Encinitas will pay $10 million for Pacific View property
Pacific View supporters gathered on the steps of the former school for a celebratory group photo after the March 27 joint press conference. (Photo by Marlena Medford)
Encinitas Union School Board President Marla Strich (l.) and Encinitas City Councilmember Tony Kranz (r.) conducted a joint Pacific View press conference on Thursday, March 27, 2014.
In a joint press conference Thursday at the Pacific View site, Encinitas Union School Board President Marla Strich (l.) and Encinitas City Councilmember Tony Kranz (r.) revealed that the city will pay the district $10 million for the property.
“We are thrilled to be able to keep this property in the public domain,” Strich said at the outset. “This is as much about the Cozens, and the Hammonds and the Pitchers as it is about those of us living here today,” Kranz added.
When asked where the money was coming from, Kranz replied “We’re going to have to take a look at a variety of scenarios in order to come up with the money. Some of the terms that we’re working with the school district [on] might make the process a little bit easier.”
Stitch estimated that the results of negotiations will be submitted to the council and school board by mid-May, but she’s still hopeful that the district will be able to officially cancel the still-looming auction by its April 29 meeting. Kranz expects that final closing of the sale will probably take six months.
Regarding public hopes for an arts center on the site, Kranz said “I would ask that the public be patient with this process, because it’s going to be long. We’ve extended ourselves quite a bit, so there aren’t going to be a lot of resources to build an arts center anytime soon.” He also said that the city hopes to partner with the private sector to realize aspirations for the property.
As the event ended, Kranz, the primary architect of this unlikely success, opened a book to a page indicated by local artist Julie Ann Stricklin’s Pacific View-themed bookmark and read Robert Frost’s famous poem, “The Road Not Taken.” The poem ends:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
The event was well-attended by news media, neighbors and several of the people who have worked hard to keep Pacific View in the public domain over the past decade. Strich and Kranz’s remarks were often punctuated by applause, and a festive mood permeated the morning. After the press conference ended, many of the crowd remained to socialize and relish their hard-earned victory.
Councilmember Tony Kranz prepares to read an appropriate poem by Robert Frost as School Board President Marla Strich looks on.
You’re invited to join us by sending a ‘Thank You for Saving Pacific View’ email at the bottom of this page to express our thanks to the Encinitas City Council, EUSD superintendent and school board members for listening and responding to the community’s heartfelt wishes for this heritage site. The email also asks them to remain diligent as arrangements for the transfer of ownership are made over the next few weeks.
One example of a comment from a ‘Thank You for Saving Pacific View’ email is particularly poignant:
“You have absolutely no idea how much this decision means to me and the rest of the community. My baby girl was born on Friday morning (same day I got the email informing me about the decision.) I am absolutely ecstatic to know that she will be growing up with the PV property as community space. This means the world to me. Thank you for working together and exemplifying that community leaders truly care about the well-being of community members. Much love.”
The SavePacificView story as told by local media can be read here. SavePacificView.org will stay on top of developments and send email updates when new Pacific View events occur.
Send a ‘Thank You for Saving Pacific View’ email below! (150 sent so far…)
You’re invited to send a ‘Thank You for Saving Pacific View’ email here, to express thanks to the Encinitas City Council, EUSD superintendent and school board members for listening and responding to the community’s heartfelt wishes for this heritage site. The email also asks them to remain diligent as arrangements for the transfer of ownership are made over the next few weeks. Your name and email address will not be shared by SavePacificView.org. However, the recipients (superintendent, board members and city council members) will see your email address and may respond to you. SavePacificView.org will also send you occasional email updates about what’s happening with our new Pacific View property.
[contact-form-7 id=”772″ title=”Thank You for Saving Pacific View!”] SavePacificView.org thanks…
All 724 people who sent a SavePacific View email– without you, this would not have happened!
Special thanks to:
- Antal Adriaanse
- Barbara Aplington
- Andrew Audet
- Lynn Autumn
- 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
- 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
