The question of exactly how the Pacific View property will be financed is scheduled to be discussed by the Encinitas City Council during its meeting this Wednesday, May 21. On the table are several options prepared by City Manager Gus Vina and Finance Director Tim Nash (see link to their Budget Report below).
The Encinitas City Council: (l. to r.) Lisa Shaffer, Tony Kranz, Kristin Gaspar, Deputy Mayor Mark Muir and Mayor Teresa Barth.
The meeting will occur in the face of what the council majority believes is an attempt by Deputy Mayor Mark Muir and councilmember Kristin Gaspar to sabotage the city’s purchase of the historic bluffside 2.8-acre parcel.
Muir’s motion to impose a hiring freeze tied to the Pacific View purchase failed at last week’s City Council meeting. Muir and Gaspar voted yes while Mayor Teresa Barth and councilmembers Tony Kranz and Lisa Shaffer voted no– the same split that resulted in the Pacific View purchase.
Gaspar, whose mayoral candidacy declaration appears imminent, argued that a hiring freeze would give the council “a breathing moment to take a look at the bigger picture.”
Calling the proposal “redundant,” Shaffer countered that over the following three weeks, the council will be reviewing separate elements of the budget that comprise the big picture, and that an approval vote won’t take place until its June 11 meeting.
Barth, Kranz and Shaffer indicated that Muir and Gaspar’s actual motive is to torpedo the Pacific View purchase.
“When you look at [Muir’s] agenda item and he leads with Pacific View, what it strikes me as is pure politics. I will be governing, and not playing politics.” Kranz said. “The budget shows clearly that we have the money to not only fund all core services, but also to acquire Pacific View, plus have other capital improvement projects that we can undertake.”
In her weekly newsletter, Mayor Barth called Muir’s action “a serious effort to sabotage the purchase of the Pacific View.” Shaffer was even more blunt in her newsletter: “Seriously, Mr. Muir?”
Video of Muir’s May 14 hiring freeze motion can be viewed here by selecting Item 12A.
The Pacific View financing meeting will occur at the 6:00 p.m. this Wednesday, May 21, at City Hall in the Encinitas City Council Chambers, located at 505 South Vulcan Avenue in Encinitas. The meeting can also be viewed on Cox Cable’s Channel 19 or online here.
Since the deal isn’t closed yet and threats remain, supporters of the Pacific View purchase are encouraged to stay engaged by attending or watching the meeting from home.
Letters to local media (such as this one from Ron Ranson) to keep the spotlight on completing the purchase are also helpful.
The meeting agenda is here. The budget discussion that includes options for financing the Pacific View purchase will be Item 10C, and it’s estimated that it will come up some time around 7:30 p.m..
The Budget Report that includes the various scenarios can be downloaded here: 2014-05-21_Item_10C_-__Budget_Report_with_Attachments. (Careful, it’s a 41MB, 106-page document!)
SavePacificView.org will stay on top of developments and send email updates when new Pacific View events occur. You’re also invited to stay up-to-date on Pacific View news by joining the SavePacificView.org email list here. Your name and email address will only be used by SavePacificView.org. The SavePacificView story as told by local media can be read here.
The discussion has begun. What are your Pacific View ideas? Click here to Share Your View!
The discussion about what we’d all like to see happen at the Pacific View site has begun in earnest.
Here are some excerpts from Share Your View posts and comments so far:
Given that there is no current funding to build a state-of-the-art arts center immediately, why not focus on what we do have and build from there? While there must be long-range planning and vision, there is no reason not to tap available assets on the site to start a limited number of cultural activities and create community buy-in and use within 2014. —Steve Barilotti
The development of the Pacific School site will take time and energy, but what I would love to see, as soon as the transfer of property is realized, is a small “Legacy Garden” started somewhere. It doesn’t have to be huge, and it doesn’t have to edibles. The asphalt could be torn up, chopped into manageable pieces, and stacked for a raised growing area without use of concrete. A garden such as this could be modified or removed to suit other plans and designs. If there ever was a kid friendly project, this is it! —Mary Fleener
Sure, it’d make a nice garden and I’m glad the money will go to our school system but I don’t think the city is the best owner… Why not change the zoning of this land such that it protects the school. Let developers develop the other half of the land. The taxes from the development will pay for the maintenance of the historical school site. —surf1680
I also am in favor of using the building and property to provide a home for for various community groups. I would like to see some art elements but NOT just/mostly art. I want a community center for the downtown, something that becomes a social hub for the kid with after school programs and other families programs. —Christian Marcotte
Turn the old classrooms into dance and yoga class rooms, community art night rooms, etc. Use all the outside area for a weekly farmers market. Incorporate the previous ideas of the tribute/community gardens. —Cheyenne Arnold
I would like part of it be an Artist colony with classes for adults and children. and art shows. The Artist Colony would pay rent. Check out the Virgina Beach Arts Center which started extremely small with a few classes and shows. Now it is huge with lots of support. A Community Theater which would also pay rent. Different groups could rent the theater like they used to do with La Paloma. I would like to see venues like this maybe 6 so the city could get $10,000 plus a month rent from the property. —Beverly Goodman
It will take years before anything new will be approved and built, so meanwhile it should be revamped until further remodeling is eminent. Time is money and we have lots of space to work with! —Fred Caldwell
The existing classrooms and equipment on site should be surveyed and inventoried. The most logical process would involve rehabbing the classrooms, removing excess blacktop, and getting underway ASAP. —Lynn Autumn
Creating rental lockers and work areas for artist who are creating BIG projects could help too. Very Large sculptures that need “yard-space” in a secure area would be suitable in the parking area, charging by the square foot. Coming from the education world, my ideas are for after Pacific View gets “Cleaned-Up”. Let me know when you need an extra broom, I will be right there. YEAH! —Judy Salinsky
I had suggested we keep maximum zoning flexibility, also to include the option of moving the one room schoolhouse to the Historical Museum next to the Botanical Garden. This would enhance what would be a Museum-Botanical area, while giving full scope to an imaginitive ultimate project that could provide revenue along with a mix of functions. —Al Rodbell
You and your friends are invited to have your say and Share Your View on the SavePacificView.org website. You can login there directly or use your Facebook, Twitter or Google+ ID to post and comment. Your input is much appreciated, and essential to helping create a place that can be enjoyed for generations to come.
SavePacificView.org thanks…
All 724 people who sent a SavePacific View email– without you, the city’s purchase of this treasured site would not have happened!
Special thanks to:
- Antal Adriaanse
- Barbara Aplington
- Teresa Barth
- Catherine Blakespear
- Bob Bonde
- Robert Bush
- Fred Caldwell
- Sheila Cameron
- Bennett Chatfield
- Chris Chatfield
- Kay Colvin
- Carolyn Cope
- Dody Crawford
- Darius Degher
- Mary Fleener
- Sarah Garfield
- Anton Gerschler
- John Gjata
- Linda Huston
- Dan Jaoudi
- Stephen Keyes
- Tony Kranz
- Annie Leaf
- Kathleen Lindemann
- Tim Lueker
- Mail Dog Email Marketing Tools
- Lynn Marr
- Maureen Muir
- Pat Muller
- Robert Nichols
- Lili Noden
- Lucille Noden
- Mary Oren
- Treggon Owens
- Mark Patterson
- C Clark Porter
- Jean Radakovich
- Claudia Russell
- Deanne Sabeck
- Danny Salzhandler
- Jesse Schluntz
- Blair Schultze
- Lisa Shaffer
- Tricia Smith
- Elizabeth Wallace
(If we missed you, we apologize— we don’t have all the names of those who spoke at city council and school board meetings— please send us an email at info@SavePacific View.org and we’ll add your name!)
News media:
- Chris Ahrens
- Rachel Bianco
- Kay Colvin
- Ronnie Das
- Mary Fleener
- Alex Groves
- Barbara Henry
- Logan Jenkins
- Roman Koenig
- Michelle Mowad
- Hayne Palmour IV
- Gary Warth
- Jared Whitlock
