Encinitas citizens! It looks like it's showing up in real numbers with clarity of purpose that matters right now. The Crest Drive neighborhood's more than 2 dozen speakers, the well prepared organization of Kevin Farrell's diligent application, and organizing from several groups, a petition drive with hundreds of signatures and familiar faces from other neighborhoods all contributed to a successful appeal.
The following clips capture most all of the public speakers, grouped with 3 or 4 each. Pass them around the city, send them to organizations you belong to with this optimistic sense of power to the people. This first one begins with Appellant Kevin Farrell, Architect for the proposed Backus Residence.
Rick Backus, owner of 1794 Crest Drive property, Boone Hellmann UCSD campus architect who lives in Cardiff (punched holes in staff report compliance imperatives) and Ron Grimes who heads the Palomares Heights Association gave history of threats to Crest Drive since 1982.
Debbie Barley, Elizabeth Cotton, Charles Smith and Alan Aberhothe (?) all question what is going on with the city staff's lack of service to community. What can't be shown at a council meeting are the months and months of struggling with staff. Only through testimonials like this is a bright light shown on the behind the scenes city processes.
Appellant Kevin Farrell's daughter, L Farrell (?), Jennifer Lutz with her dad, John Lutz and Kyle Malloy speak out. Public Hearing of the appeal of Engineering conditions for public improvements adjacent to 1794 Crest Drive. What a good sign for Encinitas when younger people show up at the city council meeting ready to speak.
Just when you think you have heard all from these activists, they provide more insight into the community. Within the 15 minutes that these regulars activists participated in this one hour long public hearing. Several captured here are Mark Wisniewski, Delores Welty & Sheila Cameron.
Lastly, the issue of costs. Speakers like David (last name unclear), Ted Goldberg and Jennifer Hewitson raised the issue of the exhorbant costs. Ellen Speert spoke about Nature Deficit Disorder while many simply shared their stories of moving from somewhere else and Crest Drive was a place they love. Sandra Goldberg, Elizabeth Gilpin, Jerry Louis, Helen Konig and Mark Scoular.
Apologies for spelling and other name errors.
Update: From Patch article comments:
kevin farrell
10:03 am on Monday, August 20, 2012
As a follow up to my accomplishment for this particular case on Crest, the mandate from the city engineering department for drainage swale, curbs and sidewalks in all parts of encinitas will now change. It is up to all builders, owners and design professionals to question and scrutinize the forced ROW (right of way) items from this engineering department. All old encinitas areas are effected by our 5-0 City Council vote. I would like to thank this City Council and all whom assisted in this
8 month endeavor. My goal is to keep our Community Character in our control, not an overbearing engineer's.
Kevin Farrell, Architect
Tamara Backus
6:13 pm on Monday, August 20, 2012
Thanks you's to everyone who came and spoke at the City Counsel meeting last week! Kevin Farrell put together an incredible petition drive and appeal, and we will be forever grateful! We were so heartened by the number of passionate Crest Dr. and non-Crest Dr. residents who came out and patiently waited for their time to speak in support of this appeal. Crest Dr. is a magical street that should never be changed, and we are so pleased that our Mayor and City Counsel came to that conclusion, as well!
Again, Thank You to all who signed the petition and came to support us in our appeal!
Warmly,
Rick and Tammy Backus
