by The Editors on February 5, 2008
Mark Massara, the director of the Sierra Club’s coastal programs has written an editorial for the North County Times in which he outlines exactly why Poseidon Resources‘ proposal to construct the largest private desalination project is one of the worst things that could happen to our lagoon.
Poseidon intends to draw more than 300 million gallons a day of ocean water in an attempt to make 50 million gallons a day of fresh water for sale and profit. Limited analysis by Poseidon indicates they’ll destroy 11 billion marine organisms a year. That’s 16 million fish larvae a day!
Poseidon’s own self-serving disingenuous analysis admits they will kill approximately 1 million garibaldi fish per day! The brightly colored, much adored garibaldi is the California state fish, and any killing of garibaldi, even one, is strictly prohibited by California law.
There is more at stake than fish. Follow the link for the rest of Massara’s article.
[Link: North County Times]
by The Editors on February 3, 2008
Since we never figured out what Proposition D was about, or what it means to the land (some of which is currently home to the strawberry fields) we probably should have attended this “public workshop” that was held last Friday to discuss the future of 300 acres along Cannon Road near the Lagoon.
He said a public market and amphitheater could round out the project and create an attractive gathering place, which has been mentioned as a possible use for the land. He displayed large pictures of similar projects, such as Seattle’s Pike Place Fish Market, to illustrate the concept. “This is an area already surrounded by entertainment, commercial and business (uses),” Calkins said, noting that it is near the Carlsbad Premium Outlets, the Flower Fields and Legoland California.
Click the link for all the details.
[Link: San Diego Union-Tribune]
by The Editors on January 27, 2008
We’ve noticed that more and more people are building monster homes in Carlsbad. And some of them actually look well designed. But not everyone is happy about this according to a Barbara Henry story the North County Times.
In a two-year period, Carlsbad resident Fred Briggs has watched two houses — each bigger than 5,000 square feet — go up near his Basswood Drive home. . . . One is so tall and wide, he said, that it blocks the afternoon sun from his backyard even though it isn’t next door to him. . . . Now, three more “McMansions,” as Briggs refers to them, are proposed for land north of his 2,000-square-foot, Spanish-style home in Old Carlsbad — and he is clearly not happy about it.
Oddly, one Realtor said that big homes are for people who want to show off. He says people want them to “prove to others that they have been successful in life.” Really? Is that it? Maybe they just have big families? Or, lots of furniture. Yeah, Thane did you ever think of that?
[Link: North County Times]
by The Editors on January 26, 2008
Ted Vallas, 87, has been a North County business mover for over 50 years, but now he is moving on according to a story in the North County Times.
For the last 57 years, Vallas has operated approximately 40 different businesses throughout the world. In addition to the Carlsbad resort, his other Southern California ventures have included the El Camino Real Country Club in Oceanside, the former Whispering Palms Country Club (now Morgan’s Run) near Rancho Santa Fe, the Imperial Valley Resort in El Centro and the Olympic Resort of Palm Springs.
He recently sold his Olympic Resort & Spa for $12 million and is now working on a business that will allow him to share some of the skills he’s acquired. It’s called U.S. International Consultants
[Link: North County Times]
by The Editors on January 25, 2008
As a Carlsbadistan.com commenter pointed out yesterday Marty Ummel and her husband Vernon are taking their fight against local Realtor Mike Little to the media with a vengeance.
Yesterday, Marty appeared in a feature story on the Today Show then she and Vernon sat down on the couch with Ann Curry for an extended interview.
This story is getting even more legs because, as everyone knows, the entire real estate industry is incentivized by getting buyers to pay as much as possible for property. If Realtors representing buyers were paid a commission based on the amount of money they saved their clients vs. the asking price, then they would likely be more interested in getting the best deal possible for their clients. But then, of course, they would get paid a lot less.
[Link: The Today Show]
by The Editors on January 23, 2008
In 2005 when Marty Ummel, 60, and her husband bought their home in the Serenada neighborhood of Carlsbad they say their Realtor Mike Little of RE/MAX Associates caused them to pay $150,000 more than they should have by not showing them comparable home prices in the area. The Ummels claim Little did this because he was more interested in his commission than the deal they got on their house. But the Ummel’s were not happy, according to story in the New York Times.
What makes Ms. Ummel different is that she is suing her agent, saying it was all his fault. . . . Ms. Ummel claims that the agent hid the information that similar homes in the neighborhood were selling for less because he feared she would back out and he would lose his $30,000 commission.
Of course, Little says it’s not his fault:
They simply didn’t do what is expected of a knowledgeable, sophisticated buyer, and are now looking for someone other than themselves to take responsibility,” Roger Holtsclaw, an agent who was hired by Mr. Little as an expert witness, said in a court deposition.
What this all comes down to is how responsible are Realtors for the transactions they make. If they’re not responsible, then what is their whole purpose? Obviously, Realtors who represent the buyer have always been incentivized in the wrong direction, but that’s probably not going to change anytime soon. What makes this even more interesting is the seller was also a Realtor.
The case begins in North County Superior Court Monday, January 28, 2008. For all the details click the links to the following stories.
[Link: New York Times and Voice of San Diego]
by The Editors on January 15, 2008
According to a story in the North County Times (are we quoting them too much these days?) the Surfrider Foundation and the Planning and Conservation League filed lawsuits on Monday January 14, 2008 claiming that “The California Coastal Commission acted illegally when it granted a permit to the proposed $300 million plant despite acknowledging that commissioners needed more information.”
Surfrider representatives say the desalination plant would hurt marine life and Agua Hedionda Lagoon, where the plant would be located, and that Poseidon hasn’t proved otherwise. . . . “The substantive issue of whether they can even mitigate (the harm) is still out there,” said Marco Gonzalez, the lawyer representing the environmental groups.
Of course, Poseidon officials are denying this:
Poseidon Vice President Peter MacLaggan said that over the course of eight years of study, the company has proved the plant will not harm the environment. . . . He said the company is simply working out details with the Coastal Commission and that the suit was without merit. . . . “They’re challenging eight years of environmental research and study by pre-eminent scientists in this field from Scripps that has been reviewed by the various permitting agencies, who all came to the same conclusion — move forward,” MacLaggan said.
We’re happy to see someone standing up to industrialization of the Carlsbadistan environment.
[Link: North County TImes and San Diego Union-Tribune]
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 December 20, 2007
At a workshop held last night Carlsbad Community Development Director Sandra Holder said that the City’s general plan should be rewritten, according to a Barbara Henry story in the North County Times.
“It’s a very old document … it’s time,” Holder said as she discussed why staff members are recommending the overhaul. “The general plan should be a living document — that means it should reflect the current desires of the community.”
Our favorite line:
Several area property owners have been asking the city to create a specific plan for the Barrio that would allow denser buildings. The current standard is six to 11.5 dwelling units per acre depending on the lot’s zoning. The group is proposing a limit of 35 to 40 dwelling units per acre.
Oh yeah, that’s exactly what the Barrio needs: high density. Then we could have the Carlsbadistan Projects.
[Link: North County Times]
by The Editors on December 16, 2007
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