Comments on: First draft of general plan ready to view

By: Olivier Canler

Olivier Canler — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 03:41:15 +0000

If the plan is adopted as is, I propose we rename El Camino Real to HELL Camino Real.
Stop the insanity of a plan that will bring headaches to everybody along El Camino Real.
The City Planners would have been better off buying SimCity for $40 and build up their visionary city in a virtual world instead of spending $1.1M with out-of-town consultants. They would have done a lot less damage.

By: Invalid Methods

Invalid Methods — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 00:34:14 +0000

The idea that there was anything akin to appropriate citizen participation is a joke. In some cases, huge conclusions about residents wishes were reached based upon survey responses of fewer than 1% of Encinitas residents.

For example, the multi-story parking structure in the location of the Henry’s shopping center was proposed to fewer than 30 people. In a city with 60,000 residents, this is completely invalid and needs to be thrown out! I invite anyone reading this to ask Encinitas friends and neighbors if they voted for 4 and 5 story buildings on El Camino Real. Those of us who participated had no idea how such a conclusion was reached, when there were no questions to indicate that this was what was under consideration.

In addition, participants answers were blended to suit the goals and purposes of the Planning Department. Answers of ‘deserves consideration’ were added to ‘yes’ answers. There was also a choice of ‘I don’t know,’ which also may have been blended with other answers to buoy up political agendas.

There was no awareness among participants that answers could be blended with ‘yes’ and ‘no’ to support an unpopular policy for expanded mixed use, which frankly, no resident outside of City employees or people in the building/development industry seem to support.

How could such a disasterous waste of millions of dollars be ‘celebrated’ when the methodology is so completely unacceptable and abusive to the participants who also are paying for it? I am furious that funds that could have been spent to attain valid citizen feedback were wasted this way.

The majority who live in this city want to keep it the way it is. Perhaps the greatest flaw in this process is that City employees and the consulting firm that was paid several million for their involvement, have a conflict of interest, since they believe that their retirements will be funded through new development.

By: celebratemixeduse

celebratemixeduse — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 04:45:50 +0000

Along with the completely changed General Plan now in a draft form, City Hall should also change the city name to fit the proposed new plan. Among the suggestions: University Town Center (UTC) north.

Celebrate poor neighborhood planning. Join the Planning Department in their celebration on September 19 from 6-8:30 pm at the Community/Senior Center, 1140 Oakcrest Drive at Encinitas Blvd. and Balour.

By: concerned2011

concerned2011 — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 14:52:15 +0000

The planning department is celebrating the changes they have made to the General Plan.
The public doesn’t know exactly where all the changes have been made because the Planning Director will not release that information.

A small portion of the changes can be seen reflected in the zoning amendments.

Some of what is known so far:

Residents don’t want mixed use; the Planning Department does and intends to turn major shopping areas in Encinitas into a combination of condos/offices/commercial with parking structures.

The first large area for this change will be El Camino Real.

A minimum of 1000 dwelling units (condos) plus parking structures will be added to the current shopping area. Planning is also increasing the height of buildings in the new mixed use areas.

The current General Plan prohibits buildings over 30 feet or two stories. City Planners want 35-40 feet tall buildings. Incidentally, the City Council can add more condos with a General Plan amendment.
Is this how residents see the City of Encinitas in 2035?