, 2009.
As stated in the letter, Caltrans’ flexibility to construct the I-5 North Coast Corridor widening project is severely limited by surrounding land uses. The impetus is on NRG West, the power plant company, to demonstrate how the area can accommodate both a widened freeway and a new power plant. The letter also states that the I-5 widening project will remove existing landscaping and berm, creating significant visual impacts should both projects go forward.
We can’t help but laugh to ourselves at the ecological irony in the letter. This is probably the first time in our lives that we’ve wanted to make sure there was enough room to add more lanes to an already monstrous freeway. It’s almost like the pavers are the good guys if they keep another power plant out of Carlsbadistan.
Follow the jump for the entire release from the City.
[click to continue…]
by The Editors on February 12, 2009
It may be only as a volunteer, but Carlsbadistan City Councilman Keith Blackburn is reportedly excited about getting to do some police work after the City Council voted to change to rules and allow it, according to a story in the North County Times.
The City Council unanimously agreed Tuesday to amend a city ordinance to allow the service. The city already allows its council members to be volunteer firefighters. . . . The amendment, which will require a second council vote, is expected to go into effect next month. It will allow newly elected Councilman Keith Blackburn, a former Carlsbad police officer, to continue participating in Police Department activities as a volunteer. That’s something he’s been seeking since his election.
It does create some interesting conflict of interest possibilities when it comes to all kinds of City Council decisions, but it looks like they’re okay with that.
[Link: North County Times]
by The Editors on February 11, 2009
The Carlsbadistan City Council last night voted to give themselves a 5 percent pay cut to set a good example, according to a story in the San Diego Union-Tribune.
The council decided a couple weeks ago that because of current economic conditions we should take a reduction in salary,” Carlsbad Mayor Bud Lewis said in introducing the measure. “We felt it was clearly proper that we set the tone.” . . . Carlsbad cut $5 million from its $113 million operating budget last month by slashing overtime, reducing some services and implementing a hiring freeze. The city has not laid off any employees, as some other cities have done.
The council members will now make only $1,389 a month. If they really wanted to keep up with the economic times they would have laid themselves off.
[Link: San Diego Union-Tribune]
by The Editors on February 11, 2009
The discussion over the Bressi Ranch home for autistic men continued last night at the Carlsbad City Council meeting according to a story in the San Diego Union-Tribune. A group of Bressi Ranch homeowners chided the City of Carlsbad for giving a $1 million grant to TERI, Inc. to buy a home in the upscale community.
The group, called The Concerned Homeowners, said it had no complaint with the four to six autistic adults who will live in the group home; the group was targeting the city’s process for awarding the grant. . . . It also said the nonprofit that is buying the home, the TERI Group, misrepresented itself in its grant application. . . . “This is not about discrimination. This not about us fighting the Fair Housing Act,” Dana Matas, a member of the group, told the council. . . . The group gave a presentation to the City Council titled, “Affordable Housing or Resort-Style Living,” in which it accused the city of wasting taxpayer funds.
The City Council, not surprisingly, stood by its decision.
[Link: San Diego Union-Triubune]
by The Editors on January 26, 2009
The Imagine Carlsbad Sustainability Committee will meet at 5:30 Monday, January 26, 2009 at the Harding Center (3096 Harding Street). We’re guessing the public is invited. The focus of the meeing is: “What would you like the general plan or community vision for Carlsbad to address?”
Anyone interested in Carlsbad’s future and the future of the Carlsbad General Plan should attend. For all the details please follow the jump. [click to continue…]
by The Editors on January 26, 2009
The City of Carlsbad City Council is getting more and more serious about its opposition to NRG’s proposed second power plant. They’re even planning to vote on something:
The Carlsbad City Council will vote on a resolution finding that the second power plant proposed by NRG, called the Carlsbad Energy Center Project violates key city laws, regulations and plans at the regularly scheduled council meeting Tuesday, Jan. 27, at 6 p.m. The meeting will be held at the council chambers, 1200 Carlsbad Village Dr. Members of the public are welcome to attend.
Sadly, the city has no control over whether the plant gets approved or not, but it’s nice to see them going down with a fight. Follow the jump for the rest of the release. [click to continue…]
by The Editors on January 19, 2009
They’ve been planning it for a while, but Legoland parent corporation Merlin Entertainment Group Inc. is going to ask the Carlsbad Planning board to make changes to the required parking requirements and let them build a hotel on the Legoland property, according to a Barbara Henry story in the North County Times.
Plans call for the three-story hotel to include a 14,383-square-foot restaurant, 11,051-square-foot retail space, a 6,364-square-foot bar/lounge, an outdoor pool and a water play area. It’s proposed to be built in two phases, with the first phase containing 175 hotel rooms.
Legoland has been a good neighbor to Carlsbadistan, however, this kind of expansion often results in the “Disneyfication” of the local city. First the attraction is promoted to city leadership as bringing new customers to local hotels, restaurants, and other businesses, then slowly the park builds out all the ancillary businesses itself keeping all the revenue in the park and siphoning the life out the local tourist economy. As anyone who has driven through Anaheim knows, it can get pretty ugly.
We hope the planning commission considers the ultimate ramifications of this request, before making any decisions..
[Link: North County Times]
by The Editors on January 17, 2009
Carlsbadistan City Councilman Matt Hall took the anti-powerplant message to the Encinitas City Council this week pleading with Encinitas to join Carlsbad in opposing the new NRG Power plant that is set to belch 900,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas into the air of North County, according to a story in the San Diego Reader.
Obviously, tourism is a big concern for us, as it is for everyone on the coast. I can’t express enough what a landmark this is going to become. When you drive down the road, you’re going to be 65 feet away from these big iron structures. You’ll be able to tell people, ‘When you see the big iron structure, it’s three ramps south and to the right to get to [your] hotel.’ This whole region has a buy in on what we do with our coastline.”
We can’t agree more.
[Link: San Diego Reader]
by The Editors on January 7, 2009
Carlsbadistan’s City Council voted unanimously (with Mayor Lewis abstaining) to approve upgrade plans at The Army and Navy Academy last night, according to a story in the North County Times.
Now that the city has approved school officials’ plans to revamp the campus, they need to raise money to pay for the work, the school’s president —- retired Brig. Gen. Steve Bliss —- said. As money comes in, they will need to go back to the city for individual building permits for various structures.
[Link: North County Times]
by The Editors on January 6, 2009
Putting a group home for mentally disabled men in the middle of Carlsbadistan’s Stepford Bressi Ranch doesn’t seem like the best idea we’ve heard in a while. But that didn’t stop TERI, Inc. of Oceanside (a non-profit that works with mentally disabled children and adults) from buying a $1 million home at 6205 Alverton Drive, according to a story in the North County Times.
Here’s how ZIllow.com describes the house:
Charming cottage style single story Canterbury model highly upgraded both inside and out. Resort style yard with salt water pool and spa, play area for children, plus additional side yard. Built In BBQ and dining area.”
We would never suggest that six mentally disabled men don’t deserve a salt water pool, hot tub, and a built-in BBQ in their resort-style back yard, nor that anyone would notice six more mentally disabled men in Bressi Ranch. It just seems that TERI, Inc.’s could have done much more for their program if they’d been more efficient with their million dollars rather than spending it on an overpriced four-bedroom track home in one of Southern California’s premiere planned communities.
Then again, maybe TERI, Inc. is trying to make a point and what better place make it than in Bressi Ranch.
[Link: North County Times]
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