The owners of two large parcels abutting VC Road have been pushed by the County into an arrangement that is part shotgun marriage and part marriage of convenience.
However loveless the union appears from the outside, it seems likely to eventually deliver a big, bouncing, spanking new shopping center that will be in the shape of a walkable “village” with a main street.
However, don’t look for this baby in nine months, or anything near it.
The Roadrunner this week interviewed Herb Schaffer of Weston Valley Center LLC, developer of nearly 100 acres and Napoleon Zervas, managing partner of Valley Center View Properties, which owns about 40 acres that is partially surrounded by the Weston parcel.
The properties are located north of VC Road between Cole Grade and Miller Roads.
The Weston Shopping center proposal has been in the public radar for several years, in various incarnations. It has appeared as an on-again, off-again proposition as different County requirements repeatedly sent the developer back to the drawing board.
Now Weston is back on the radar, this time with a “partner.” What they will be doing together appears to be driven by the County.
This became obvious when Zervas was asked what his group wants to build.
“Everything is under design and everything is subject to change,” he replied.
Asked if that means the County is designing his project for him, Zervas replied, “In essence we are not going to totally do what they tell us. We will listen to what the County wants, and what the community wants. Hopefully, there will be a project that everybody will be proud of.”
Weston and VC View Properties both want a mix of residential, retail and office.
Schaffer told The Roadrunner, “What the County would like us to do, and which we are happy to do, is coordinate our plans to have something that is satisfactory to the community and to the County.”
The combined projects will share a common “main street” and be integrated into a harmonious development.
“We’ve just started,” Schaffer said. “We just had a charette.”
Note: A charette is a creative process like visual brainstorming that is used to develop design solutions.
“It’s where everybody gets together and we say what we want, they say what they want and what the county wants,” said Schaffer. “Naturally everyone gets a little disappointed and everyone gets a little satisfied.”
Whether the charette produces a syndrome or a project remains to be seen.
But, says, Schaffer, “So far it’s being done in a very harmonious manner. I think it will be satisfactory.”
Schaffer said that his preference would be a shopping center with a main street and a continuation of the main street west to his neighbor’s land.
“Abutting the center on my project would be apartments, ranging from a hundred and twenty to a hundred and eighty units. We’re dealing very conceptually now,” said Schaffer.
“Then the rest of the development going north would be townhomes, some surrounding the shopping center and some apartments. We are trying to come up with more of a village close to the shopping center.”
The honeymoon phase of this relationship may go on for quite a while. “They are nice people and we get along fine. We recognize that this is in the best interests of everyone concerned,” said Schaffer.
“The County felt this is a new opportunity while there are large blocks of land being developed. It makes for proper and sound planning and should end up as a good development for everybody.”
The project’s timetable is long range and will be phased over several years. According to Schaffer it should take from 2.5 years to four years to get approvals before building begins.
The supermarket won’t be quite as “super” as originally envisioned. It will be 45,000-50,000 square feet, instead of the 60,000 sq ft. originally proposed.
There also won’t be as many residential units on the Weston property as originally proposed, but in combination with the other property, the total retail will be about the same. Originally Weston proposed 22 acres of commercial. That has been shaved down to 15 acres.
Schaffer is happy with that, too. “There would have been more commercial than the community could absorb otherwise,” he said.
That means more residential units. Some may be low income housing or senior housing.
“I don’t know if we’re going to have low income housing,” said Schaffer. “We are dealing very conceptually. Whatever the requirements are as far as housing are concerned we will meet them.” He added, “Of course, I don’t know what low income housing is anymore.”
Schaffer is upbeat about the way the process is moving.
“I think the end result is going to be fine. It’s another stop/go that costs money and that held us up for half a year, but that’s the way the County is. That’s part of the process.”
The community will have the opportunity very early on to have input in the design.
Zervas agreed with Schaffer that the plan is for a “village.”
“Our plan is to put in a village. We’re working closely with the Design Review Board so that Valley Center can have its own village, small businesses, walking area, something that would blend in with Valley Center.”
However, in keeping with his cautious earlier comments, Zervas added, “Everything is subject to change. The design board is recommending certain things. What we have showed them they liked.”
His share of the development will be a mix of small retail and residential condos and apartments, but no single family units. “We are considering low income and retirement units,” said Zervas. “We are trying to take into consideration the population mix in the area.”
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The development will need a sewer system of some sort in order to have that large of a density.
Over the years the Valley Center Municipal Water District has had numerous discussions with Schaffer and Zervas about wastewater service to their properties.
According to water district Gen. Mgr. Gary Arant, “At one juncture we developed a policy to allow us to accept for ownership and operation a large scale advanced treatment septic and sub-surface disposal system for the Weston Properties as an interim system, anticipating the future construction of a conventional system.
“At this point we are continuing to have discussions with these two property owners about systems to serve their respective properties. We have told them that whatever happens, it will have to be a system that is master planned to serve the entire GP 2020 North Village planning area, and that we will not accept proposals to build permanent systems which serve only individual developments, as has been suggested by Mr. Schaffer on occasion,” said Arant.
He added, “Now this does not mean that these two developers will have to construct facilities to serve the entire area, but it does mean that a plant location, size and configuration will have to be such as to accommodate a future or parallel expansion project. What we envision is the same basic approach as was used with Woods Valley Ranch: developers build the core system which possibly is expanded by smaller property owners through the formation of an assessment district at a later date, or possibly at the same time.”
The second biggest fireworks display in North County is exploding into view on July 4 at Jaguar Stadium. Festivities begin at 6 p.m.
All of the necessary permits have been approved and the event is on the launch pad, ready for blast off.
“We’re expecting the event to be great, thanks to so many people,” said Kelly Crews, who has been ramrodding this effort since early spring.
Those arriving at the gate will be greeted by the following Rotarians: Dan Meyer, Nicky Lovejoy, and Mary Pfeifer.
Once inside the gates visitors will be able to buy various delicacies from service clubs and other organizations.
The VC Lions will serve bratwurst, chicken, and hamburgers. Country Kettle Corn will have Kettle Corn. The LaCrosse Foundation will offer lemonade and Pixy Stix. Michelle Monohan, president of the the VC Women’s Club says her group will sell baked goods and offer a game that children may play for prizes.
The VC Drama Club, under the direction of new president, Sammie Carr, will do face painting. They will also sell DVDs of their movie Mystery High at a reduced price of $10.
A martial arts studio will also be present to give demonstrations.
The Hot Pursuit band will begin playing at 6 p.m. when the gates open.
No bottled water will be distributed at this year’s event. Drinks will be available to purchase.
Here’s some of the fireworks volunteers who are active in putting on the event:
• Jon Petersen, vice principal of Valley Center High School, is working with the firework’s team to bring everything together.
• Lynn Lackey is orchestrating the installation of all necessary requirements like trash, toilets and sand, as well as traffic direction and signage.
• Victor Navarro has volunteered to put up some signage at the corner of Valley Center Road & Cole Grade road to honor the major sponsors.
• Morgan Rogers of the Lacrosse Foundation has been busy putting up the banners all around town. He continues to be involved with planning and execution of the event as is his co-chairman Wendy Fiehler, who additionally has volunteered to completely oversee the egg toss event.
• Phil Fiehler is in charge of collecting the $1 donation and liability release signatures of parents or guardians for kids who want to climb the rock wall, take a leap down the giant slide or give the obstacle course a good run. All monies collected go to the Valley Center High School Foundation.
Members of the Valley Center CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) under Ron Perry will be on-call during the event.
Parking will be marked and available around the school site. Carpooling is recommended.
After the fireworks the entire area is expected to be cleared within thirty minutes.
Those who are in a rush should just plan on slowing down and being neighborly to everyone around them. It’s a good thing to leave room for someone else to get out of their space and enter the flow of traffic.
Pets in the neighborhood of the fireworks need to be treated appropriately, with precautions made for their safety as they often become alarmed by the sound of fireworks. Call your veterinarian for the best instruction.
Just to clarify, alcohol, tobacco, and pets are prohibited on school property.
Kelly Crews, who is overseeing this year’s fireworks efforts, told The Roadrunner, “We could not go forward without the help of George Lucia, VC Fire Marshal, and all the other county helpers we have had the privilege to work with, including Sharon Murphy, Maria Rogers, Bob Fuller and James Campbell. Special thanks again to the Sheriff’s Dept. and Deputy Dan Lopez, Chamber of Commerce President John Yeager and Treasurer Bob Payne, and Erik Jensen owner of VC Insurance. Thanks also to Edco Diamond Enviornmental and Aggragate Supply.”
An identity theft scam involving credit cards that affected hundreds of Cal Fire firefighters across the state, also hit several who live or work in Valley Center. What’s more, the ID theft has suspicious implications that could connect it to terrorism.
Experts say terrorists are “regularly schooled in the art of subsisting off credit card fraud,” while abroad and in the U.S.
Testifying before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Technology and Terrorism on July 9, 2002 FBI agent Dennis Lormel reported, “an Al-Qaeda terrorist cell in Spain used stolen credit cards… for numerous purchases for the cell.” He added, “targeting this type of activity and pursuing links to terrorist financing will likely result in the identification and dismantlement of previously unknown cells.”
A month earlier, before the committee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security, the General Accounting Office testified that, “the events of September 11… have heightened concerns about the role identify fraud plays in facilitating terrorism and other serious crimes.” More troubling is a “synergistic growth among transnational crime groups and terrorist networks.”
Upon careful analysis, services and items purchased with firefighters’ cards include flowers, IBM computers, laptops, software, a Global Positioning System, chemistry set, clothes, shoes, a limousine ride, Church’s Chicken, soccer gear, along with a donation to the Islamic Relief Fund.
Multiple transactions occurred at UPS, Wal Mart, Best Buy, Yahoo.voz and Blizzard.com.
Card activity occurred in Arizona, Australia, New York, India, Dallas, France, Germany, South Carolina, Spain, Florida and the United Kingdom.
“My bank called me when 11,000 dollars worth of transactions occurred one night—all at the same time in different places,” said Steven Io, a Cal Fire captain who works in Soquel, a quiet coastal town in Santa Cruz County.
To date, over a $100,000 worth of fraudulent credit card charges have been documented, involving an estimated 200 firefighters.
Back in March, Roger Raines, a captain and union officer from Riverside, sent emails to station administrators warning about “a high volume” of ID theft among fire personnel.
“There was a big rash of hits in February,” said Raines. “It would slow down… then pick up.”
With upwards of 4,800 employees, the investigation is complex. In a recent email sent by Randy Scales, chapter director of the San Diego unit’s firefighters’ union, stations were asked to “compile a list” of employees affected.
“We’ve had about fifteen people hit in our unit,” said Don Luis, a captain in San Mateo County. From the San Benito-Monterey area, “About 22 guys in our unit,” said Capt. Mark Ditullio. “I’ve heard of thirty,” said a chief who did not want to be identified.
Top Cal Fire officials have repeatedly said they don’t know how thieves obtained the credit card numbers.
Yet, interviews with dozens of firefighters across the state point to an online “company store” named Distinctive Recognition (DR) that sells uniform belts, hats and T-shirts, as epicenter of the security break.
This couldn’t happen at a worse time. “We’re in the process of contract negotiations with state vendors,” said Kelly Gardener, membership coordinator for Cal Fire Fire Union.
Asked how long DR had been a state vendor, “I’m not comfortable with this line of questioning,” said Gardener. “You should talk to Bob Wolf, the union president.” Wolf did not return our calls.
Regarding a security breech, "I can’t say it was us, I can’t say it wasn’t,” said “Frankie” Williams, a spokesman for DR. “We changed the way we handle credit card transactions about two month ago…credit cards used to come to us in one batch… now they are sent in separate batches… it takes longer, but it’s safer.”
Laurel King, owner of the internet service provider, www.adventuresportsonline.com/, which hosts DR, said, “We recently upgraded the way we handle credit card transaction with [DR] and stopped emails coming into them… we think the problem is fixed.”
That’s the same ‘problem’ that King and the owner of DR, Jim Lenau, told union officers didn’t exist.
King also said credit card information was sent to Lenau and stored on database on his laptop.
Security analysts say cyber thieves can grab credit card and other sensitive information when you log into a laptop in a public spot.
King speculated that “someone probably placed some kind of spy ware on his [Lenau’s] computer,” although she wouldn’t elaborate.
Interestingly, firefighters in units that weren’t affected say they hadn’t used the store.
One firefighter hit had two cards, one for on-line purchases and one for regular ones.
After mistakenly using his “regular card” on the DR website, “both card numbers were stolen.”
Another firefighter said he hadn’t used his card at the store, but later remembered he had—four years ago.
There was also a Cal Fire mechanic who used his card once to buy T-shirts from DR from a booth at a fire camp. At the state level, “we as a department have no on-going investigation,” said Dave Hillman, chief of law enforcement and fire prevention for Cal Fire. “We would do one if we thought our employees had been defrauded on a separate system.”
Incidentally, Cal Fire’s union Web page links firefighters to the store. When firefighters buy T-shirts with union logos, the union receives a percentage.
Most people would probably not regard that as a bad thing.
Thousands go towards the Benevolent Fund, Scholarship programs for Cal Fire kids and Honor Guard.
However, some firefighters said the business relationship has slowed the investigation.
“If we can’t trust our union to handle a situation like this, how can we trust them with bigger issues?” said an engineer who didn’t want to be identified. “Are they more concerned about us… or the people they do business with?”
Asked if the union plans to further investigate the matter, “It’s not a union issue,” said John Byrne, district administrator for the VC Fire Protection District. “It’s a law enforcement issue.”
When a Unit Chief from Shasta Trinity approached union officers a few months ago, he said he was told the ID theft was a “global problem” so they “didn’t pursue it.”
Jim Nolan, a captain and union officer said, “When we first heard about this we went to the company store… they told us they couldn’t find a point of access… nor could their web server… so we stopped there.”
Law enforcement experts say the key to cracking a credit card fraud case is to act quickly.
“ID theft cases can lead us to other crimes,” said Deputy Vic Perry.
Sean Murray, a captain out of Watsonville, said many firefighters are frustrated. “The problem has not been solved,” he said.
When asked about VC firefighters affected by ID theft, Byrne said, “I don’t know of any.”
However, VC has some residents who are firefighters who are affected.
VC fire Engineer Chris Carrera, firefighter Robert Reynolds and Captain Rich Wierenga, who is a VC resident, and Captain at Rainbow Conservation Camp in Fallbrook, are among those affected.
Over the years, efforts to protect sensitive information have made headway.
As of 2003, the Security Breach Information Act requires companies in California to notify customers whenever personal information may have been compromised.
Distinctive Recognition has not notified firefighters. “We have no proof of credit card loss,” said Williams.
Fortunately, if the loss involves a credit card number, but not the card itself, firefighters have no liability for unauthorized use. Banks are quick to restore funds.
However, “banks do very minimal investigation,” said a Cal Fire crime prevention officer who asked not to be identified. “Firefighters need to file police reports.”
As for an immediate resolution, “the best thing you can do is call your bank and get your money back,” said Perry.
Some firefighters want more. “I’d like to see some form of justice done to the people who have stolen our credit card numbers,” said Engineer Howard Maxcy, who grew up in Valley Center and works in Menifee. “It’s caused a lot of problems.”
As for the mysterious security break, “I’d like to see them continue the investigation to find out where it came from,” said VC Fire Captain Cristina Wallace, who was not a victim, but said several firefighters in her unit were affected.
From Santa Cruz, “It’s very frustrating… of great concern,” said Captain Cliff Allen.
Firefighters. or any victims of ID theft, should fight back. Before you do anything else, contact your bank and find out where and when thieves used your card. Then, call companies where cards were used and find out where items were shipped. If goods purchased weren’t shipped, ask for the name on the account. Yes, it’s probably fictitious, but criminals make mistakes. Keep a log.
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Kim Oakley is a freelance writer living in Valley Center. She can be reached at Kpsalm27@nethere.com/
Facing uncertain months ahead, the VC Municipal Water District has adopted some belt-tightening measures during its midterm budget review.
At the June 18 board meeting directors were updated on the midterm adjustments to the two-year budget.
Facing the growing possibility of water rationing later this year and not yet knowing the full effects on water sales of last winter’s freeze, the district is cutting back, deferring filling vacated staff positions and postponing capital improvement projects.
In a report to the board, staff noted, “With the uncertainties surrounding the water supply because of Delta pump issues, coupled with the still unknown impact of the January freeze on agricultural water sales, we plan on continuing the deferral of filling the unfilled positions noted above and we will shift discretionary capital projects out of the current two-Year budget.”
The other factor that might impact water sales next year is another dry winter like we just experienced.
If that happens, farmers in the area can almost certainly expect to see their water supplies cut back at least 30% and maybe more.
Most farmers who buy water from the water district participate in the Metropolitan Water District’s MWD–Interim Agricultural Water Program (IAWP). This program sells water to ag at discounted prices, but requires them to be ready to accept less water in a drought.
The district recently posted a notice on the district Web site advising their ag customers that the Metropolitan Water District, the big agency that sells to all of Southern California, has asked its member agencies to submit by August 30, a reduction plan for ag customers.
The latest posting states: “This is yet another indication that MWD is anticipating and preparing its member agencies, sub-agencies and Certified MWD–IAWP participants for a supply reduction of at least 30%, effective January, 2008,” said the letter.
IAWP customers had been mailed a similar advisory earlier in the year following a superior court action concerning the operation of the Delta pumps of the State Water Project.
Until it gets firm word on such water use cuts the district is still looking at selling 48,300 acre feet next year, compared to the 47,000 acre feet it expects to sell by the end of this month. Note: an acre foot is a measure of water. It is one acre of water one foot deep.
Although advising spending cuts in most programs, staff did recommend moving full speed head on the automated meter reading program and a more modest Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) project.
The district has identified capital improvement projects and equipment purchases that total $4.6 million which can be delayed.
Fortunately, operations and maintenance expenditures are already running under budget by $582,640 for fiscal year 2006-2007 and are expected to be $458,564 under budget next year as well.
For example, payroll is expected to be about $1 million less than budgeted, as they won’t be filling the ranks of eight new positions previously approved in the current two year budget, and three employees who will be retiring later this year.
Edward Martinez poses with his mother, Mrs. Martinez. Edward was awarded ten first place winners at the San Diego County Fair for his goat Voluptuous. Edward is a VC Middle School student and a 4-H member with the Murrieta 4-H.
About 40 volunteers last week helped out with a Boy Scout Troop 632 Eagle Scout project building a sunshade at Adams Park Pool. The Eagle Scout candidate is McKennan Abreu, 17. He has been a Scout since he was a little guy, says his father, Dan Abreu.
Madison Calbert entered her magnet collection at the San Diego County Fair in the Kid’s Best collection and received an award. Her parents are Todd & Dena Calbert of VC.
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
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