The purchase of the Pacific View property by the City of Encinitas without a specific funding plan is cause for a hiring freeze, according to Deputy Mayor Mark Muir. He has added a discussion of the potential freeze to the city council’s Wednesday, May 14, meeting.

Muir, who voted against the sale along with councilmember Kristin Gaspar, tells the council in his report, “I feel that it would be prudent for the city to implement a temporary hiring freeze, until such time as the [Pacific View purchase] funding source is determined and the impacts to the budget are known. Exceptions to the hiring freeze can be made by the City Manager, as long as the position is determined to be critical to the organization and within our current budget.”

The May 14 meeting will take place at 6 p.m. at City Hall in the Encinitas City Council Chambers located at 505 South Vulcan Avenue in Encinitas.

The Pacific View auction is canceled

Encinitas Union School District Superintendent Dr. Timothy Baird speaks to trustees on Tuesday, April 29, explaining his recommendation that they vote to formally cancel the imminent auction of the Pacific View property.

It took less than two minutes for the Encinitas Union School District Board to formally disarm the looming threat of the Pacific View property being auctioned off to developers. The unanimous vote came 2 1/2 hours into the board’s Tuesday, April 29 meeting.

“Based upon where we are in negotiations with the city, I would recommend that we cancel the auction for the sale of Pacific View and we move forward with our plan to sell the property to the City of Encinitas,” said Superintendent Timothy Baird, addressing the five trustees.

“We do have a signed Intent to Purchase agreement with the city in hand,” he continued. “We have a $50,000 deposit and we are moving forward with the testing of the site per the city’s request and we are confident that the site will pass all that assessment, and that we will be entering into a more formalized purchase agreement before the end of next month, as spelled out in the agreement.”

After the 5-to-0 “yes” vote, board president Marla Strich added her own denouement: “Another step in the path– gratefully.”

Indeed, the board’s action gives a clear victory to residents who fought to keep the Pacific View property public, but it opens a new chapter in which the use of the property and how it will be paid for are likely to be the topics of much community debate. Residents can join the discussion on this website at Share Your View.

Trustee Maureen “Mo” Muir, who was the sole board member opposed to the auction from the beginning, told SavePacific View after the meeting, “Although I wasn’t pleased with the methodology of the negotiating process, I’m very pleased that this asset will remain in the public domain for our kids and community for many generations.”

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.

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