CARLSBAD — An information center opens its doors Thursday to the public regarding the controversial 85/15 plan.
According to a press release from Los Angeles-based developer Caruso Affiliated, the main sponsor of the measure, the center officially opens at 11 a.m. for residents seeking detailed information.
Measure A, as it will be seen on the special election ballot scheduled for Feb. 23, is in the final stretch of a long, drawn out battle between supporters and opponents.
The center, meanwhile, will be open daily and on Thursday, former planning commissioner Julie Baker will appear from 5 to 7 p.m. at the center, 1050 Cannon Road. Hours of operation are Mondays through Fridays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Residents will be able to view the property, watch videos, preview renderings and site plans.
“In an effort to provide residents with all of the information they need to make an informed decision, community members also can ask questions and engage in lively dialogue about the plan with highly knowledgeable friends and neighbors who will share the facts,” the statement reads.
In addition, city officials and experts will make special appearances, although no details were disclosed about those arrangements.
“We’ve loved hearing from Carlsbad residents who have shared valuable input with us to create the plans we’ve proposed, and we are grateful for how the community has embraced the plan,” said Rick J. Caruso, founder and chief executive officer of Caruso Affiliated. “The Information Center is the next phase of community outreach, and we look forward to meeting and speaking to as many Carlsbad residents as we can to share the unique attributes of the plan.”
The proposal calls for developing 26.7 acres featuring a commercial center anchored by a Nordstrom’s on the 203.7-acre site, while the remaining 176.7 acres would be designated open space and increase strawberry farming along with open the area for residents to hike along trails.
The 85/15 plan was spearheaded by a resident-led initiative and approved by the City Council on Aug. 25. Opponents of the plan gathered the required number of signatures for a referendum, which leaves the fate of Measure A in the hands of voters.
6 comments
We do not want another mall, we do not want more traffic, we do not want LIES upon LIES, and we do not want 203.4 acres of the AH Lagoon in the hands of Caruso to do what he wants as hidden in his 397 page “plan”. This regional shopping center is not for the citizens benefit, it is a destination center to bring in more tourists and visitors. All the City Council cares about is more tax revenue at the cost of our way of life. Enough is enough. Vote NO on A.
The billionaire LA developer appropriates our AH lagoon shore, in the heart of our city, for his personal profit. Tens of thousands of daily vehicle trips add to the swell of traffic on our secondary roads, and we all start coughing out $5. an hour to park while shopping or walking the dog?
Get a grip! Save Carlsbad, vote NO on A.
This “Community Information Center” was put up by Rick Caruso (see the fine print) to present his side and to parade the City Council members support.
Yet it is on land leased by Jimmy and only allowed to be used for Proposition D purposes. (The same as his strawberry business and the Flower Fields.)
Why does Caruso seem to get special treatment from our City?
Are the “city officials” the same “impartial” city council that allowed their personal photos to be distributed on a mailer by the Caruso Corporation urging citizens not to vote? The same council that is costing taxpayers $500000 for a special election in Feb to vote on this project vs. waiting till June to vote, saving taxpayers over $450,000 in the process? Enough is enough. This city council is out of control.
All the lies they need to make a partially informed decision is more like it.
My understanding is, by law, the City of Carlsbad is to remain neutral on the Mega Mall. It seems that some developers are more equal than others. No on A.
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