San Dieguito Cityhood Vote Gets an OK

The Local Agency Formation Commission voted unanimously Monday night to allow an incorporation vote in the four San Dieguito communities of Olivenhain, Cardiff, Leucadia and Encinitas.

Only San Diego County Supervisor Paul Eckert, a commission member, expressed concern about the proposed city’s boundaries. He recommended exclusion of Olivenhain, commenting that incorporation proponents “might be biting off more than you can chew.”

More than 200 San Dieguito residents turned out for the hearing and about 40 gave their various opinions on what area, if any, should become a city. Pro- and anti-incorporation speakers applauded their spokesmen, only to be warned by the commission chairwoman, Marjorie Hersom, that the applause took time away from their side’s arguments.

Nearly half of the audience favored incorporation of the entire 26-square-mile, four-community area, although several speakers pointed out that a similar cityhood proposal lost by a 3-2 margin at the polls in 1982.

A representative of the 700-acre Paul Ecke Ranch, in Encinitas and Leucadia, said that its owners did not oppose incorporation but did not want their property included in any future city.

Residents of Olivenhain argued on both sides of the measure.

Bob Bonde, leader of the North Coast Incorporation Coalition, has brought together many of the anti-incorporation advocates of past cityhood attempts, but has not been able to rally a majority of leaders to any one boundary alignment. A recent meeting of the factions produced losing votes for each of the four configurations.

The LAFCO staff is recommending that the entire area, except for 1,500 acres in the undeveloped portion of Olivenhain, be included in the incorporation proposal, while the Party for Incorporation of Encinitas proposes an Encinitas-only boundary, excluding all of Olivenhain and most of Cardiff and Leucadia.

Local residents favoring incorporation of some or all of San Dieguito are seeking a July 1 starting date for the proposed new city, but LAFCO staffers recommend that the city be formed on Oct. 1, to cause less of an impact on county coffers. The three-month delay would cost the city about $1.7 million in revenue, but would reduce the county’s first-year subsidies for operation of the new city by about $1 million.

Under state incorporation procedures, the county must continue to provide and pay for certain major services such as law enforcement and lifeguard service for the new city. By delaying the effective date of incorporation by three months or six months, county losses in providing the city services without offsetting revenues can be reduced by 25% or more.

The study pointed out that each of the proposed boundaries--all four communities; or Encinitas, Leucadia and Cardiff; or Encinitas and Leucadia, or Encinitas only--would be economically sound. But the study concluded that, of all the communities, only Encinitas could go it alone as a city. But all four proposed city configurations would have a “healthy” surplus after incorporation, the study said.

The LAFCO study supported as “most equitable” its recommendation to delay cityhood until October because it assures the proposed new city adequate time and finances to “catch up” on needed road repairs and park maintenance while reducing the financial impact of incorporation on county government.