The Coast News
VISTA, SAN MARCOS, ESCONDIDO
VOL. 11, N0. 16
A chance ‘to adjust our focus’
Summit: State of homelessness
Nonprofit signs Green Oak deal
Bear(s) with us
TURN TO SUMMIT ON 7
that we help, and we’re gonVISTA — The real es- na be able to help a lot more tate trust that owns Green families over the next many Oak Ranch in Vista has en- years,” Megison said. tered into a purchase agreeThe 110-acre parcel of ment with homelessness the 142-acre ranch was put nonprofit Solutions up for sale almost a for Change for its year after the passuse of a 110-acre ing of the land’s parcel of the propformer owner, Arie erty, dashing the de Jong, last April. county’s hopes of The parcel using the land for a currently houses a proposed sober livpopular summer ing and behavioral camp and retreat SOLUTIONS health facility. center, an RV park, The contract FOR CHANGE and a residential CEO Chris signed July 18 is a men’s recovery proMegison 10-year lease with gram operated by an exclusive purGreen Oak Ranch chasing right opMinistries. tion to Solutions M e g i s o n for $10.5 million. said Solutions for Solutions CEO Change had been and founder Chris in discussions with Megison said they Green Oak Ranch hope to purchase about purchasing the land sometime the property since in the next three June 2023. years. However, the The nonprofit will take site began to draw more possession of the land in attention after the County the first quarter of 2025 of San Diego announced and will use it to expand in April that it had also enits Solutions Academy tered into negotiations with for families experiencing the ranch. homelessness, specifically The county was eyeing for additional housing and the property for a $280 milworkforce development lion sober living and behavtraining. ioral health facility, intend“We’re really grateful ed to help meet the severe to the Green Oak Ranch shortage of mental health land board for selecting us. beds and other resources in We’re at 25 years of transTURN TO GREEN OAK ON 3 forming lives for families By Laura Place
By Laura Place
REGION — Last week, state lawmakers and homelessness experts discussed the current state of homelessness and ongoing measures to address it in San Diego County, as well as the implications of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s executive order to remove encampments. State Sen. Catherine Blakespear (D-Encinitas) hosted the second annual Ending Homelessness Summit on July 25 at the University of California San Diego. The summit featured panels with San Diego area elected officials and representatives from state and county housing and behavioral health agencies. Blakespear noted that despite the significant funding and programming going toward the homelessness crisis in California, the problem is only getting worse, with the number of people becoming unhoused continuing to outpace those entering housing. In June, 1,172 people in San Diego County entered homelessness while 989 persons were housed, according to a report by the Regional Task Force on Homelessness. “Our efforts to combat homelessness are currently not sufficient,” said Blakespear. “We need to be able to adjust our focus.” That same morning as the summit, the governor announced an executive order directing state agencies to move urgently to remove encampments while also assisting those living in them, stating that encampments
Aug. 2, 2024
Agreement sinks county’s plans for Vista site
STARTING THURSDAY, over five years since giant pandas were last seen at San Diego Zoo, the public can again visit these popular creatures at the downtown zoo. Xin Bao, above, is one of two giant pandas settling in at the expanded space, which is inspired by their native habitats in China. Courtesy photo
San Marcos OKs 224 housing units for vacant lot By Laura Place
SAN MARCOS — A new housing development unanimously approved by the San Marcos City Council last week will bring 224 units to a long-vacant lot just down the road from Bradley Park while also providing protection for sensitive species onsite. The 33-acre lot, bordered by Linda Vista Drive,
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Pacific Street, Las Posas Road and La Mirada Drive, has historically been difficult to develop due to the presence of sensitive biological resources. The parcel has the city’s largest remaining concentration of vernal pools — seasonal pools of water that provide habitats for plants and animals — and the largest non-conserved na-
A wishbone is about luck.
tive grassland area. The city received no project applications for the industrially-zoned lot for years until applicant Las Posas Owner LPV, LLC, began to plan a residential development for the site in 2021. “Everyone who’s taken a look at this site has basically seen the biological constraints, and they run
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away,” said Greg Waite of Lancaster Consulting Services, a representative for the project. “The biological preservation is really important out here and something we take really seriously.” Las Posas Owner had originally sought approval for a much larger development with 449 units. However, state agencies review-
ing the project required it to be scaled down and restricted to the southern portion of the lot to limit impacts on specific plant and animal species. Under the 224-unit plan, just under 30% of the site will be developed, and the rest will be preserved as open space under an enTURN TO HOUSING ON 8
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