Those who frequent the Carlsbad Village Plaza know what it means to the community. For 60 years, the plaza has been more than just a shopping center – it’s been a social hub and a necessity for residents.
Its bakery, pharmacy, dive bar, laundromat, thrift shop, grocery store and other small businesses have served the area’s residents for decades, many of them seniors.
For many, it’s hard to imagine their neighborhood without it. But the beloved gathering spot is planned to be replaced by a new housing development, forcing existing businesses to shut down and displacing their owners.
It’s not the first time North County residents have had to say goodbye to their favorite hangouts. In September, Encinitas bid farewell to the iconic Cap’n Keno’s, a nautical-themed bar known for its nostalgic charm. A developer bought the property with plans to turn it into new housing, retail shops and a new restaurant.
The pattern is a twist on the ongoing tension of development versus the desire to preserve community character. The conflict isn’t just about large apartments versus single-family homes, it’s about the loss of beloved community spaces to much needed housing.
Oops! The link to yesterday’s Beef Week story was broken in the Morning Report. Our Bella Ross explored the dispute between those who thrift for themselves and the flippers of the world. If you didn’t get a chance to read it, you can read the story here. And catch up on other stories in the Beef Week series here.
Environment Report: San Diegans Just Want to Pee in Peace
San Diego has a severe lack of places to pee in public, and residents are fed up.
For Voice of San Diego’s “Beef Week” series, our MacKenzie Elmer wrote about her ongoing struggles to find decent places to pee in San Diego, and she wasn’t alone. Elmer heard from local San Diegans about their own restroom woes, with some noting that they’ve had a harder time finding public restrooms in San Diego than in other cities.
The issue has even led to a research effort by San Diego State University, which found that there are only two public restrooms open and available in downtown San Diego outside of regular business hours (not counting porta-potties).
But it’s not just a San Diego problem. Elmer peeks into America’s history with public restrooms, uncovering something deeper.
Read the Environment Report here.
Former Mayor Sanders Retiring from Chamber
Former San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders has been the CEO of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce since leaving office in 2012. He announced Monday this would be it. He’ll be retiring at the end of the month.
Background: Before becoming mayor, Sanders was the city’s police chief and, after retiring from that job, he gained a reputation as a leader for nonprofits in crisis at the Red Cross and then the United Way. He became the first mayor elected after the switch to the strong-mayor form of government, a reform to the city’s charter he notably opposed. He shepherded the city through its most tense budget crises and its inability to sell bonds. His tearful support of marriage equality in 2007 was considered a watershed moment in the national conversation about the cause.
But the California Supreme Court later threw out his signature reform: a 2012 ballot measure that ended pensions for city employees hired after it passed. It was his own involvement in the measure that sunk it legally, leaving the city with a massive bill it’s still grappling with.
As Chamber CEO, his reputation of stewardship for nonprofits got another endorsement.
““The Chamber we know today is a testament to Jerry’s strategic vision,” said Chris Howard, incoming Chamber board chair, in a press release.
What now: The CEO gig at the Chamber is considered a good job in that world. According to its 2022 nonprofit tax filing, the Chamber paid Sanders $390,000 that year. A lot of people will want the job – behind the scenes lobbying for it flared intermittently when rumors Sanders would be stepping down spread but he stayed on. Jessica Anderson, current Chamber chief operating officer and executive vice president will be the interim chief until the board finds a new CEO.
In Other News
- A former operating director at Tri-City Medical Center was sentenced to four years in prison on Monday for going to a staffer’s home intending to drug her and sexually assault her. (Union-Tribune)
- Colin Parent, the La Mesa City Councilmember who lost his run for the state Assembly, solicited more than $235,000 in donations for Circulate San Diego during his campaign, a nonprofit where he is the CEO. The practice is legal, but some find it troubling. (Union-Tribune)
- San Diego County’s Local Agency Formation Commission, or LAFCO, says Oceanside has room for more growth, suggesting that new development across coastal North County should go to Oceanside, but Oceanside officials say the city is already overbuilt. (Union-Tribune)
- San Diego County has once again failed to reach a deal with a potential operator for its new migrant center. County officials said negotiations with The Providencia Group to run the transfer center that would help recently arrived migrants were “unsuccessful.” (Union-Tribune)
- Most of the families living at an RV park in Vista had to leave the property this week. As our Tigist Layne previously reported, Solutions for Change purchased the property earlier this year. (NBC 7)
The Morning Report was written by Tigist Layne and Scott Lewis. It was edited by Andrea Lopez-Villafaña.