Court Rules to allow negative impacts to Felicita Park through eminent domain

We have bad news. 

We just found out that Superior Court Judge Maas, III made a prejudgment possession ruling which allowed Oak Creek developers/Escondido to construct the second, and much larger, culvert under Felicita Road. This also means he is likely to agree to the eminent domain action sought by the city of Escondido to usurp part of our public asset to meet the needs of developers.

This in spite of the fact that a report by Rick Engineering found that impacts to Felicita Creek and park from highly increased and concentrated flows of stormwater could be expected, were unanalyzed, and unmitigated.

The County opposed this action and continues to advocate for protection of the park.

If you want to help, please email Supervisor Joel Anderson's office Joel.Anderson@sdcounty.ca.gov and encourage the County to stay strong. The users of the Park and us downstream residents are relying on them.

Please stay tuned. More soon.

SAVE FELITICA PARK Urgent Action Needed

 Dear Friends who care about Felitica Park. 

 Our Park is under threat again.  Now, the city of Escondido is pursuing a condemnation action of parkland in order to install drainage pipes that will greatly increase (60%) drainage from road and Oak Creek in the northeast corner of the park.

Escondido Neighbors United, Environmental Center of San Diego, and the Sierra Club North County Group has long-standing opposition to this project. Many other groups have joined in opposition.

The County has made reasonable requests of the Oak Creek Developer (KB Home) which they have obstinately refused.  KB Home may be familiar to readers as the company building the project and seriously violated storm water regulations in 2019-2020.

The County has asked that three studies be done to evaluate scouring and Impacts to cultural and biological resources AND for a mitigation plan to avoid any impacts be done prior to putting our Park at risk. These actions are essential to protecting the Park!

ENU members are further concerns that the amount of new drainage and scouring could dig deeper into the plum of contamination from Chatham Barrel Yard which continue to underlay the Park where contamination daylights (goes into the air) in the creek in the park.

Massive concentration of drainage going into a small section of the creek and into the main channel could threaten the water quality, cultural, recreational, and biological resources of the Park.

This is an Environmental Justice issue!  Local indigenous people still use this area for gatherings. A large number of park users are Latino families and use Felicita Park often. This Park is a precious asset to our local region and deserves our respect and protection.  We must stand against this action!

WE MUST OPPOSE THIS PROJECT UNTIL IT HAS BEEN ADEQUATELY ASSESSED AND IMPACTS FULLY MITIGATED. 

Please join our action alert list.  Please email conservation@sierraclubncg.org to receive future updates. 

We believe, should this go to Court, a judge cannot credibly make the findings that this is in the public interest, that it has been planned appropriately, or that the downstream implications are known. Since we may have to take legal action against this, please let us know if you can donate to a legal fund.

Here is a link to background letters.  

ENU and Allies to the Regional Water Board and Dept of Fish and Wildlife Jan. 5.2022

ENU's letter  

Sierra Club NCG

As we all know, but KB Home appears not to know, Felicita Park is not just any park! 

Felicita County Park is one of the oldest parks in the San Diego County park system. The area has been a popular gathering place for many centuries. This history has landed this park on the National Register of Historic Places. 

Felicita County Park has an ancient and historic history. With its abundance of water, oaks and boulders, the land was the site of a large Kumeyaay Indian village. Because of its cultural background, the park is named after Felicita LaChappa, a Native American who lived in the San Pasqual Valley.

Below is from this park brochure:  

https://www.sdparks.org/content/dam/sdparks/en/pdf/BrochuresMiscellaneous/2018_Felicita_Brochure_FINAL.pdf

 

 

 

Support Community Energy at Esco City Council on Oct 27, 5 PM

 The largest and most important action to reduce GHG in Escondido will be decided this Wednesday.  The Council will be deciding if it will participate in the Clean Energy Alliance.  Please see this action alert from our allies at Sierra Club North County Group.

A series of very important decisions will be made in the next few weeks about the North County’s energy future.  Even if you have been sitting on the sidelines till now, please get involved.  Sierra Club and our allies are advocating for the North County cities to join the Clean Energy Alliance, a community choice energy program that already includes Carlsbad, Del Mar, and Solana Beach.

The time for a clean energy future is here.  Please support this action.  Comment here and/or attend the meeting on October 27, at 5 PM when Escondido will decide its energy future.  Please communicate your support to the Mayor and City Council

Sierra Club comment letter is here.

October 20, 2021

Honorable Mayor McNamara and City Councilmembers, City of Escondido

RE:     Sierra Club NCG SUPPORT Escondido participation in Clean Energy Alliance

Dear Mayor and City Council:

Sierra Club North County Group (NCG) is in strong support of the city’s participation in the Clean Energy Alliance which we understand will be heard at the October 27, 2021 meeting.  This action will enable Escondido to begin to enjoy all the benefits of a CCA in 2023.

The Clean Energy Alliance (CEA) serves the residents of Carlsbad, Del Mar and Solana Beach and is the North County CCA. The feasibility study says that joining an existing CCA will save Escondido time, money, and valuable staff resources. A partnership with other North County cities will increase the economies of scale and benefit all of the cities.

There are several compelling reasons to move forward with this decision.

• Residents and businesses of Escondido would get more renewable energy, at less cost than SDGE, through a CCA.
• SDGE announced in 2019 that it is moving out of the power buying and selling that sector of its business.
• A CCA is the most cost-effective way for Escondido to reach its major CAP goal for renewable, clean energy and GHG reductions.

Some of the other benefits of a CCA are:

• Local Control– Unlike SDGE’s decisions, the CCA’s decisions are made in public meetings by local elected representatives that we can hold accountable.
• Local Reinvestment – CCAs reinvest customer revenue into local clean, renewable energy projects. CEA, like many CCAs, offers rooftop solar customers better terms. This leads to more solar jobs, fewer greenhouse gases, and customer savings—all at the local level.
• Local Jobs – More rooftop solar and large renewableprojects in our backyard lead to more good paying, local jobs for installation and construction.
• Real Choice –A CCA is the only way to give rate-payers a real choice. If someone doesn’t like the CCA they can stick with SDGE.

The City of Escondido should move forward on a CCA now. The benefits are significant, local control, local jobs, local investment and more renewables. And, it will save Escondido residents and businesses money at the same time. It’s time for a real choice for where our electricity is coming from instead of the current monopoly.

We are in the midst of a climate crisis and we need to do everything we can to reduce GHGs. We can’t afford to keep putting off action. We should pursue more renewable energy now at less cost.

Sierra Club NCG urges the Escondido City Council to join the Clean Energy Alliance on October 27, 2021.