Letters to the Editor: Sept. 21, 2012

Re-zoning unnecessary for an Art Center! 

Why is “Art Pulse” pushing for re-zoning of the “Pacific View Elementary School” property?

What Encinitas needs, and most people want is an art center in a relaxed garden-like setting. Restaurants, shops etc. are not in keeping with the surrounding homes; however, if a coffee cart or a snack shop for artists and visitors is desired a re-zone would not be necessary. Even a shop selling “art oriented” items could be included without re-zoning. In my opinion all that would be required is permit approval similar to those granted to the coffee carts located in other “public” areas such as the Scripps medical building, Encinitas Library etc.

Scripps Hospital has a gift shop, and cafeteria without the need to re-zone. Do not let special interests get this important piece of real estate re-zoned so they can build more houses, which seems like the real agenda here.

Dennis Coffey,

Leucadia

 

Don’t privatize Pacific View

Thanks to the editor of the Coast News for printing this correction in last week’s, Sept. 14 edition: the hearing regarding upzoning Pacific View School to mixed-use, from public/semi-public, has been rescheduled to the Sept. 26 Encinitas Council Meeting, which begins at 6 p.m.

The Sept. 26 hearing will be to give direction to staff whether it should begin processing the Encinitas Union School District’s application for a zoning change. Considering the importance of this irreplaceable asset to our community, and the fact that this land was donated “for the children,” to remain in the public domain, we urge Council to “stick to its guns,” and tell staff, for the third time, the community doesn’t want to rezone the surplus school site, Pacific View, which would effectively privatize the land. Please, Council, don’t waste more time and taxpayer dollars reconsidering.

EUSD put out a RFP (Request for Proposals) asking nonprofits for preliminary plans, with the provision that proposals were to be for redevelopment within public/semi-public zoning. The other entities submitting proposals followed EUSD’s guidelines, although only 20 business days were allowed for submission!

More time should have been allowed for proposal submission. Moreover, rules shouldn’t have been changed, “midstream,” through closed session negotiations. EUSD chose out-of-town, newbie, Art Pulse’s proposal, in partnership with for-profit developer John DeWald, contrary to RFP protocol. Through Art Pulse-DeWald, the zoning must be privatized, changed to mixed-use, for funding. Art Pulse’s proposal was chosen in February because it allegedly had deep-pocket philanthropic backers and “cash on hand,” when it’s actually been running at a deficit, and had a major grant rescinded by the California Arts Council last October, because April Game had counted a $600,000 loan as income.

We support our children, the Naylor Act and a smaller-scaled community art center with more open space!

Lynn Marr,

Leucadia

 

Backers of pot shop ballot measure are storefront owners

In the Sept. 13 article “Pot shops to go on ballot in 2014,” it is important to note who is behind the pot shop ballot initiative. The financial backers are a group called the Patient Care Association and if you go to their website you see its a bunch of pot shop operators. These aren’t caregivers, they are shop owners who were likely flushed out of the City of San Diego from their recent crackdown and are looking to set up shop, literally, in Encinitas, Del Mar and Solana Beach. Also important to note, the article quoted two pot shop supporters, one is a pot shop attorney; and the other is a doctor specializing in pot recommendations. Both individuals benefit directly from the illegal and abusive pot shop industry, hardly unbiased individuals.

In order to get this pot shop permitting initiative on the ballot, a group of prospective and current pot shop operators paid an attorney to draft the ballot measure and paid signature gathers to canvas cities around our county. It’s telling when it’s coming from profiteering pot shop owners, and not the people they claim to be helping.

Melvin Chang,

Carmel Valley

 

Yes on Prop. 34

Here are the many reasons, supported by facts, why I support Prop 34 to replace the death penalty in California with life without parole: California’s death penalty is broken; many attempts to “fix” the system have failed. Bonnie Dumanis herself has called the death penalty a “hollow promise.” We know that innocent people have been convicted of murder in California. In 2011 alone, three men were exonerated after serving a total of 57 years in California prisons.

Murderers sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole will be required to work to contribute to a victim compensation fund. We can’t take the risk of executing innocent people, as Texas almost certainly did with Carlos de Luna and Cameron Todd Willingham, and Georgia with Troy Davis.

The nonpartisan California Legislative Analyst’s office says Prop. 34 will save California $130 million per year. Portion of the money saved will be used to investigate and solve old cases of murder and rape and bring those criminals to justice.

In addition, it’s been proven that killing a murderer doesn’t bring closure or any consolation to the family of a murder victim. Killing is always wrong.

Alessandra Colfi,

Oceanside

 

Obsolescence at Tri-City Hospital

Why do Tri-City Healthcare District’s incumbents vehemently oppose cooperation with Palomar Hospital- North County’s beacon of quality healthcare?

Such animosity reminds me of the situation between two Imperial Valley hospitals. In the early 1980s, it was common knowledge that longstanding Brawley Hospital board members would have to pass away before cooperation with El Centro Hospital could begin.

Fast forward to 2012: Brawley and El Centro hospitals start collaborating! Both hospitals can now cease duplicating costs for cutting-edge equipment, such as robotic spine surgery. Instead, they can use the freed-up capital to begin investing in quality patient care, including replacement of technologically obsolete facilities.

North County residents needn’t endure Tri-City’s obsolete incumbents until their obituaries. In November, vote them OUT!

Sincerely,

Randy Horton,

Board Member,

Tri-City Healthcare District