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By
Barbara Henry
North County Times
September 6, 2007
CARLSBAD
-- Saying they still had many questions relating to traffic
and other topics, Carlsbad's planning commissioners delayed a
decision Wednesday on a controversial plan to guide
development in the southern coastal area known as Ponto.
Their unanimous vote to continue the discussions when they
meet Sept. 19 came after four hours of questions, staff
presentations and public comment.
"I ... think we've got a
plateful tonight, and we should take some time to digest
it," said Commissioner Bill Dominguez.
Most of the others on the commission agreed, though
Commissioner Frank Whitton said he was nearly through with his
questions and could make a decision that night.
Known formally as the Ponto Beach Front Vision Plan, the
document covers a 50-acre region that is mostly owned by three
parties -- Star Properties of Japan, Wavecrest Resorts of
Carlsbad and Ponto Storage owner Dale Schreiber. The area is
bordered by Carlsbad Boulevard to the west, the railroad
tracks to the east, Batiquitos Lagoon to the south and the
Hanover Beach Colony development to the north.
Much of the land, especially the southern end, is vacant. The
northern portion contains a string of small businesses and
several houses. To passing motorists, it's most visible
attribute is a huge firewood pile, while surfers know it as
convenient parking area to access Ponto Beach.
A resort complex, three hotels, retail shops and what are
termed "live-work" units -- places with space for a
small shop and living quarters above -- are proposed for the
Ponto region, and the city is pushing for a regional planning
document in order to coordinate the look of the various
projects.
However, the proposed document hasn't been met with much
enthusiasm from nearby property owners or coastal
preservationists. The document initially won commission
approval more than two years ago, but the Carlsbad City
Council ordered a full-scale environmental review in July 2005
after an intense public outcry.
While the crowd at Wednesday's meeting didn't appear to be as
large as past events -- about 90 people attended -- comments
about the plan were no less intense. Most of the 15 people who
came to the public speakers' podium declared that the document
called for far too much development and contained little
public parkland.
Carlsbad resident Peggy Crowley said every coastal community
from Del Mar to Oceanside has better parks next to the beach
than Carlsbad, and the city has a chance to improve that by
putting a large public park in the southern end of Ponto.
Right now, Carlsbad's only real beach park is the small,
grassy Cannon Park next to the Encina Power Station that's
hardly ever used, she said. Compare that to Del Mar's
Powerhouse Park or Moonlight Beach in Encinitas, she added.
"I think Peggy Crowley has hit the nail on the
head," said Todd Cardiff of the local Surfrider
Foundation.
He urged the city to buy the southern end of Ponto near
Batiquitos Lagoon. Many people who lived in the San Pacifico
development to the east of the southern half of Ponto agreed,
and Cardiff's comments generated loud applause from the
audience.
However, several people who just north of the Ponto area in
the Hanover Beach Colony development said they weren't opposed
to development in the area -- they just wanted a redesign of
the hotel that is planned to go near the community. A
consultant representing that hotel developer also had
concerns, saying recent changes to the plan's environmental
document would make it more difficult to develop the property.
The one person who gave the document a complete thumbs-up was
a representative for Star Properties, which owns the southern
end of the Ponto region where the large resort project would
go. Executive Vice President Nigel Oliver-Frost said his
company "fully supports" the document.
However, commissioners weren't happy with him, saying he was
"sidestepping" answering their questions about how
much land along the southern end of his company's property
might be dedicated for public use. They also asked him how
much Star Properties had spent when it took over the area six
months ago.
Oliver-Frost said the company acquired the land in a
foreclosure by outbidding a $26 million offer, but said that's
no reflection of how much the land is actually worth.
-- Contact staff writer Barbara Henry at (760) 901-4072 or bhenry@nctimes.com
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