My comments on the announcement below.
The announcement by "city officials" of a postponement of the lighting of the Arbolitos Flood Control Basin validates that the city council members did, in fact, violate the rules of CEQA.
Now that these non-elected officials have, post-CPU approval, discovered that Mr. De Hoff was indeed correct, they have stepped forward with another concession. This time the concession is not to the neighborhood, not to the city council, and ultimately not to the citizens of Poway, but to themselves. All under the guise of gnatcatcher mating season.
These un-elected city officials and the un-elected city manager are squirming to spend more of our tax payer money through continued payments to lawyers and an additional study. This is being done to justify the mistake they made in recommending to the city council approval of the CUP before doing due diligence.
Those that have lobbied these un-elected "city officials" to push for the lighting of the flood control basin for their own benefit are sitting back and watching the city spend our tax payer money to support ill-advised recommendations.
And those we elected to the city council continue accept this.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Poway postpones lighting of Arbolitos Sports Fields
Pat Kumpan Re-Published from MyLocalNews.com 01/10/2011 - 5:35 p.m.
Poway officials announced late Monday that it will postpone for five months the construction of eight 70-foot tall lights at Arbolitos Sports Fields now that a biologist has documented a threatened species of bird living in scrub that surrounds the fields. The construction was scheduled to begin in March.
Released Monday, the report indicates that the California gnatcatcher’s existence was documented on two dates by certified biologist Vivian Marquez of Marquez and Associates in Encinitas.
A pair of gnatcatchers were observed on Nov. 10 and again on Dec. 10 in the fields off Pomerado Road by Marquez, who conducted three surveys, each at least one week apart, as required by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The birds’ mating season extends from March through August, according to Marquez and local environmentalists.
City Manager Penny Riley said, “appropriate action will be taken should the city determine there is any potential harm to the gnatcatcher.”
The city is continuing to study whether any additional gnatcatcher protections are warranted, she added.
Resident Peter De Hoff presented information, as well as photos of the bird, during an Oct. 19 City Council meeting.
De Hoff and others were upset that the bird was not mentioned in an environmental report conducted prior to approving the field lights.
City Council members approved the lights with an amended conditional use permit during that October meeting.
De Hoff’s attorney, Rory Wicks, said that the city should have tabled the project that night until it could verify whether the bird lives in the immediate fields.
According to De Hoff, when the city approved a declaration that no environmental impacts would occur when the lights are installed, it violated the California Environmental Quality Act.
The city met with De Hoff and his attorney on Jan. 7 to discuss possible settlement options, but no decisions have been made.
Poway officials announced late Monday that it will postpone for five months the construction of eight 70-foot tall lights at Arbolitos Sports Fields now that a biologist has documented a threatened species of bird living in scrub that surrounds the fields. The construction was scheduled to begin in March.
Released Monday, the report indicates that the California gnatcatcher’s existence was documented on two dates by certified biologist Vivian Marquez of Marquez and Associates in Encinitas.
A pair of gnatcatchers were observed on Nov. 10 and again on Dec. 10 in the fields off Pomerado Road by Marquez, who conducted three surveys, each at least one week apart, as required by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The birds’ mating season extends from March through August, according to Marquez and local environmentalists.
City Manager Penny Riley said, “appropriate action will be taken should the city determine there is any potential harm to the gnatcatcher.”
The city is continuing to study whether any additional gnatcatcher protections are warranted, she added.
Resident Peter De Hoff presented information, as well as photos of the bird, during an Oct. 19 City Council meeting.
De Hoff and others were upset that the bird was not mentioned in an environmental report conducted prior to approving the field lights.
City Council members approved the lights with an amended conditional use permit during that October meeting.
De Hoff’s attorney, Rory Wicks, said that the city should have tabled the project that night until it could verify whether the bird lives in the immediate fields.
According to De Hoff, when the city approved a declaration that no environmental impacts would occur when the lights are installed, it violated the California Environmental Quality Act.
The city met with De Hoff and his attorney on Jan. 7 to discuss possible settlement options, but no decisions have been made.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Cart before the Horse
It remains obvious that backroom shenanigans continue to pervade the Poway city council. Three hours before the October 19 meeting Cunningham wrote an email suggesting what basically became the result of the meeting. In the message he recognizes that what the council would do would be against the extant General Plan. He goes on to offer a compromise and at the same time naming the Arbolitos area neighbors as "Opponents."
We are not opponents but citizens of Poway and residents of a neighborhood.
If there is any "contentious" behavior, as indicated in this Pomorado News article, it originates from city hall, not the Arbolitos neighbors.
Through non-public actions and verbal obfuscation what each of the council members did was break the commitment they made to uphold the General Plan when they vowed to be city council members. Instead each agreed, without saying so explicitly, that to lawfully proceed with the lighting of the flood control basin plan they had to change the General Plan first; not within 120 days, but by the next meeting.
Breaking commitments is not new to this council and we should all be wary of their remaining seated.
If the plan allowed the lighting of the basin, then there would be no need to direct the city staff to quickly cover their tracks and amend, change, or include a new definition for a unique and light-able park.
We are not opponents but citizens of Poway and residents of a neighborhood.
If there is any "contentious" behavior, as indicated in this Pomorado News article, it originates from city hall, not the Arbolitos neighbors.
Through non-public actions and verbal obfuscation what each of the council members did was break the commitment they made to uphold the General Plan when they vowed to be city council members. Instead each agreed, without saying so explicitly, that to lawfully proceed with the lighting of the flood control basin plan they had to change the General Plan first; not within 120 days, but by the next meeting.
Breaking commitments is not new to this council and we should all be wary of their remaining seated.
If the plan allowed the lighting of the basin, then there would be no need to direct the city staff to quickly cover their tracks and amend, change, or include a new definition for a unique and light-able park.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Arbolitos Flood Control Basin Summary UPDATED
The Arbolitos Flood Control Basin was created in 1996 as a rain water retention basin to prevent flooding south of Abraxas High School. A sports field was created in the process of grading the detention basin in what was originally an open space nature preserve. To secure the cooperation of the local residents in creating a sports field over the basin, The City of Poway promised (or gained cooperation, or gained a concession with the neighbors) that the fields would be for daytime use only and that floodlights would never be installed for night time use.
Since then, and repeatedly, the city council has been harassed, harangued, cajoled, and petitioned by a minority of Poway residents and non-Poway residents to renege on that promise. To convince the council to renounce the promise and to ignore the primary reason the fields exists, this minority has generated a plan that included these statements:
1. Flood lights should be installed for night time use of the basin.
2. Artificial turf should be installed over the basin.
Through backdoor dealings with the city council, the city manager and the city staff these attempts have finally met with some success in getting one of these elements of this plan approved. They have convinced the current members of the city council to ignore the City's General Plan and more importantly to break the promise to the neighbors and proceed to put lights over the flood control basin.
We can, and should, hold the members of the city council to the commitment (promise) made and not spend our tax dollars in this venture. In reneging on the earlier commitment to the Arbolitos neighborhood, the Mayor said it was "not a promise, but a decision," one in which he participated. But at the September 7th council meeting it was obvious that the council members had already made up their minds. The meeting was simply a necessary legally required roadblock. They chose to ignore the facts and they summarily disregarded the concession to the Arbolitos neighbors treating it as something no more than a minor bother. The Mayor and the rest of the council were steadfast in retracting on the commitment, just as they have done in prior instances.
Peter De Hoff attempted to hold the city council members to their commitment, but that too has was passed over. Here is your opportunity to add your name on his petition against this plan.
The city staff and the members of the city council set aside the issue of placing artificial turf in the Flood Control basin. This was done mainly because there is strong visual evidence of the folly of putting artificial turf in a flood control basin, but they are continuing to pursue lighting of the flood control basin with additional "promises" that the lights will go off at 8:00 p.m.
When the current members of the city council promise something, then don't keep that promise, what then of the 8:00 p.m. promise?
October 13 Update: It didn't take long for that "off at 8:00 p.m." promise to die; it's now being discussed "as a concession to the neighbors, the lights will go off at 9:00 p.m."
Yeah, right. Here's another 'concession' being offered that will soon be broken too. Ten o'clock anyone?
Letters appearing in the News Chieftain
Why spend $700K on Arbolitos?
The Poway city staff report for the Conditional Use Permit to allow lighting Arbolitos Park for nighttime sports activities has been issued. It is too late for me to urge that lights not be allowed at Arbolitos Park, but I would like to urge our City Council to consider a few items as they review the staff report.
More than one councilmember stated at the Sept. 7 council meeting that they were committed to an 8 p.m. curfew for lights at Arbolitos. Now is the time for them to remember those commitments and change the staff recommendation from a 9 p.m. curfew back to that 8 p.m. curfew.
PYSL only asked for a practice field. The staff report recommends game- level lighting for Arbolitos Park. Now is the time for the council to change to practice-level lighting, which the staff report says would have less impact on the neighbors. The physical installation for the lights should be practice-level only, not a dual level with a switch.
PYSL promised $350,000 toward lighting Arbolitos Park. The council should require PYSL to make good on that promise, rather than accept the staff recommendation to appropriate $700,000 for the city to fund the entire project. There are other parks in Poway where that money could be put to good use.
I encourage Powegians to attend the Oct. 19 council meeting and watch the actions of their councilmembers as they think about who to support in the upcoming election.
Tom Tucker
Poway
Stavros best choice for Poway Mayor
To those who think the recall shook our appointed mayor into being more forthright and ethical, you are wrong. In the last five months Don Higginson has dropped to an all-time low in his treatment and consideration of his constituents.
Higginson was the lesser of all evils when Cafagna anointed him. Many of Higginson’s current supporters were recall supporters. I find it disturbing that anyone who supported the recall can now look at Higginson and not understand that Betty Rexford did not act in a bubble, she had inside help.
The alternative is Nick Stavros. Nick is articulate in his understanding Poway political business in the past and why we desperately need change moving forward. Nick has repeatedly stepped up to be the voice of reason only to be dismissed with a bang of a contemptuous gavel. I was particularly impressed with his ideas for our redevelopment dollars and the conflict of interest between our city manager and City Council.
Is Higginson our best choice? No, Stavros is. South Poway may be the redheaded stepchild to north Poway. Until south Poway neighborhoods are improved, we will become the rotting fish that fouls the north’s air. South Poway issues will become north Poway issues — unmanageable traffic as commuters fight to get around the Poway Road gridlock, increased crime as mega-centers are built on land that was never intended for big-box development, and destruction of our last vestiges of open space. I believe Stavros is the new leadership for Poway.
Clariece Tally
Poway
The Poway city staff report for the Conditional Use Permit to allow lighting Arbolitos Park for nighttime sports activities has been issued. It is too late for me to urge that lights not be allowed at Arbolitos Park, but I would like to urge our City Council to consider a few items as they review the staff report.
More than one councilmember stated at the Sept. 7 council meeting that they were committed to an 8 p.m. curfew for lights at Arbolitos. Now is the time for them to remember those commitments and change the staff recommendation from a 9 p.m. curfew back to that 8 p.m. curfew.
PYSL only asked for a practice field. The staff report recommends game- level lighting for Arbolitos Park. Now is the time for the council to change to practice-level lighting, which the staff report says would have less impact on the neighbors. The physical installation for the lights should be practice-level only, not a dual level with a switch.
PYSL promised $350,000 toward lighting Arbolitos Park. The council should require PYSL to make good on that promise, rather than accept the staff recommendation to appropriate $700,000 for the city to fund the entire project. There are other parks in Poway where that money could be put to good use.
I encourage Powegians to attend the Oct. 19 council meeting and watch the actions of their councilmembers as they think about who to support in the upcoming election.
Tom Tucker
Poway
Stavros best choice for Poway Mayor
To those who think the recall shook our appointed mayor into being more forthright and ethical, you are wrong. In the last five months Don Higginson has dropped to an all-time low in his treatment and consideration of his constituents.
Higginson was the lesser of all evils when Cafagna anointed him. Many of Higginson’s current supporters were recall supporters. I find it disturbing that anyone who supported the recall can now look at Higginson and not understand that Betty Rexford did not act in a bubble, she had inside help.
The alternative is Nick Stavros. Nick is articulate in his understanding Poway political business in the past and why we desperately need change moving forward. Nick has repeatedly stepped up to be the voice of reason only to be dismissed with a bang of a contemptuous gavel. I was particularly impressed with his ideas for our redevelopment dollars and the conflict of interest between our city manager and City Council.
Is Higginson our best choice? No, Stavros is. South Poway may be the redheaded stepchild to north Poway. Until south Poway neighborhoods are improved, we will become the rotting fish that fouls the north’s air. South Poway issues will become north Poway issues — unmanageable traffic as commuters fight to get around the Poway Road gridlock, increased crime as mega-centers are built on land that was never intended for big-box development, and destruction of our last vestiges of open space. I believe Stavros is the new leadership for Poway.
Clariece Tally
Poway
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
"integrity-be-damned" Boo
Below is an excerpt from Bob Emery's editorial published October 13.
Emery retired from the City Council after serving 28 years
"And an integrity-be-damned, “let’s light up the night” boo hiss to the Poway City Council for reneging on a long-standing city policy that prohibited the lighting of neighborhood parks. The council apparently gave its go ahead on Sept. 7 to lighting Arbolitos Park with 70-foot poles, when it directed staff to bring back a revised conditional use permit on Oct. 19. Not only does this action fly in the face of numerous promises to residents in the past not to light neighborhood parks, it opens the flood gates for numerous requests by all sports leagues to request equal treatment. As stated by soccer parent Ginger Couvrette, “We need more lighted fields, not just for soccer but for other teams, too.” I asked in a previous column, what’s next, Starridge Park, Valle Verde Park, and Aubrey Park? The possibilities are endless."
To see the full article, click here.
Emery retired from the City Council after serving 28 years
"And an integrity-be-damned, “let’s light up the night” boo hiss to the Poway City Council for reneging on a long-standing city policy that prohibited the lighting of neighborhood parks. The council apparently gave its go ahead on Sept. 7 to lighting Arbolitos Park with 70-foot poles, when it directed staff to bring back a revised conditional use permit on Oct. 19. Not only does this action fly in the face of numerous promises to residents in the past not to light neighborhood parks, it opens the flood gates for numerous requests by all sports leagues to request equal treatment. As stated by soccer parent Ginger Couvrette, “We need more lighted fields, not just for soccer but for other teams, too.” I asked in a previous column, what’s next, Starridge Park, Valle Verde Park, and Aubrey Park? The possibilities are endless."
To see the full article, click here.
Straw Man Surfaces
In the online Pomorado News story it is reported that the statements made by the city council about shutting off the flood lights over the Arbolitos Flood Control Basin at 8:00 p.m. is now going to be discussed as 9:00 p.m. This has been offered as a "concession to the neighbors."
Let this not be a diversion from the original intent of this issue. The real issue isn't what time the flood lights will be turned off, but whether there should be lights in the first place.
It is again obvious that some behind the scenes operatives have been lobbying "the staff" and the city manager to make a recommendation to the city council to make changes. The city council, albeit incorrectly, made another decision at the last council meeting - to obviate the original "concession to the neighbors" to "not put lights over the fields."
How insulting is this new "concession to the neighbors?"
Once the city council made that new decision, the back room politics were pressed again to change what the council said "off at 8:00 p.m." Hence, this new change. How soon will it be that the backroom dealings will change that again to 10:00 p.m.
This Straw Man tactic to continually pressure "the staff" into doing what they want will continue.
Now, let's also review what they said. They offered $350,000 to help defray the costs. Show me the money. Want to guess who is going to foot the full bill? You the taxpayer.
See the full news article here.
Let this not be a diversion from the original intent of this issue. The real issue isn't what time the flood lights will be turned off, but whether there should be lights in the first place.
It is again obvious that some behind the scenes operatives have been lobbying "the staff" and the city manager to make a recommendation to the city council to make changes. The city council, albeit incorrectly, made another decision at the last council meeting - to obviate the original "concession to the neighbors" to "not put lights over the fields."
How insulting is this new "concession to the neighbors?"
Once the city council made that new decision, the back room politics were pressed again to change what the council said "off at 8:00 p.m." Hence, this new change. How soon will it be that the backroom dealings will change that again to 10:00 p.m.
This Straw Man tactic to continually pressure "the staff" into doing what they want will continue.
Now, let's also review what they said. They offered $350,000 to help defray the costs. Show me the money. Want to guess who is going to foot the full bill? You the taxpayer.
See the full news article here.