My little theft of Martin Niemoller’s take on the rise of National Socialism in Germany is meant to be instructive for those who have let envy, resentment and class warfare influence their desire to make those filthy rich pay their “fair share.” Envy, resentment and class warfare can be as damaging to a healthy economy as racism to a culture.
In his April 25 letter, Robert Scott argues that One Paseo meets one of two notable goals of the Carmel Valley Community Plan: the provision of a “centrally located town center… which emphasizes … mixed uses.” He admits that the project does not provide for the second goal, a public transit component, stating that this linkage with surrounding neighborhoods can and should be mandated by the City.
It is of my humble opinion and of many of those that live in this area that the One Paseo project is a great example of a project based on the betterment of a community and not solely for profit. If you have never had the experience of a pep rally in one of our country’s many small towns, you’re missing out. While on a business trip, I had this privilege to join a friend and his family as the entire community gathered for the high school football team’s play-off pep rally. It was like a scene from a movie set, with a slice of yesterday playing out before your eyes.
In 2008 the Del Mar City Council approved an ordinance known as “in lieu parking fees,” but a dollar amount for that fee was never set. At the March 18 City Council hearing, the council decided to move forward with gathering more information to determine what that fee should be. At that hearing, Kathleen Garcia, the city’s planning director, said: “The new fees could come back before the council and go into effect within next couple of months.”
The arguments put forth by Tim Pickwell of Solana Beach in his letter to the editor of April 18, “Plastic bag ban wrong on several counts,” are basically the same as I put forth regarding the banning of smoking on the public sidewalks and at the super-air-conditioned beach in Del Mar.
In monitoring community reaction to the One Paseo proposal, a common theme often emerges: that Kilroy should abide by the Carmel Valley Community Plan and underlying zoning regulations for the property. As a city planner, I’ve had the opportunity to analyze and update several community plans and zoning ordinances. I have also taken the time to review the Carmel Valley Community Plan myself. Today I provide an overview on community plans and zoning, offer historical context to the Carmel Valley Community Plan, and discuss innovative planning concepts such as smart growth and neotraditional planning.
If Del Mar and Solana Beach were to have a child, I think it would be named Carmel Valley. Master planned from its inception, Carmel Valley has been growing up for the past 35 years to become one of San Diego’s most desired communities for young professionals to raise their families.
I attended the March 28 Carmel Valley planning board hearing on the traffic that One Paseo will generate if approved at its proposed size of 1.4 million square feet (which is five times the size of the Del Mar Highlands Town Center). Like many at the meeting, I was astonished by the rosy predictions offered by the city planners in response to the questions they were asked. They offered precise-sounding calculations to suggest that travel times would not be impacted much by this gargantuan project, or that they would be shortened. However, these figures were unrealistic and do not hold up under further scrutiny.
Anyone urging a green light for the One Paseo project may not be aware of three important facts.
I would like to respond to Robert Scott’s letter to this newspaper regarding giving One Paseo a chance. I have some random thoughts:
LA JOLLA NEWS RANCHO SANTA FE NEWS
