February 2, 2005 - Top Stories
By DAVID ROSS
It seems like a minor change, but the owners of Bates Nut Farm think it will eventually cause the most recognizable business in Valley Center to wither and die.
On Monday, Jan. 24 at a special meeting dealing with GP2020 issues, Bates failed to get a majority of the VC planning group to back its request to keep the number of commercial acres what it has always been: 15 acres of their 100 acre farm.
Bates wants to retain its Estate 17 designation, which allows for commercial zoning. It would like to be zoned C-4, or rural commercial.
However, the County’s Dept. of Planning & Land Use opposed Bates’s request, recommending that the property remain SR-4, which is a residential zoning that, may or may not, in the near future forbid commercial activities.
If this sounds confusing to you, it appears to have been equally confusing to some members of the planning group.
Senior Planner Bob Citrano, representing DPLU, said that putting the Bates property into SR-4 would protect the community by ensuring that current zoning remain in place for all possible future owners/contingencies.
He stressed that commercial zoning would remain with the property, should Bates ever sell. “There would not be, in his opinion, adequate review mechanisms in place to disallow certain commercial activities in the rural setting,” according to the minutes of the Jan. 24 meeting.
During the discussion fear of a “Home Depot” someday springing up along Woods Valley Road where Bates is now was bandied about.
The planning group voted 7-1-3 to support the Bates request. Voting for the motion were Glavinic, Hofler, Laventure, Montgomery, Preston, Simpson, Washburn. Voting against the motion was Shoemaker. Abstaining were Schuler, Schwartz and Hancock.
That wasn’t enough. The planning group’s rules require eight votes for a motion to pass.
Without the planning group’s support, the County’s recommendation goes forward.
This has the Bates family worried because if the farm is put into SR-4 it could become a legal non-conforming use.
If the buildings associated with the business burned down, they could only be rebuilt up to 75% of their value. They would also be prevented from expanding.
Bates Nut Farm is one of the oldest businesses, if not the oldest, in town. The business, first established by the Bates Brothers, recently celebrated 40 years in operation. It was operating at the current location probably before there was zoning in San Diego County.
It is bordered on two sides by the San Pasqual Indian Reservation, and on two other sides by land also owned by the Bates family.
Sherrie Ness, a daughter of one of the Bates brothers, told The Roadrunner, “Basically what we are trying to do is plan for the future. When GP2020 first came up I thought we needed to look for what was needed to take care of our business for the next 20 years.”
The changes proposed for their property were a complete surprise that they heard about when they attended one of the meetings.
“Without our knowledge they had wanted to make our commercial five acres rather than fifteen,” said Mrs. Ness. (Note: since then, Citrano has said that the five acre proposal was a clerical error.)
“In order for us to continue doing business I had requested another ten acres.”
This didn’t seem to be controversial when they made the request at two Gp2020 subcommittee hearings. No one at those meetings argued against 15 acres of commercial on the property.
Bob Hunsaker, a local Realtor who is unofficially representing the Bates family (without compensation) told The Roadrunner, “I wonder what is so terrible about designating it what it is?”
Hunsaker explained what the problem is with leaving the planning group’s vote unchallenged.
“The crux of the matter is this: The current designation that the county is proposing is SR-4 Semi Rural four acre minimum, no commercial. That doesn’t eliminate the C-40 zoning, but once the general plan is adopted, they go back in a separate process and work to bring the underlying zonings into compliance with the land use designation.”
The County has yet to determine exactly what SR-4 means. But it doesn’t sound good for Bates.
“According to remarks made at the meeting of the 24th, it is not just conceivable but likely that SR-4 will be categorically incompatible with commercial zoning,” said Hunsaker.
“That would require that the C-40 zoning be eliminated, which would make Bates Nut Farm a legal non-conforming use.”
Even if the business can continue to operate pretty much as it has, the designation hangs a weight around the future.
“It makes sense for us to have fifteen acres of commercial in order to deal with the events that we have out here and with parking,” says Mrs. Ness.
A new parking lot won’t happen under these circumstances, she adds.
“At this point we just want the zoning that we need to continue our business. They seemed to be concerned with us selling it and turning it into a Home Depot. I don’t think that’s going to happen. More than anything, aside from it being our family’s business, we’re sort of an historical landmark. It’s a shame to think we would do anything except make it great place for the whole community,” she said.
Hunsaker agrees that Home Depot would never ben interested in property along Woods Valley Road. “They wouldn’t use the property if you gave it to them. That’s such a red herring. In the name of protecting the community against something like a Home Depot we’re exposing Bates Nut Farm to ruin,” he said.
The meeting where the planning group’s vote occurred was a long one. The Bates proposal was near the end, after the group had voted to continue after their usual quitting time of 10 p.m.
Several planners expressed a desire to delay voting on the issue. Some said they didn’t completely understand the issue.
Andy Washburn, chairman of the planning group, told The Roadrunner: “My belief is that the VC planning wants to do its very best to protect the ability of Bates Nut Farm to continue to operate in Valley Center. It’s not the intention of the planning group to restrict or prevent them from operating in the future.”
Washburn added, “I take partial responsibility for possibly not letting the discussion go on long enough so that the three who abstained didn’t have enough information to vote.
“People felt that they didn’t understand, and abstained or they were concerned that by granting C-4 on 15 acres that who knows what could be their 20 years from now? That was a concern which caused some people to hesitate.”
However, Washburn said he is waiting for clarification from Citrano on what the ultimate effect of SR-4 would have on the property.
Note: Citrano is out of the office until Wednesday of this week and so was unavailable to comment for this article.
Washburn stressed that he believes there is unanimous support on the group for Bates continuing to operate as it always has.
At this point it’s actually too late for the planning group to rethink its position. The issue now goes to the county planning commission on Feb. 14, where supporters of Bates hope to make their case.
“Here is the defining element of our community,” says Hunsaker. “This is easily the most recognizable business in VC and without designating that 15 acres commercial we are going to expose that business to a burden it will likely not be able to withstand.”
Hunsaker adds, “I’m involved not because of my aptitude but because of my passion. I feel this is a critical part of Valley Center that we have to protect and to accommodate.”
“I want the community to be aware. It’s not the easiest subject to be aware of or understand, but it’s crucial to the survival of Bates Nut Farm. This is their life. They want to stay there. The biggest threat to them not staying there is to not designate it rural commercial. Then they will ultimately be frozen out of any reasonable flexibility for continuing their business.
New fire director Weaver Simonsen Thursday asked Chief Kevin O’Leary to explain why the average response time for the department has increased from six to nine minutes in the last three years.
Note: At the same time, response times by VC Sheriff’s deputies has actually decreased (see COPPS talk, Page A-3).
The chief, who promised to give a full report at the next fire board meeting, said that several factors appear to be at work, but the most important is heavier traffic volume.
The number of responses has increased, but not enough to account for the increase in response time, he said.
Another factor could be the road widening work being done on the Valley Center Grade, he said.
Still another factor, one director suggested, was the fact that Valley Center Fire Protection District is having a hard time keeping reserve firefighters for very long.
It used to be that reservists would stay with the district for several years. Today that is very rare, and the district doesn’t pay its reservists enough to keep them from jumping ship to a full paying firefighting job as soon as the opportunity presents itself.
Simonsen said that if there is something that the department can do to cut down on the time it takes to respond to an incident, he would like to do it.
Dwayne Carter, the longtime pastor of Horizon Christian Fellowship, died of a stroke Thursday.
Services will be held this Saturday, Feb. 5, 1 p.m. at Horizon North County with Pastor Mike Mackintosh officiating. The address is 6365 El Apajo Rd., Rancho Santa Fe.
Fellow pastor Tom Linley, of Calvary Chapel, described Pastor Dwayne Carter as “ a faithful shepherd to his flock, and boy, they are really going to miss him! He’s greatly beloved by his people.”
Pastor Carter was born Nov. 25, 1950 in Visalia. He was educated at Redwood High School, Fullerton Junior College and San Bernardino Valley College.
He moved to Big Bear at age 19 to design and build custom homes. He had a gift for architectural design and was talented in pen and ink art.
He won a scholarship at age 16 to work at AFB in the design department.
He pursued his love of architecture and within a short time had his own architectural design firm, which he ran for 20 years.
He won numerous awards, including Best Design for “Tour De Elegance” 2001.
He had been a local pastor in Valley Center’s Horizon Christian Fellowship for 12 years.
In December of 1994 the congregation of Grandview Church voted to ask Horizon Christian Fellowship in San Diego to take over the church. At that time Pastor Carter was pastor of Grandview.
Horizon took over and shortly thereafter Pastor Carter was going to San Diego every day for a year of pastoral internship. Roger Vaus became the new pastor in VC, followed by Steve Armaderez. Pastor Carter returned in 1995 and was pastor at Horizon until the present time.
In 2000 Horizon acquired the property on VC Road across from Pepperoni’s with plans to eventually build a new facility there.
Pastor Carter had a desire in his heart to bring together the pastors of the churches in VC and Pauma Valley. On Jan. 11, 2005, six pastors met at Horizon and decided that from then on they would meet every two weeks for prayer and unity.
He loved coaching his sons Christian and Jonathan in baseball from 1990-94 and also loved reading, studying the Bible and history.
He enjoyed spending time teaching his daughter, Elizabeth to draw in pen and ink and watercolor.
Survivors include his father, Nick Olola Carter of Visalia, brother, Danny Carter of Clovis; sisters, Lavonna Simmons of La Habra and Laura Carter of Tulare; wife, Lani Carter; sons, Christian, Carter of Escondido and Jonathan Carter, also of Escondido and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceeded in death by his daughter, Elizabeth Carter.
Miss VC 1998, Tamara Damante will return to VC to MC the April Miss Valley Center Pageant.
Miss Damante is now a Morning Anchor and reporter for KESQ News Channel 3 in Palm Springs.
She attributes some of her success in addressing the public to her experience as Miss Valley Center.
“We are excited to have Tamara as our Mistress of Ceremonies for the 2005 Miss Valley Center Pageant. It’s great to follow our past queens as they pursue a higher education and establish themselves in a career,” said Dianna Greene, VC Pageant Assn. President and Miss VC of 1996.
Do you or someone you know want to be Miss Valley Center? The crown comes complete with local recognition, college scholarships, cash and many other prizes.
The VC Pageant Assn. is preparing for the 2005 Miss Valley Center Pageant, to be held Saturday, April 16.
Applications for contestants are available at: VC High School, Ann’s School of Dance, Mimi’s Nails, VC Chamber of Commerce office or by calling Karen at (760)749-1863 or email vcpagassoc@valleycenterinternet.com. Contestants must be female, single, age 17 to 24, a VC resident, never have been pregnant and have the desire to serve as an ambassador for the VC Community.
Application deadline is Feb. 12 at the mandatory orientation meeting. Rehearsals will begin the week of Feb. 14. For more information, call Karen 749-1863.
The Valley Roadrunner
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