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Another Oceanside timeshare coming?...new boomtown
Developers look at Oceanside RV park for potential time-share project
By: CHRIS TRIBBEY - Staff Writer
OCEANSIDE ---- A developer's representative said Monday that his client is in the process of buying the Oceanside RV Park on South Coast Highway with tentative plans to build a time share and retail shops on the site.
"We're looking into potential future uses," said Lou Lightfoot, president of Oceanside's Lightfoot Planning Group, which is representing Huntington Development, based out of Sierra Madre and Montecito. "We're talking to City Council members and seeing what they think about it."
The site at 1510 S. Coast Highway, near Oceanside Boulevard, is being purchased by Huntington from Oceanside resident Song Ramboldt, who has owned the 140-space RV park for 20 years.
Ramboldt said the deal is in the "due diligence" period in which Huntington can examine potential environmental and zoning concerns before proceeding. Lightfoot said the developer hopes to close escrow by the end of the year.
Ramboldt said Huntington has until Nov. 30 to buy or back out. She predicted, however, that the developer would back out.
"Who wants a time share by the highway?" she said, adding that an extended-stay hotel project would be more attractive. The lot is zoned "visitor-commercial," according to the city's planning department, which allows for "recreation-oriented and visitor-serving commercial activities conveniently located near recreational and scenic areas," specifically related to the coast.
Four council members expressed positive reactions to the developer's plans Monday, describing it as just the latest in a series of potential projects that would upgrade the South Oceanside area near Buccaneer Beach.
"Any time we can get (transit occupancy tax) to help the city, I'm interested," said Councilwoman Shari Mackin.
Councilman Rocky Chavez said his main concern "is that we need to look at the entire area," referring to other area projects that include the Coast Highway Station for the upcoming Escondido-to-Oceanside Sprinter light-rail train that would be a block away from the proposed time share.
A wetlands restoration project planned from South Coast Highway to Buccaneer Beach and a planned clean-up of nearby Loma Alta Creek could also make a future tourist-driven project in the area attractive, city officials said.
Mayor Jim Wood said he wants to see any development along the South Coast Highway corridor focus primarily on commercial uses. Wood added that as of now, a large-scale development on the site wouldn't be an attractive option. He said the 10-acre site has great potential, though, because it's close to a future Sprinter station and because it would be close to a potential pathway to Buccaneer Beach following wetlands restoration.
Wood added that Huntington and other developers are seeing the progress of development projects downtown, and are looking for ways to capitalize on areas close to downtown.
"I think it's pretty exciting that someone wants to take over an area in Oceanside that's very visitor-oriented and transit-oriented," said Councilman Jack Feller. "It's a reasonable project idea."
Residents express concern
Oceanside RV Park offers month-to-month leases to RV owners, and the park's city permit limits visitors to two-week stays in the summer months and 90-day stays the rest of the year. If the park closes, Paradise by the Sea RV Resort across the street would be the only non-mobile home, temporary-stay RV park left in Oceanside.
According to Oceanside RV Park residents, the majority of recreational vehicle owners at the park are retirees or workers at San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. The news that someone was looking to develop the site didn't surprise resident Barnie Boyd.
"Sooner or later, somebody big was going to buy it," the 56-year-old Michigan native said. "It's too big a piece of land."
Boyd and Kalen Towle, 41, have been coming to the park since 1990.
"This place is always full," Towle said. "I'm shocked. I hate to see this happen."
Boyd and Towle said they would look for an RV park in Vista or further inland if the Oceanside park were to close.
"I like it here," said Valerie Jennings, 59, whose husband contracts for work at San Onofre. "It's near to the ocean, and you can walk everywhere."
Larry O'Terry, 61, said he's been coming to the park for two years, and that he'd be "at my wits' end" if he had to move.
"The proximity to the ocean ... it's clean and quiet here ... I'd be sorry to see this place get converted," he said.
Contact staff writer Chris Tribbey at (760) 901-4067 or at ctribbey@nctimes.com. To comment, go to nctimes.com.
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006...2606194315.txt
By: CHRIS TRIBBEY - Staff Writer
OCEANSIDE ---- A developer's representative said Monday that his client is in the process of buying the Oceanside RV Park on South Coast Highway with tentative plans to build a time share and retail shops on the site.
"We're looking into potential future uses," said Lou Lightfoot, president of Oceanside's Lightfoot Planning Group, which is representing Huntington Development, based out of Sierra Madre and Montecito. "We're talking to City Council members and seeing what they think about it."
The site at 1510 S. Coast Highway, near Oceanside Boulevard, is being purchased by Huntington from Oceanside resident Song Ramboldt, who has owned the 140-space RV park for 20 years.
Ramboldt said the deal is in the "due diligence" period in which Huntington can examine potential environmental and zoning concerns before proceeding. Lightfoot said the developer hopes to close escrow by the end of the year.
Ramboldt said Huntington has until Nov. 30 to buy or back out. She predicted, however, that the developer would back out.
"Who wants a time share by the highway?" she said, adding that an extended-stay hotel project would be more attractive. The lot is zoned "visitor-commercial," according to the city's planning department, which allows for "recreation-oriented and visitor-serving commercial activities conveniently located near recreational and scenic areas," specifically related to the coast.
Four council members expressed positive reactions to the developer's plans Monday, describing it as just the latest in a series of potential projects that would upgrade the South Oceanside area near Buccaneer Beach.
"Any time we can get (transit occupancy tax) to help the city, I'm interested," said Councilwoman Shari Mackin.
Councilman Rocky Chavez said his main concern "is that we need to look at the entire area," referring to other area projects that include the Coast Highway Station for the upcoming Escondido-to-Oceanside Sprinter light-rail train that would be a block away from the proposed time share.
A wetlands restoration project planned from South Coast Highway to Buccaneer Beach and a planned clean-up of nearby Loma Alta Creek could also make a future tourist-driven project in the area attractive, city officials said.
Mayor Jim Wood said he wants to see any development along the South Coast Highway corridor focus primarily on commercial uses. Wood added that as of now, a large-scale development on the site wouldn't be an attractive option. He said the 10-acre site has great potential, though, because it's close to a future Sprinter station and because it would be close to a potential pathway to Buccaneer Beach following wetlands restoration.
Wood added that Huntington and other developers are seeing the progress of development projects downtown, and are looking for ways to capitalize on areas close to downtown.
"I think it's pretty exciting that someone wants to take over an area in Oceanside that's very visitor-oriented and transit-oriented," said Councilman Jack Feller. "It's a reasonable project idea."
Residents express concern
Oceanside RV Park offers month-to-month leases to RV owners, and the park's city permit limits visitors to two-week stays in the summer months and 90-day stays the rest of the year. If the park closes, Paradise by the Sea RV Resort across the street would be the only non-mobile home, temporary-stay RV park left in Oceanside.
According to Oceanside RV Park residents, the majority of recreational vehicle owners at the park are retirees or workers at San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. The news that someone was looking to develop the site didn't surprise resident Barnie Boyd.
"Sooner or later, somebody big was going to buy it," the 56-year-old Michigan native said. "It's too big a piece of land."
Boyd and Kalen Towle, 41, have been coming to the park since 1990.
"This place is always full," Towle said. "I'm shocked. I hate to see this happen."
Boyd and Towle said they would look for an RV park in Vista or further inland if the Oceanside park were to close.
"I like it here," said Valerie Jennings, 59, whose husband contracts for work at San Onofre. "It's near to the ocean, and you can walk everywhere."
Larry O'Terry, 61, said he's been coming to the park for two years, and that he'd be "at my wits' end" if he had to move.
"The proximity to the ocean ... it's clean and quiet here ... I'd be sorry to see this place get converted," he said.
Contact staff writer Chris Tribbey at (760) 901-4067 or at ctribbey@nctimes.com. To comment, go to nctimes.com.
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006...2606194315.txt