Valley Center Septic Moratorium & POLICY I-78 WAIVER

Good News — The Board of Supervisors on June 16^th lifted the septic system moratorium for the central portion of Valley Center but left intact Policy I-78. Policy I-78 deals with small wastewater treatment plants. This policy requir es that any small wastewater treatment plant be located within one mile of the urban limit line. Projects outside of that limit must seek a waiver of this policy. It was proposed that Valley Center be granted a blanket waiver of Policy I-78 because of hig h groundwater. Arguments were made by SOFAR that such a waiver would have enormous growth-inducing impacts and set a precedent for the rest of the County. The Department of Planning and Land Use recommended that the septic system moratorium be lifted, wit h applications for septic systems still subject to Department of Environmental Health regulations, and that a blanket waiver of Policy I-78 for Valley Center not be granted. This was the environmentally superior alternative offered in the EIR for t he project. This was the alternative adopted by the Board. This is a sizeable victory for the Backcountry.

Public records act lawsuit

Today, the motion asking for discovery was lost. The trial is set for July 30, 1999.

Star Party

Our Star Party was held June 19th. It was an enormous success. Attendance was about 120 supporters. The walk to Big Laguna Meadows, led by Duncan, was attended by about 40. Dinner, served graciously by the kitchen crew led by Sally Fall, was enjoyed by all. Two telescopes were opened and everyone appreciated the incredible viewing of the planets.

General plan 2020

The Board of Supervisors will hold a hearing on the regional goals and policies for General Plan 2020 on June 30, 1999 at 9 am at the County Administration Center. The address is 1600 Pacific Highway, Room 310.

Villages of La Costa

The Villages of La Costa project will have a master plan EIR public scoping meeting on June 30, 1999 from 6:30 — 8:30 pm. It will be held at the Carlsbad Safety Center Conference Facility at 2560 Orion Way, Carlsbad. The project applicant will provide an overview of the master plan. City staff will present the environmental topic areas and the issues which have been identified for analysis in the EIR. The purpose of the meeting is to solicit ideas on the effect this project might have on the e nvironment and to finalize the list of issues which will be analyzed in the EIR.

GPA 96-03

The hearing for GPA 96-03 is scheduled for July 23, 1999 at 9 am at the Planning Commission. The address is 5201 Ruffin Road. Supporters are encouraged to attend this important meeting. Please contact SOFAR or (760) 789-8134 for more information.

Proposed Backcountry Projects:

DEHESA VALLEY ESTATES — TPM 20254

181 acres
5 dwelling units
Crest Dehesa Community Planning Area
Riparian habitat of Sweetwater River. Extensive coastal sage scrub. Part is Land Use Designator 24 — Impact Sensitive Area.
Status: Notice of intent to adopt mitigated negative declaration issued. Public comments due June 28, 1999 at 4 pm.

SERIO MINOR SUBDIVISION — TPM 20393

47 acres
5 dwelling units
Campo
Coastal live oak woodland.
Status: Notice of intent to adopt mitigated negative declaration issued. Public comments due July 9, 1999 at 4 pm.

RANCHO CAMARGO — TM 5037

140 acres
39 dwelling units
Bonsall
Producing avocado grove.
Status: TM approved. Request for extension of expiration date from July 5, 1999 to July 5, 2004. Public comments due June 28, 1999.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Volunteers are needed for office work. This involves filing, envelope stuffing, correspondence, etc. Especially needed is someone versed in Microsoft Access. For more information, please contact Dorothy McKenney at (619) 468-3085.