ENCINITAS — The City Planning Commission named Commissioner Kevin Doyle as its new chairman after the Encinitas City Council voted unanimously to remove former chairman Bruce Ehlers in the face of public opposition last month.
The Planning Commission selected Doyle by unanimous vote at its May 4 meeting and also named Commissioner Steve Dalton as the agency’s new vice president.
Ehlers wholeheartedly endorsed his replacement, describing Doyle as a strong leader with a deep understanding of the planning commission’s code.
“Kevin is going to do very well, he got up to speed on the concept of findings and he stuck to the facts and he stuck to the law,” Ehlers said. “His deep commitment to the community, especially in Leucadia 101, makes him a very good candidate. He gets up to speed very well with the necessary legal findings, and also comes to a conclusion that is a requirement for a planning commissioner and that’s what he does so well.
Commissioner Steve Dalton, representing the Cardiff-by-the-Sea agency, said that Doyle has the full confidence of the commission and praised Doyle both personally and professionally.
“I think he has a lot of experience in the planning commission when it comes to knowing our procedures and processes, reviewing the codes and documents that we have to review, and I think he’s more than capable of handling the projects that come our way,” Dalton said. .
“I really appreciate his community service and his commitment to improving this community, he has been a very down to earth person to work with on the commission and I think he has a real strength and openness to listen to both sides and not get entrenched in one position or other. I like that he’s open that way and willing to discuss issues and then make decisions accordingly.”
Ehlers was suddenly fired from his post in April after refusing Mayor Catherine Blakespear’s request to resign voluntarily. Blakespear and the rest of the board mentioned that Ehlers’ alleged conflicts of interest prevent him from being impartial in the performance of his duties.
However, Ehlers and many others criticized the move, calling it “political hatchet work” intended to hurt his campaign for City Council.
“This is purely political. They are removing me from the commission, claiming that I am violating policy, but they have not shown how I have violated city or state law,” Ehlers said. “What they’re doing is they’re trying to tarnish my reputation, and they’re completely wrong to do it.”
Blakespear denied that the council’s decision was political, instead contending that by making public statements about certain housing developments and his involvement in litigation against the city, Ehlers’ presence on the Planning Commission had become “a liability.” for the city of Encinitas.
Kurt Groseclose, a former city planning commissioner, praised Doyle, calling Ehlers’ removal a “travesty.”
“I think putting Kevin in there is the best option in a bad situation,” Groseclose said. “I worked with Bruce for a long time and his removal was ridiculous. It shouldn’t have been removed. The City Council says that planning commissioners serve at the discretion of the City Council. Well, I don’t agree with that: they should serve the need of the people and not the need of the council.”
Doyle’s commission
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Going forward, Doyle anticipates that his tenure as president will be contentious due to some controversial development projects scheduled to come before the commission.
“I’m really looking forward to doing this job and I think it’s going to be an exciting and scary time going forward,” Doyle said. “Everyone thought the Goodson project was controversial, but there are several others that I know are coming up that will be quite disruptive and will have a lot of input from neighbors.”
In the interest of impartiality, Doyle declined to discuss the specific projects the commission will review.
A longtime jewelry owner, Doyle has represented Old Encinitas on the Planning Commission since 2017. He has also served as a board member of the Leucadia 101 Mainstreet Association since 2005, serving as committee treasurer. Doyle and his wife Malin have lived in Encinitas since 2003 and have a son together.
Doyle discussed his approach to the position: he’s excited about the role but also aware of the challenges facing the commission.
“This is a tough job to do, and not a lot of people wanted to be involved in it,” Doyle said. “Five years ago I didn’t know much, I was just a consultant and now I’m immersed in our code, I love our code. I was mentored by Glenn O’Grady, the former chairman of the commission. And personally I feel like it’s better, given the work that we do, if we have a conversation and I appreciate even a little disagreement, because that’s where we really get to the red flag issues.”
The new commission chairman shared that one of his top priorities will be looking at where the group can direct city policy to promote responsible development of affordable housing units.
“Some of the things that we hope to do as a commission is dive into the issue of affordable housing,” Doyle said. “From a planning commission standpoint, we hope to take the lead on this and look at things in our zoning code that we could easily change that could spur affordable housing.”
At the same time, Doyle acknowledged the need to balance growth with the city’s existing infrastructure, noting that some of the major projects under review are expected to have substantial impacts on traffic, parking, fire safety and drainage. .
“Yeah, I mean, in some cases, there are some serious infrastructure gaps,” Doyle said. “Each of these projects will require more work from the city. We will request to accelerate some of these projects, it has some that are more difficult than average and unlike anything we have had before. Like now, he’s got all these R-30 sites and they’re huge.
“One thing is that we are going to be dealing with a lot of public perception issues. People want to know that we’re doing the right thing, but when they look at some of these projects that are coming up, they don’t necessarily see it as the right thing to do.”
The president said one of the challenges facing the commission is the growing conflict between newly enacted state laws, such as Senate Bills 9 and 10, and zoning ordinances. Initiating such regulations has been a challenge at the municipal level, Doyle said, because it has been difficult for residents to trust the city’s updated zoning ordinances when state laws may conflict.
“[SB 9 and 10] basically override a lot of our local zoning codes,” Doyle said. “We know what the code should be, but we have to drop our code because state law supersedes it. The biggest problem in the big picture is that last year, over 1,000 bills were signed at the state level, so that’s five or six bills per business day and our staff has to fight every time a new bill comes in. and find guidance for us and handle contradictions between their rules and ours. When the time comes, we have to follow state law, but yeah, it messes things up because the public needs our rules.”
Doyle also spoke about the evolving nature of homeownership in the city and hopes that Encinitas can continue to grow as a municipality while maintaining its unique culture and remaining affordable for future generations.
“I first fell in love with this city for all the usual reasons: the surfing, the parks, the laid back beach town vibe; In many ways, Encinitas was a unique gem, seemingly untouched by time,” said Doyle. . “I am fortunate to have my own home here in Encinitas. I don’t plan to sell, but I keep track of the perceived value of my home, and I probably couldn’t afford it today. I want to see more efforts to create affordable, or at least attainable, rental housing. We are an aspirational community, but I want us to be inclusive as well. We need transitional housing so our most vulnerable residents aren’t forced to move elsewhere to survive.”
Statistically, crime is pretty low and in the neighborhoods that SEEM tougher, rent is reasonable and still safe, even at night. It is said that Vista has some of the nicest either in the field, and it is true. Close to the waterfront neighborhood, lots of breweries and waiting to be the next up-to-date city in North County.
Is Vista CA in East County?
| View, Calif. | |
|---|---|
| Website | www.cityofview.com |
Is Vista California North or South? Vista is a city in northern San Diego County, California.
What is considered East County San Diego?
It commonly includes El Cajon, La Mesa, Lemon Grove, and Santee, as well as unincorporated suburban and rural communities such as Lakeside, Spring Valley, Jamul, and Alpine.
Is Escondido East County?
Escondido (Spanish for “hidden”; Kumeyaay: Eskondiid) is a city in the northern region of San Diego County, 30 miles (48 km) northeast of downtown San Diego, 15 miles from the ocean and 40 miles from the border with Mexico.
What are the regions of San Diego County?
San Diego County is huge, spanning more than 4,500 square miles and boasting an ever-growing population of 3.3 million residents. That vast expanse is divided into four parts: East County, South Bay, Central San Diego, and North County.
What is considered south county San Diego?
South Bay, also known as South County, is a region in southwestern San Diego County, California, consisting of the cities and unincorporated communities of Bonita, Chula Vista, Imperial Beach, Lincoln Acres, National City, and South San Diego. .
What is the county of Vista CA?
The City of Vista is a Charter City and was incorporated on January 28, 1963. Located just seven miles inland from the Pacific Ocean in northern San Diego County, the City of Vista has a Mediterranean climate perfect temper.
Is Vista California rich?
The per capita income in Vista in 2018 was $30,781, which is median income relative to California and upper median income relative to the rest of the US. This equates to an annual income of $123,124 for a family of four. However, Vista also contains very rich and poor people.
What county is city of Vista CA in?
Is Chula Vista in LA county?
Chula Vista is the second largest city, by area, within San Diego County. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city covers an area of 52.1 square miles (135 km2), 49.6 square miles (128 km2) of land, and 2.5 square miles (6.5 km2) o 4.73% water.
Is Vista considered San Diego County?
Major cities in San Diego County include San Diego, Chula Vista, Oceanside, Escondido, Carlsbad, El Cajon, Vista, San Marcos, Encinitas, National City, and Coronado.
Is Chula Vista East or West?
Taking into account the origins of its Spanish name – Hermosa Vista – Chula Vista is located in the South Bay region of San Diego County, between the foothills of the Jamul and San Ysidro Mountains (including the Lower Otay Reservoir) and the San Diego Bay on its east and west. extremes, and the Sweetwater River and the Otay River to its north…
Is San Diego East or West?
Los Angeles, San Diego and San Jose, all among the 10 most populous cities in the country, lead the West Coast in population with more than a million people in each city, with Los Angeles being almost three times the size of San Diego. population.
Is San Diego in the West or South?
Historically home to the Kumeyaay people, San Diego is often referred to as the “Birthplace of California” as it was the first site visited and settled by Europeans on what is now the West Coast of the United States.
Is Chula Vista North or South?
Chula Vista, City, San Diego County, Southern California, USA Chula Vista is located on the eastern shore of San Diego Bay, south of San Diego and just north of Tijuana, Mexico.
What county is Chula Vista CA in?
Is Chula Vista in Los Angeles County? Chula Vista is the second largest city, by area, within San Diego County. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city covers an area of 52.1 square miles (135 km2), 49.6 square miles (128 km2) of land, and 2.5 square miles (6.5 km2) o 4.73% water.
What county is San Diego a part of?
With a population of 1,386,932 in 2020, San Diego is the eighth most populous city in the United States and the second most populous in California (after Los Angeles). The city is the county seat of San Diego County, the fifth most populous county in the United States, with an estimated 3,338,330 residents as of 2019.
Is San Diego considered LA county?
Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties are the five most populous in the state and are among the 15 most populous counties in the United States. The film, television, and music industry is concentrated in the Los Angeles area of Southern California.
What region does San Diego belong to?
San Diego, port and city, seat (1850) of San Diego County, Southern California, USA. It is located along the Pacific Ocean in San Diego Bay, just north of the international border with Mexico and a about 120 miles (195 km) southeast of Los Angeles.
What counties make up San Diego?
It is bordered by Riverside and Orange counties to the north, Imperial County to the east, the Pacific Ocean to the west, and Mexico to the south. The largest city in San Diego County is San Diego, the county seat and the second largest city in California.
What is the County of San Diego called?
San Diego County (/ËŒsæn diˈeɪɡoÊŠ/ (listen)), officially San Diego County, is a county in the southwestern corner of the US state of California.
Is Vista considered San Diego County?
Major cities in San Diego County include San Diego, Chula Vista, Oceanside, Escondido, Carlsbad, El Cajon, Vista, San Marcos, Encinitas, National City, and Coronado.
What cities does San Diego County cover?
City Websites in San Diego County
- Carlsbad | Chula Vista | Crowned.
- Of the Sea | The Drawer | Encinitas.
- hidden | Imperial Beach | Table.
- lemon grove | National City | By the sea.
- Poway | saint diego | Saint Mark.
- holy | Solana Beach | View.
What is the county of Vista California?
The City of Vista is a Charter City and was incorporated on January 28, 1963. Located just seven miles inland from the Pacific Ocean in northern San Diego County, the City of Vista has a Mediterranean climate perfect temper.
Is Vista a part of San Diego County?
Vista (/ˈvɪstÉ™/; Spanish for “to see”) is a city in San Diego County, California. Vista is a medium-sized city within the San Diego-Carlsbad, CA metropolitan area and has a population of 101,638.
Is Chula Vista separate from San Diego?
Geography. South San Diego is located within the South San Diego City Area, in the southwestern corner of San Diego County. As for the land, it is physically separated from the rest of the city of San Diego by the cities of National City and Chula Vista.
Why is San Diego separated?
To reach the US-Mexico border from downtown, travelers must exit and then re-enter San Diego, passing first through National City and Chula Vista. The San Ysidro neighborhood, home to approximately 53,000 San Diegans, is physically separated from the city’s urban core.
Is Chula Vista considered San Diego County?
The City of Chula Vista is located in the center of one of the richest areas of cultural, economic and environmental diversity in the United States. It is the second largest city in San Diego County with a population of 276,000.
What cities are considered South San Diego?
The community is made up of four cities and unincorporated communities in southern San Diego County. The four cities are National City, Chula Vista, Imperial Beach, and the San Ysidro, Otay Mesa, and Nestor Mesa neighborhoods of the City of San Diego.
What’s it like living in Vista?
Living in Vista offers residents a dense suburban feel and most residents rent their homes. In Vista there are many cafes and parks. Many families live in Vista and the residents tend to be liberal. Public schools in Vista are above average.
What growing zone is Southern California?
The northern half of a California planting zone can be between 5a and 10b. The southern region has zones 5a to 11a.
