Do The Ecke’s Really Need City Handouts?

by The Editors on August 20, 2009

Uti1428548  T350After raising the water rates for Carlsbadistan agriculture by 45 percent last week, the Carlsbadistan City Council is now considering subsidizing the water bill for Paul Ecke the third’s The Flower Fields, according to a Michael Burge story in the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Mayor Bud Lewis said he was concerned about subsidizing the farms’ water bills, but in 2006 voters passed Proposition D, which said they want to preserve those two operations. . . In 1996 the city also required the Ecke flower-growing family to cultivate the 53-acre Flower Fields “in perpetuity” in exchange for the right to develop the 471-acre Carlsbad Ranch, which includes Legoland California and the Carlsbad Premium Outlet stores.

Now, Chris Calkins, president of the Ecke-owned company CB Ranch, says they are “staring down a barrel of a gun that makes it impossible to grow the crops” inferring that if the City of Carlsbad wants to keep the Flower Fields all colorful they’re going to have to help with the water bill.

Isn’t it nice how businesses will agree to almost anything when they’re trying to get a huge development approved, only to come back later and say they’re not going to be able to hold up their end of the bargain? Classic.

{ 0 comments… add one now }

Leave a Comment

Previous post:

Next post: