Funds should be spent elsewhere
I, too, am sentimental about Pacific View School. My son spent several great years there and my family has lived in that neighborhood.
But as a current resident of Leucadia, I cannot support the city purchasing that property for $10 million.
Every day I see roads that need to be resurfaced (I was told by a staff member there was not enough money in the budget to purchase paint to write the speed limit on the street), cracks on the sidewalks (like the one I recently fell over) and a park in our neighborhood that the developer gave the city money to improve, but that funding has apparently disappeared and it is now a vacant, locked lot.
There are beaches in need of repair and a lifeguard tower at Moonlight Beach that will not be built if the Pacific View sale goes through. In terms of needing a “gathering place” for the community, we have a beautiful library that cost $14 million and a largely empty building for the sanitation district that we paid $9 million for.
I hope that the City Council has the wisdom to say “no” to yet another multi-million dollar expenditure when there are so many existing projects needing funding.
Linda Kaiser,
Leucadia
RE: Pacific View Property purchase
I was pleased to read The Coast News article about the property purchase vote. I could not believe the asking price for the property in light of the appraisal of record.
Now the City has until May to find a way to pay for the purchase. We asked the traffic department to paint speed limit signs on Urania Ave. and their response was “we don’t have a budget for the paint.” I see many roads in town that can use re-surfacing, a beach access at Beacons that needs upgrading, a promised Park at Piraeus & Olympic (eight years ago) that could benefit all residents.
I remember when the Council approved the Mossy Chevrolet property for $9 million and they said that building would also serve as a Art Center, after another $500,000 to renovate the property, no Art Center, just a sewer and water yard. Is Pacific View really worth $10 million?
The Library cost was $14 million; again we over paid or over designed, either way a very expensive property.
I see this Pacific View property sucking funds away from property and promises we already have. Borrow money to meet the promises already made and improve our infrastructure and keep our beaches clean.
Ron Susi,
Encinitas
