By DAVID ROSS
The validity of a survey that shows near-unanimous opposition among merchants along Valley Center Road to a median is being questioned by some who weren’t polled, and who support a median.
They don’t question that most merchants oppose a median, they just wish they’d been asked.
The Chamber of Commerce newsletter just published a poll of merchants asking their opinion about the idea of a median. The Chamber is sending a letter with a copy of the results to Fifth District Supervisor Bill Horn.
A copy of the survey, courtesy of the Chamber office, shows that 55 businesses were contacted (out of 86 that could have been).
They were asked:
• Do you want a planted median in front of your business?
• Do you want a planted median along any part of Valley Center Road?
• Do you favor a two-way turn lane rather than a median.
According to the newsletter “Of the majority of the respondents their feelings were that they DO NOT want a planted median in front of their business: over half did not want one at all on any part of the road; and a large majority (83%) favored a two-way lane over a planted median of any nature.”
According to Chamber Pres. Nicky Lovejoy, only businesses along VC Road were surveyed.
“The board instructed that we do a survey of businesses that would be affected by the road widening,” said Mrs. Lovejoy. “Jeannie [the Chamber secretary] tried to contact as many of the businesses as possible during a two week or so window. We weren’t just picking businesses, we were picking the business community that would be affected by it.”
Some of those are quite adamant about their opposition.
Leon Schwartz, who owns two properties along VC Road, noted that of four of his tenants, all opposed the median, and two said they would ask to be released from their leases if one went in.
The poll duplicates the effort, but not the level of participation, of a survey done in 2002 by the VC planning group.
Several merchants along VC Road were NOT contacted by the latest survey, including California Capital, Coldwell Banker and Martha Bozulich, who, with husband, Don, owns Old Town Center.
“Absolutely not. Wayne [Burditt] was not polled by anyone,” said California Capital officer manager Sue McKnight.
Sandra Rockefeller-Farmer, an agent at Coldwell Banker, told The Roadrunner, “Coldwell Banker was not polled.” Yet the survey shows that her office answered yes to the first question, yes to the second and no to the third.
“I think they are making a very big mistake because there’s a long stretch of road, very wide, and it needs something to break it up and make it look decent. . . .They have the same thing along San Marcos Boulevard and I don’t have any problem getting where I want to go over there,” Mrs. Rockefeller-Farmer said.
Remarking on the survey’s methodology, Mrs. Rockefeller-Farmer said, “It would be interesting to know just who did they actually call, and what did they say to them if they talked to them.”
One business just didn’t like how the survey was worded. It declined to participate, but was listed as participating anyway.
Norma Shoemaker of Shoemaker Realty told The Roadrunner, “They sent it to me. I looked at it and said, ‘Who in the world developed this questionnaire? It’s ridiculous? How can you do a survey that doesn’t give a proper result?’ I told them we wouldn’t participate.”
Despite that, the survey indicates that Shoemaker didn’t answer the first question, and answered the second question yes and the third question no.
Mrs. Bozulich commented, “I wasn’t officially told that there was a poll. In fact, I wasn’t told at all.” She believes this is because she isn’t a Chamber member.
Her tenants were polled, including Community Pharmacy, Mss Emmy’s Lace, Video Playhouse and Christian Bookstore.
“Maybe you don’t call people who don’t join the Chamber. I do have an opinion and if I have to join the chamber in order to express my opinion, I’ll do it,” she said.
Mrs. Bozulich calls a median “very important to Valley Center.I feel like in the first place it’s going to slow down traffic. It won’t be a big wide highway running through our businesses. I feel a median affords a feeling of ambience.”
She cites Fallbrook’s Main Street median, made up of bricks with planters of cacti and other plants. “It could be a very simple statement. Easy to care for and effective.”
Earlier Efforts
Eric Laventure, co-owner of Bear Valley Farm Supply, located off VC Road on the Cole Grade extension, questions the fairness and timing of the survey.
He notes that planning group members and residents (the Road Safety Committee of the VC Planning Group) two years ago hammered out an agreement on a median. That included allowing those who didn’t want one in front of their business to opt out.
They conducted a survey in the fall of 2002. It was sent to all property owners along VC Road; mailed to all Chamber members, distributed by hand and given to community groups and residents.
It obtained 133 responses, including 64 (listed as 85 elsewhere in the same document) with VC Road addresses. It didn’t show the median to be especially popular with local businesses, but it was more popular than in the Chamber survey. It was quite popular among those who didn’t own property along VC Road.
It was also quite unscientific in that it included responses from a petition signed by 29 residents.
Of 85 responses with VC Road addresses, 17 favored a median, 36 opposed, and 32 “had concerns.” Among those without VC Road addresses, 54 were in favor of the median, 13 opposed and eight “had concerns.”
Referring to that earlier survey, Laventure said, “I think they are throwing away all the work that the road safety group did for the planning group and the county. I think it should have been a Chamber-wide survey, not just those on VC Road. Those people have their own biases, which may or may not be a good thing. The Chamber needs to refocus on being proactively business and work with other service clubs to develop a vision for a beautiful and prosperous town.”
Allen Olsen, of Town & Country Real Estate, who helped distribute that earlier survey, criticized the Chamber’s survey.
“I don’t know who thought up that survey but the people at the Chamber, all of them, ought to know better There have been other surveys done. They gave people the opportunity to vote in different ways,” he said.
No one at the Chamber has ever looked at any studies of whether or not medians help or hurt businesses, he says.
He cites a Kansas Dept. of Transportation study that showed that medians reduce crashes by 25-50%. Other studies, he says, show that motorists don’t have a problem making U-turns to access businesses.
He called the Chamber survey, “ill-advised and horribly planned. It’s the height of irresponsibility! I don’t think there was any planning with it, except as an emotional survey.”
Olsen, who owned property on San Marcos Boulevard in San Marcos in 1979, was heavily involved in bringing a median to that street when it was widened.
“Today that’s one of the most heavily traveled streets in north county. All you have to do is drive on it to see how well organized it is, giving all businesses a turn lane,” says Olsen.
Then why do so many business owners oppose a median?
“Because they want unlimited access,” said Olsen. “That’s going to create havoc.”
Barbara, his wife, recently obtained 500 signatures on a petition that asked Supervisor Horn to support a landscaped median.
At the second meeting of the Parks and Rec “Get Out the Vote” committee Wednesday members identified actions they need to take to successfully pass the proposed proposition, which will raise $19/year/ per parcel for the parks district.
They also established a timeline in which to complete each action.
Notable items from the meeting:
1. The exact ballot wording for the proposition and proposition name should be available from the Registrar of Voters Friday, Aug. 13.
Based on whatever title the Registrar assigns to the proposition, the committee will officially name itself, develop campaign slogans, and name its web site.
2. The committee plans to have presentations, mailings, hand outs, and the web site completed by Sept. 1, with the “Get Out the Vote” and “Yes on ?” campaign kicking off immediately after.
Committee Chairman Morgan Rogers told The Roadrunner, “Our goal remains to notify absentee voters prior to the Oct 6 absentee ballots distribution and Nov 2 for the general election.
3 The group has drafted a presentation that they will use for educating local organizations and individuals. They will start making calls to local organizations and individuals to schedule presentations with presentations starting in September.
Individuals or organizations who want to get on the speaker schedule should call Bill Layne at 751-1422.
3. The committee also wants to obtain endorsements on the proposition from local organizations and prominent Valley Center individuals. Bill Layne will solicit endorsements in conjunction with the presentations to organizations. LaVonne Johnson will also make phone calls to individuals.
If you or your organization want to endorse the proposition, call LaVonne Johnson at 212-0738.
The committee’s next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 17, 7p.m. at VC Community Hall.
We’ve got ourselves a horse race, or rather, several horse races this November, with what promises to be hotly contested elections on the school board, planning group, water and parks & rec boards. Whether there’s a Seabiscuit among them remains to be seen.
Planning Group
Twenty candidates will vie for eight seats on the VC planning group, which advises the County on land use matters.
Among incumbents running are Carol Prime, Richard Rudolf, Frank Shoemaker, Sandy Smith, Mike Morasco and Andy Washburn.
Challengers include Don Richards, a self-employed man who has served on the Villages subcommittee; Leon Schwartz, a businessman, retired army colonel and former member of the design review board; Keith Simpson, airline pilot and occasional guest columnist for The Roadrunner; Oliver Smith, an electrical engineer; George S. Speer Jr., a master gardener with the Dos Valles Garden Club; Deborah Hofler, owner of Countryside Veterinary Hospital; Roger Ingraham, a retired county employee; Craig T. Johnson, who formerly served on the planning group over ten years ago, including a stint as chairman; Cherie Marek, a teacher; Elaine Nolan, a teacher; Kristine L. Preston, a biologist; Terry Van Koughnett, a community volunteer who has been working since October to find housing for fire victims; Jonathan Vick, a medical consultant who has been very active on issues such as a planted median and the shopping center. His wife, Lael Montgomery, also serves on the planning group.
Van Koughnett, Vick and Smith were unsuccessful candidates two years. ago.
Valley Center Parks & Rec
Incumbent John M. Scibilia will attempt to keep his seat, one of two up for grabs. Challengers will include Earl Brown, a retired businessman and Tom Litchfield, a small businessman, entrepreneur and community volunteer. Litchfield ran unsuccessfully two years ago.
Fire Board
Stan Johnson is one of two incumbents, (Patrick Garcia being the other), in the VC Fire Protection Board election. Johnson was the only one to file.
Pauma Valley Community Services District
There will be no election for the three seats available on the Pauma Valley Community Services District. J. Clay LaForce, John B. Lyttle and William D. Taylor all filed for the board.
Pauma Municipal Water District
There will also be no election for the Pauma Municipal Water District. Four seats were available. Candidates filed for all divisions but one, Div. 3. They are: Frances M. Armstrong, Div. 1; Warren Lyall, Div. 2; Donald G. Armstrong, Div. 4. Typically, such vacancies are filled by appointment.
Mootamai Municipal Water District
No election will be held for the three seats available on the Mootamai Municipal Water District. Michael Bioni his field for Div. 3; Julia Jean Schell has filed for Div. 4 and Norma Larios has filed for Div. 5.
Yuima Municipal Water District
No election will be held for four available seats on the Yuima Municipal Water District. One candidate filed for each of the our divisions. They are Douglas K. Anderson, an ag consultant, Div. 1; Michael Fitzsimmons, a Realtor, Div. 2; John B. Lyttle, Div. 3 and George Stockton, Div. 5.
Deer Springs Fire Protection District
Three residents of the Deer Springs Fire Protection District have filed for the two full term seats on the board. They are incumbent Frank L. Asaro, appointed incumbent Jean F. Slaughter and challenger Craig Webster, an information systems engineer.
Dave Herbert, who, when he is in Valley Center runs the Sheriff’s substation, will be unopposed for a two year “short” term on the fire board.
Valley Center-Pauma Unified School District
Five candidates will compete for two seats on the school board.
Incumbents Wendy Zeug-schmidt and Patrick Simpson are both running for reelection. They are being challenged by Don Martin, retired this year from his longtime job as ag teacher at the high school; Dennis White, a biotechnology computer consultant; and Mike Morasco, a businessman / physical therapist. Morasco is also running as an incumbent on the VC planning group.
Valley Center Municipal Water District
Doug J. Ohara will square off with incumbent Chuck Stone in Div. 4 of the VC Municipal Water District Board.
Incumbent Robert A. Polito has no challenger for Div. 1 and therefore will automatically be elected to the post.
For the first time since the property was homesteaded in 1865, the historic Rancho Lilac in Valley Center will be open for public tours on Sunday, Sep. 19. Included will be two homes which once provided lodging for world-class dignitaries and celebrities.
Although the 900-acre ranch has had several owners over the past 139 years, its most famous was United Nations Ambassador Irving Salomon and his wife Cecile. An industrialist and philanthropist, Col. Salomon purchased the property in 1945 and outfitted the homes with custom rustic furniture and furnishings, some of which will be on sale during the open house. The ranch is located at 31928 Lilac Road.
The tours are sponsored by the Valley Center Historical Society to benefit the History Museum. General admission tickets are $15 or $10 for museum members. Advance tickets are on sale by calling 749-2993 or visiting the museum at 29200 Cole Grade Road in Valley Center. Tickets will also be available at the ranch on the tour date, but advance reservations are recommended. Parking will be free.
Col. Salomon was appointed as a delegate to the United Nations General Assembly by then President Dwight Eisenhower, and served in a number of capacities for three decades, including tenure as Undersecretary for U.N. Affairs in the State Department. He and Mrs. Salomon hosted scores of dignitaries at their Valley Center ranch, the most prominent of whom was First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Nobel Peace Prize winner Ralph Bunche, Undersecretary General of the U.N. was a frequent guest at the Valley Center home, often visiting on official business. Guests were treated to tours of the ranch, including viewings of Salomon’s prize-winning Herefords.
The Salomons’ daughter, Abbe, attended a one-room school near the ranch. As Abbe Wolfsheimer, she served two terms on the San Diego City Council.
Rancho Lilac continues to operate as a working ranch, and remains in family ownership.
The Valley Roadrunner
P.O.B. 1529, Valley Center, CA 92082
Tel. 760.749.1112 Fax 760.749.1688
Website: www.valleycenter.com
Email: editor@valleycenter.com
Copyright © 2002, Palomar Community Newspapers, dba Valley Roadrunner. All rights reserved. This content may not be archived, retransmitted, saved in a database, or used for any commercial purpose without the express written permission of the Valley Roadrunner.