ENCINITAS — A city official has confirmed that an inclusionary housing item was requested to be moved off the Encinitas Planning Commission’s calendar by city staff to work on more reviews with consultants but it is expected to be re-noticed for a future meeting.
“When it says ‘off calendar’ it just means we don’t have a date certain and we’re going to re-notice it for the planning commission,” said Jennifer Gates, principal planner for the project.
The inclusion of the item on the consent calendar with a recommendation to continue it “off calendar” came as a surprise not only to residents following city housing matters but also Bruce Ehlers, chairman of the city’s Planning Commission.
“I was a bit perplexed as far as what happened,” Ehlers told The Coast News. “I’m concerned and I’m perplexed and I plan to get to the bottom of it.”
As of Wednesday afternoon, Ehlers said he still plans to take the item off the consent calendar for discussion at tomorrow night’s planning commission meeting.
Gates says there is no intention to scrap the item completely and expects it to be re-noticed at a future meeting of the planning commission.
“Right now I don’t know of any special meetings being planned so it would be a regular meeting, though not the next regular meeting but maybe that following one,” Gates said.
The item in question includes amendments to the city municipal code to increase the inclusionary housing percentage requirements from 15% to 50%. If adopted by the Planning Commission, the item would be sent to the city council for approval.
