Letter to local newspapers concerning the proposed development on Buena Vista Lagoon

A Date with Nature on Valentine's Day

Residents of Oceanside and everyone who cares about our coast should be very concerned about a proposed development on Buena Vista Lagoon.  The project would be located across South Coast Highway from the Buena Vista Audubon Nature Center.  The proposed hotel, restaurant and condominium complex was rejected by a 6-1 vote of the Oceanside Planning Commission last October. The developer has made minor cosmetic changes, and is now bypassing the Planning Commission to bring his project directly to the City Council at their meeting at 6 p.m., February 14, 2007.

Our lagoon is in trouble. The basin is clogged with silt and the lagoon is in danger of turning into a meadow if nothing is done.   A restoration project is in the advanced planning stages, with potential funding now being lined up.  Ecologists have concluded that preserving this parcel of land as open space is one of the key actions needed for the long term health of the lagoon.  Over 200 species of birds live in or around the lagoon.  The lagoon is a much loved natural open space reserve at the southern gateway into Oceanside. Many businesses throughout Oceanside cater to beachgoers and tourists.  Clean water, sandy beaches, scenic vistas, an abundance of birds and other native wildlife are all the product of a healthy lagoon ecosystem.  It’s not just the property owners adjacent to the lagoon who benefit from an attractive lagoon.  We all do.  

Funds are now available to purchase this land slated for development and preserve it as permanent open space. CalTrans has made this purchase a priority as mitigation for the coming widening of I-5 across Buena Vista Lagoon. The purchase would be supported by the Coastal Conservancy, the California Department of Fish and Game that manages the lagoon, and numerous other organizations. There is no eminent domain involved here; the landowner, as a willing seller, would be fully compensated and would receive tax credits. This would be a win-win for us all.

But this can't happen if the Oceanside City Council bypasses their own Planning Commission, ignores the advice of ecologists, refuses millions of dollars of funding, and closes their ears to the voices of their residents.

On February 14^th the Council will decide.  Will they approve the project and cause further damage to our lagoon or will they deny or delay the project and send it back through a proper review and approval process?  Once the Council has its say, it will be up to the landowner to decide his next course of action.  The 1,200 members of Buena Vista Audubon Society and many other concerned citizens hope that the landowner will decide to sell to CalTrans at a fair market price.

It is our Valentine's Day wish that both the Oceanside City Council and the landowner will show us all they have a heart and will do the right thing on February 14^th.    

To find out how you can help save Buena Vista Lagoon, visit www.bvaudubon.org.

Dennis Huckabay, President  
Buena Vista Audubon Society