Op-Ed: The fight to establish Sally Johnson Park and protect Encinitas’ future

By Luke Shaffer

My name is Luke Shaffer. I am running for the District 1 City Council seat in Encinitas, and today, I reach out to my fellow Encinitans not only as a candidate but as a 44-year resident.

In last Wednesday’s Encinitas City Council meeting, Mayor Tony Kranz introduced Item 12-A, which concerns the establishment of Sally Johnson Park at the L-7 property on Quail Gardens Drive.

This property has been a political football since it was purchased with park funds in 1998, specifically for the preservation of green space through the creation of a new park, as outlined in our General Plan.

Over the years, it has been lobbied to become a new City Library, Public Works Facility, and now, 100% affordable housing.

Once again, public representation at the meeting was high, with a 75% majority present advocating for the park. Long-time resident Mr. Glenn Johnson has pledged $100,000 of his own money to name the park after his late wife, Sally, with a request that it be designed as a natural habitat and quiet zone to counter the over 1,100 new residences being built in the area.

This generous offer was supported by 10-year-old Oliver, who raised over $1,542 selling upcycled golf balls back to golfers at the Encinitas Ranch Golf Course this summer and pledged this money to be added to Mr. Johnson’s park gift. Kudos to these two heroes!

It was interesting, to say the least, to see Mayor Kranz reduce speaker time from the traditional 3 minutes per speaker down to only 1 minute. Why?

Councilwoman Lyndes supported Mayor Kranz, saying, “This is not that type of meeting.” It sure seems the pressure from residents to end this 26-year void is getting to the current council members.

Even Councilwoman Kellie Hinze made a guest appearance to vote against the park, coming back from maternity leave just for this agenda item.

Let me be clear — I am not against affordable housing. I am pro-responsible affordable housing development. However, this must be done thoughtfully, aligning with our city’s character, respecting our General Plan, and considering the many development projects already underway. We need to slow things down to ensure responsible growth.

If we can’t trust our city leaders to use our tax money for its intended purposes, why would we trust them with an additional 1% tax hike? This type of behavior has city residents seeking a change in leadership.

I am running to provide the citizens of District 1 with that change. I support local control and Prop A. I advocate for protecting our green spaces and will do my best to ensure L-7 becomes Mr. Johnson’s vision. I will work with county leaders to enhance our safety, increase law enforcement, and ensure this bait-and-switch behavior in the city council comes to an end.

All residents of Encinitas deserve to be treated fairly.

Luke Shaffer is a Leucadia resident and a candidate for the District 1 seat on the Encinitas City Council.