ENCINITAS — With 16 public speakers, Wednesday night’s council meeting set off a debate over which kind of groups can operate on the former Ecke Ranch property, purchased last year by the Leichtag Foundation.
Voting 3-2, council members rejected an appeal and allowed Leichtag to host its employees and a hub of nonprofits in existing barns on the property.
The property is zoned for agriculture. At issue: The nonprofits have ties to agriculture, but it isn’t their primary mission. For instance, JDC Entwine, one of the nonprofits, aids farmers in developing countries.
Previously, the Planning Commission gave the groups the OK to move onto Ecke Ranch, ruling that they fall under “accessory use” — making them “substantially the same in character,” “subordinate” and “incidental” to the zoning, according to the staff report.
However, resident Sheila Cameron appealed the Planning Commission’s decision.
Cameron noted a Leichtag letter called for using the space for tasks like budgeting and drawing up social media strategies.
Those uses don’t fit within the definition of agriculture, she said.
She added that declining the appeal would lead to an “erosion” in zoning.
Councilwoman Kristin Gaspar expressed concern the council could set a precedent for growers permitting completely unrelated uses on their property.
Councilman Mark Muir joined her in voting against the motion to deny the appeal.
Deputy Mayor Lisa Shaffer, who made the motion, said uses like budgeting don’t preclude agriculture.
“They’re neutral (terms) in the sense that they could be applied to agriculture activities,” Shaffer said.
Shaffer also said that the nonprofits are loosely connected to agriculture and represent a small footprint on the property, so the proposal meets the definition of accessory use.
Of the barns, one measures 15,100 square feet and the other is 835 square feet. The nonprofits will take up about one-quarter of the space in them.
No improvements or additions to the barns are scheduled; the nonprofits will operate rent-free in the barns.
Eric Larson, executive director of the San Diego County Farm Bureau, said the nature of farming is changing. There’s less land available, water costs are high and few young people want to become farmers. He said the future is urban farming, and the nonprofit hub could give Encinitas an edge.
“I think in those collaborations we have the opportunities to find the ways to be an urban agriculture community,” Larson said.
1 comment
At the council meeting, Sheila Cammron objected to the usage of 800 feet out of the 68 acres on this property ( 20% out of a 4,000 square feet of an existing office). Her concern were the erosion of agricultural property and apparently diversion from the criteria placed on the property. It seems to me that the Leichtag Foundation is entitled to to least the usage of the former owner. Leichtag has already increased the agricultural usage and has plans for much more along with plans to use this growing for the community far beyond what was being done by Eckes. This Foundation has given the community millions of dollars and I do not think it is special handling to allow them to use this property as they have stated. I think in light of what they have done and what they are doing now we should give them the benefit of the doubt that they intend to do as they say. I would also like to see some cultural and arts activities on this property. Are we supposed to go through this dog and pony show if they are successful and need additional office space or what to use the property for a music activity? What about the house can it only be occupied by an Eckes or a licensed farmer? The Leichtag Foundation is owner of this property and yes, it comes with restrictions, however, as long as they devote a majority of this land to agriculture and it is in excess of the former owners usage when it was sold it seems to be we shouldn’t be so obstructive in their usage. If they are successful in their endeavors then Encinitas will reap the benefits of this organization. There is nothing to believe that this generous non-profit organization will not do as it has stated. We are lucky to have them here.
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