Congratulations Carlsbad – NO on A Wins
After days of counting ballots, it's official. Carlsbad voters have rejected the Caruso mall proposal along Cannon Rd. overlooking the Agua Hedionda Lagoon. Thanks to everyone who joined us for our presentation and panel discussion on Carlsbad Measure A in January.
After days of counting ballots, it's official. Carlsbad voters have rejected the Caruso mall proposal along Cannon Rd. overlooking the Agua Hedionda Lagoon. Thanks to everyone who joined us for our presentation and panel discussion on Carlsbad Measure A in January.
Photos by Valerie Kosheleff.
We'd like to extend a special thanks to everyone who was able to spend a few hours at the Dove Library on Thursday, Jan. 21 for the San Diego County Democrats for Environmental Action forum and panel discussion in support of North County residents and citizens' groups opposed to Measure A, also known as the the Caruso 85/15 mall proposal. The ballot measure is up for a citywide vote in Carlsbad on Feb. 23. Mail ballots are now out.
As an environmental club, we were happy to provide a venue for a panel of Carlsbad speakers with their own particular insights and concerns about Measure A – legal, environmental and otherwise – and offer leadership to those voices who are all but drowned out in their hometown by $7 million worth of outside media efforts by a Los Angeles-based developer and its allies in Carlsbad city government. A very special thanks to our incredible panel of speakers and special guests, including:
As an environmental club, we were happy to provide a venue for a panel of Carlsbad speakers with their own particular insights and concerns about Measure A – legal, environmental and otherwise – and offer leadership to those voices who are all but drowned out in their hometown by $7 million worth of outside media efforts by a Los Angeles-based developer and its allies in Carlsbad city government. A very special thanks to our incredible panel of speakers and special guests, including:
Kevin Johnson Attorney and Calif. Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Expert |
Cori Schumacher Environmental Justice Advocate an Professional Surfer |
Bridget Larsen Wright
Spokesperson for Citizens for North County |
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Check out the video clip linked here of Cori Schumacher's presentation at the Carlsbad event, courtesy of Karen Aho-Brown and Carlsbad-based SQS Video.
Karen and Citizens for North County were also kind of enough to share a video of Bridget Larsen Wright's comments as well. If you're still "on the fence" about Measure A, we encourage you to take a moment to view both of these clips. Special thanks to the individuals and organizations that got the word out, including Citizens for North County, the San Diego County Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, members of DEMCCO and the San Diego County Democratic Party. |
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Concrete, Open Space and a Tidal Lagoon
A bit of background on the No on Measure A campaign.
Monterey Pine along Agua Hedionda Lagoon.
Read more at club president Tommy Hough's blog entry, titled Open Space and Carlsbad Measure A.
The city of Carlsbad's Measure A, which would enable the construction of a 585,000 square foot shopping mall on the Agua Hedionda Lagoon, has caused a great deal of controversy around San Diego County due to the environmentally-sensitive location of the mall, as well as the expected traffic, noise, water pollution, stormwater runoff and overall impact on the lagoon's remaining open space values, as well as the effect on the nearby strawberry fields.
Utilizing an expensive media campaign to promote Measure A, the developer recently added an additional $650,000 to the $5.3 million already spent in support of the plan. The TV commercials have been non-stop, again demonstrating the lamentable Citizens United adage that money equates free speech.
The city of Carlsbad's Measure A, which would enable the construction of a 585,000 square foot shopping mall on the Agua Hedionda Lagoon, has caused a great deal of controversy around San Diego County due to the environmentally-sensitive location of the mall, as well as the expected traffic, noise, water pollution, stormwater runoff and overall impact on the lagoon's remaining open space values, as well as the effect on the nearby strawberry fields.
Utilizing an expensive media campaign to promote Measure A, the developer recently added an additional $650,000 to the $5.3 million already spent in support of the plan. The TV commercials have been non-stop, again demonstrating the lamentable Citizens United adage that money equates free speech.
Citizens for North County graphic.
According to the Argument Against Measure A on the city of Carlsbad's website, the mall development "is nearly twice the density of Carlsbad's largest existing mall," and according to the developer's own numbers, the mall will generate an additional 24,100 car trips along I-5 and Cannon Road every day. Do Carsbad residents really desire that level of additional traffic? Is that going to enhance the quality of life in Carlsbad?
Having failed to block an earlier public vote, Caruso convinced the Carlsbad City Council this past summer to call a special election for the ballot measure in February – instead of waiting for the June primary or November general election ballots. According to the Argument Against Measure A, the February special election featuring this one ballot item will cost Carlsbad taxpayers over $500,000. If the issue was simply added to the city's general election ballot for November, it would have only cost the city $35,000. Either way, low turnout for the special February election is assured, which increases the likelihood the measure will pass.
Having failed to block an earlier public vote, Caruso convinced the Carlsbad City Council this past summer to call a special election for the ballot measure in February – instead of waiting for the June primary or November general election ballots. According to the Argument Against Measure A, the February special election featuring this one ballot item will cost Carlsbad taxpayers over $500,000. If the issue was simply added to the city's general election ballot for November, it would have only cost the city $35,000. Either way, low turnout for the special February election is assured, which increases the likelihood the measure will pass.
The plan also seeks to avoid California environmental law and the CEQA process, as well as Carlsbad's own building standards, and limits citizen review and the ability to hold officials accountable. According to the Argument Against Measure A, "The developer has never provided detailed drawings of what will be built or disclosed specifics of land use."
Measure A exempts the development from Carlsbad's existing general plan, zoning, grading, height and other regulations and prohibits any changes for at least 15 years – even if the development creates what the argument describes as unforeseen, costly problems.
The tranquility of Agua Hedionda Lagoon is part of the coastal quality of life which makes Carlsbad such a uniquely attractive location, even for North County, and an attraction for residents throughout Southern California. While dismissing stormwater runoff and other immediate risks to the lagoon's health and scenery, as well as the disproportionate impact the alleged 15 percent to be developed will have on the other 85 percent, the developer has worded Measure A as an attempt to protect open space – even though 90 percent of the area in the proposal was already protected by Carlsbad voters as open space in 2002.
And really, when was open space preservation ever incumbent upon building a mall alongside of it?
Measure A exempts the development from Carlsbad's existing general plan, zoning, grading, height and other regulations and prohibits any changes for at least 15 years – even if the development creates what the argument describes as unforeseen, costly problems.
The tranquility of Agua Hedionda Lagoon is part of the coastal quality of life which makes Carlsbad such a uniquely attractive location, even for North County, and an attraction for residents throughout Southern California. While dismissing stormwater runoff and other immediate risks to the lagoon's health and scenery, as well as the disproportionate impact the alleged 15 percent to be developed will have on the other 85 percent, the developer has worded Measure A as an attempt to protect open space – even though 90 percent of the area in the proposal was already protected by Carlsbad voters as open space in 2002.
And really, when was open space preservation ever incumbent upon building a mall alongside of it?
As Carlsbad resident and forum guest Cori Schumacher posted on her State of Flux blog in December in a piece called False Choices:
"There are no innovative green energy solutions or development, no forward thinking sustainable businesses or renewables at the forefront, and we are further setting ourselves up to become a community servicing the desires of wayfarers – invest[ing] in businesses that bolster the idea that we are a destination city catering to those 'just passing through.'"
"These designations and projects 'at no cost to taxpayers' are flung with pride in the faces of residents who are chiming up about the many shifts in Carlsbad. Everything has a value in this coastal town, and the economy and those who benefit unequally set that value. This is a cold utilitarianism that functions by the numbers – not by the human spirit."
"There are no innovative green energy solutions or development, no forward thinking sustainable businesses or renewables at the forefront, and we are further setting ourselves up to become a community servicing the desires of wayfarers – invest[ing] in businesses that bolster the idea that we are a destination city catering to those 'just passing through.'"
"These designations and projects 'at no cost to taxpayers' are flung with pride in the faces of residents who are chiming up about the many shifts in Carlsbad. Everything has a value in this coastal town, and the economy and those who benefit unequally set that value. This is a cold utilitarianism that functions by the numbers – not by the human spirit."
