New 5-star timeshare resort Carlsbad- Ponto Beach development is fractional timeshare

[4ARedOctober Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close 4ARedOctober]

Planning docs indicate that there will be a (or a few) new luxury oceanside resorts in Carlsbad.

The following sheds some light on the subject.....CaliDave says the rumors indicate one may be affiliated with HGVC which would be cool.


".....CARLSBAD — Two hotels at the airport, two more along Interstate 5, a massive resort near Legoland and at least one waterfront inn are forecast for Carlsbad within the next 10 years....."


"....The fact that many of the proposed hotels will be national brand-names such as Hilton will help attract visitors, Rauch said...."

"....Meeting room facilities also are something that hotel developer Bill Canepa is counting on to help keep the rooms in his proposed waterfront hotel full, he said. His company, Wave Crest Resorts II, is proposing to build 177 "traditional" hotel rooms and up to 24 two-bedroom suites on a site in the city's southwestern neighborhood known as Ponto. The project also will include 1,200 square feet of meeting room space.

Canepa's project is still in the early stages. He dropped off preliminary plans for an initial city review in March and can't move forward with the project until the city approves a regional planning document for the Ponto neighborhood.

Like Canepa's project, the sixth and final hotel proposal also was submitted to the city for initial review several weeks ago. The 170-room Embassy Suites hotel is proposed for a site along Paseo del Norte near Interstate 5."

[4ARedOctober Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close 4ARedOctober]

South Carlsbad - Ponto Beach

Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Last modified Sunday, November 7, 2004 12:04 AM PST


Ponto neighborhood renovation moving forward

By: BARBARA HENRY - Staff Writer

CARLSBAD ---- A "blighted" beachfront strip is about to undergo a transformation into a tourist-centered community.

By early next year, plans for the Ponto neighborhood in the southwestern region of the city will go before the city's Planning Commission and City Council, a Carlsbad official said last week.

A developer confirmed that he and others are buying land in the 50-acre area with plans to build three hotel projects, town houses and "live-work" units.

City leaders have long wanted to make the region ---- the city's southern entry point along Carlsbad Boulevard ---- look like the upscale beach frontage to the north. They call Ponto a "blighted" neighborhood.

The area's longtime residents and business owners fervently disagree.

"It's all relative ---- what looks good to you may not to someone else," Jim Waggaman, owner of AirStream Studios, said last week. "My place looks like a junk yard, but a lot of people love it."

Waggaman and his neighbors said they think "blighted" would be a fabulous description for the rows of new, two-story homes squished onto tiny lots just to the north of Ponto.

"They're dull, unimaginative and repetitive," said Nanci Dettmer, who has owned her three-bedroom home along Ponto Drive for 34 years.

Joking that she "doesn't play well with others," Dettmer said she won't be staying to watch the rustic area transform into an upscale tourist center. She and other Ponto property owners are planning to sell their land. Dettmer said she expects to be gone within two years, as do the business operators, who mostly rent shop space along the strip.

Crafting the "vision"

The Ponto neighborhood was first declared a city redevelopment zone in 2000. That status gave the city's Housing and Redevelopment Commission the legal authority to force change in the area. Work began on the area's redevelopment plan ---- a document referred to as a "vision plan" in city jargon ---- in 2003, and a series of public meetings were held that year.

"One of the reasons we developed this vision plan is we didn't want projects to come in piecemeal," said Debbie Fountain, the city's housing and redevelopment director. "You have to have a vision to say (a proposed project) isn't consistent with your vision for the area."

Roughly two-thirds of the land in the zone is undeveloped. The remainder ---- the northern end ---- contains several homes and a series of small businesses, including a furniture upholstery workshop, dog kennels, a mini-storage facility and an auto repair operation. The neighborhood is perhaps best known to passing motorists for its massive wood storage pile marked with rough-lettered "Wood Not For Sale" signs.

The city's proposed plan for Ponto is documented in an inch-think report. That's the document the council will review early next year. Inside its pages: architectural drawings of the proposed hotel projects and photographs of sample pedestrian plazas, parking structures, landscaping and business signs. The report is detailed enough to state how the "small, pedestrian-oriented" signs will be hung from the buildings.

Feeling crowded

The planning document calls for an upscale beachfront resort in the zone's southern section ---- the region between Batiquitos Lagoon and Avenida Encinas. The drawings show hotel rooms, time-share units, a restaurant, meeting rooms and retail shops. The developer handling that project, Tony Sharp, could not be reached for comment last week.

These days, the area is an unofficial dog park used by families who live in the newer neighborhoods around Ponto. In the early evenings, as many as a dozen dogs may frolic about while their owners try off-leash training sessions.

Several people at the site Wednesday said they wish the land could remain as it is.

"Not everything needs to have a house crammed in on it," said Jane Gregory, who lives off Poinsettia Lane. "They just built a whole new development behind my development, so I'm feeling kind of crowded already."

People who live near Avenida Encinas also have said they have concerns about how much traffic the resort will generate.

Buying up the land

In the region's mid-section, the planning document calls for town houses, a small bed-and-breakfast style hotel and what's termed a "live-work neighborhood" where people could live above the businesses they own.

In some sense, that's what's going on now, except the planning document talks about lawyers, architects and artists, while the present occupants repair cars and couches, or sell firewood and sheet metal.

In the planning document, the zone's northern end is reserved for a three-story hotel with a restaurant and a small conference facility. Bill Canepa, president of the Encinitas-based development company Wave Crest Resorts II, said Thursday that his company has bought seven of the eight acres it needs for that project. The company is about to close escrow on the final lot, he added.

The $60 million project will include 231 traditional hotel rooms and 24 two-bedroom suites with kitchens, he said. The company, which produced the Hilton Garden Inn a mile and a half to the north, anticipates rooms will rent for $180 to $200 a night.

Plans should go to the city late this winter, construction could begin a year later, and the hotel could open in 2007, Canepa said.

Saying goodbye

As developers fine-tune their hotel designs, residents and businesses are making their departure plans.

"I don't want to leave here," Dettmer said as she looked around her yard with its well-trimmed lawn, bright yellow rose bushes and numerous potted plants.

Dettmer bought her house when she was 18 and raised her four children there. That was in the days when flower fields rather than housing developments surrounded the neighborhood. She's had the same neighbors for more than 30 years.

Waggaman, who brought his auto business to the area in 1987, said he feels lucky to have stayed as long as he has. The city's lengthy planning process had its benefits, he said.

"The city hasn't let any of the property owners develop any of their property (until the planning process concludes) ... that's the reason I've been able to be here as long as I have," he said.

His landlord tells him he's got a little less than two years to find a new home, he added.

Dettmer said the city may try to create a new "neighborhood" with shops, homes and hotels, but that it won't have the same feeling that the old Ponto inspires.

"It's one of the last places of the old North County," she said.

Contact staff writer Barbara Henry at (760) 901-4072 or bhenry@nctimes.com.

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2004..._3311_6_04.txt

[4ARedOctober Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close 4ARedOctober]

Hotel building boom in Carlsbad's sights

Hotel building boom in Carlsbad's sights


By Barbara Henry
North County Times
April 16, 2005

CARLSBAD — Two hotels at the airport, two more along Interstate 5, a massive resort near Legoland and at least one waterfront inn are forecast for Carlsbad within the next 10 years.

If the six projects are built as planned — and four already have city approval — they could add nearly 1,400 rooms to Carlsbad's lodging inventory. The city now has approximately 3,500 hotel rooms, a figure that has remained unchanged since 2002.

Lodging industry observers say the building proposals are signs that the area has moved well beyond the national downturn in tourism that followed the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the East Coast.

"We've had a whole lot of things working again, and I'm excited by these projects," said Kurt Burkhart, executive director of the Carlsbad Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Burkhart added that this is the city's biggest hotel building boom since he started working at the bureau five years ago.

Developers said the city is a hot hotel market. Its successful business park, its beach and its proximity to San Diego and Los Angeles make it attractive, they said.

"We just like the growth in North County, period," said Eric Jacobs, vice president of real estate for Tarsadia Hotels — the company that plans to build the two airport hotels.

Surviving tough times

Adding more than 1,000 hotel rooms in a decade wouldn't be unheard of for Carlsbad. The city's hotel industry also grew at a steady clip in the 1990s.

Carlsbad had 1,884 hotel rooms in 1990, and by 2000 that figure had jumped by 1,310, to 3,194 rooms, according to Don Neu, assistant city planning director.

Several hotels, including the 106-room Extended Stay America and the 98-room Inns of America, opened in the early part of this decade, but things have been quiet since 2002, city officials said.

Hotel industry observers said that's because tourism has struggled in the wake the Sept. 11 attacks.

It is noteworthy that the handful of hotels that opened in Carlsbad in 2001 and 2002 even managed to survive, said Robert Rauch, director of the San Diego State University Center of Hospitality and Tourism Research.

"They all hung in there from 2001 to 2003, which was a pretty tough period," Rauch said. "They've all done well because the market was strong (in Carlsbad) and they were winning brands."

Handling the growth

Whether Carlsbad can keep the pack of recently proposed hotels full will depend on how many of them open at the same time, Rauch said. If the number of rooms gradually increases in the next few years, Carlsbad should be able to absorb the increase, as it has in the past, he said.

"I think Carlsbad is a successful, slow-growth market," he said.

The fact that many of the proposed hotels will be national brand-names such as Hilton will help attract visitors, Rauch said.

The 700-room resort complex, proposed by Carlsbad-based hotelier Grand Pacific Resorts Inc. for a site next to Legoland, will face a little more trouble because it doesn't have a national identity, Rauch said. As long as its developers build it in stages as planned, it should be OK, he added.

The city's tourism bureau leader said he thinks the list of proposed hotels is diverse. The variety — everything from resort projects to business hotels — will make them easier to absorb, Burkhart said.

The city's visitors bureau estimates that city hotel occupancy rates are at least 65 percent this year. The figure is only a guess because the bureau can't afford to pay for occupancy reports, Burkhart said.

Area hoteliers who do subscribe to regional data-collection services said that Burkhart's figure is on the low side. High and mid-level properties are running at least 80 percent full, one hotelier said.

Serving different markets

The first sign of the hotel building period that's coming to Carlsbad is an 86-room project under construction on Cannon Court, just west of Interstate 5. Plans for that hotel were approved in 1999, but construction was postponed, city officials said.

Next in line are the two hotels proposed for a 4.5-acre site near McClellan-PalomarAirport. Construction on those hotels should begin in the next several weeks and they will open by summer 2006, their developer said.

The two hotels — a 94-room Hampton Inn and a 145-room Homewood Suites — will cater to slightly different guests, Tarsadia Hotels' real estate vice president said. The Hampton Inn, which will charge upwards of $95 a night for a room, will cater to short-term business travelers, Jacobs said.

The Homewood Suites facility, which will charge $110 to $140 a night, will serve people who may be staying longer in the area, including business people who are in the process of moving to Carlsbad, he said.

Right after work begins on the airport hotels, the first phase of the resort project may begin breaking ground. Grand Pacific Resort plans to build 130 hotel rooms and 150 to 175 time-share units in its first construction phase, said company President Time Stripe.

The final three

The resort's first rooms are scheduled to open by December 2006, Stripe said. As those rooms are absorbed by the market, the company will build more, until it reaches a total of 350 hotel rooms and 350 time-share units. Grand Pacific is forecasting that it will start building its second phase within 12 to 24 months after the first phase opens, he said.

"A lot of that will be determined by the market," Stripe said, adding that he is optimistic about how well the units will do.

The other hotel proposals the city has received so far are what's termed limited service properties, or hotels that do not offer the restaurants and other amenities that a resort provides, he said.

"It's a different segment than what we're doing," Stripe said.

The resort also will offer something that industry observers say is in short supply in Carlsbad — meeting room space.

Meeting room facilities also are something that hotel developer Bill Canepa is counting on to help keep the rooms in his proposed waterfront hotel full, he said. His company, Wave Crest Resorts II, is proposing to build 177 "traditional" hotel rooms and up to 24 two-bedroom suites on a site in the city's southwestern neighborhood known as Ponto. The project also will include 1,200 square feet of meeting room space.

Canepa's project is still in the early stages. He dropped off preliminary plans for an initial city review in March and can't move forward with the project until the city approves a regional planning document for the Ponto neighborhood.

Like Canepa's project, the sixth and final hotel proposal also was submitted to the city for initial review several weeks ago. The 170-room Embassy Suites hotel is proposed for a site along Paseo del Norte near Interstate 5.

http://www.calcoast.org/news/coast0050416a.html

[4ARedOctober Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close 4ARedOctober]

Some more updated details on the process.....

Two environmental reports now planned for Ponto area



By Barbara Henry
North County Times
February 7, 2006

CARLSBAD ----- A developer who plans to build a 215-room hotel in the northern end of the coastal area known as Ponto said Monday that he's going to do his own environmental document instead of waiting for the city to produce one for the entire region.

Doing a separate environmental impact report may speed his 8-acre project toward the construction phase, said Solana Beach resident Bill Canepa, president Wave Crest Resorts II of Encinitas.

"It might be a little simpler to do (this report) because we know what we want to do," he said.

A representative for the Surfrider Foundation, which has opposed the development plans for the south Carlsbad coastal region, called Canepa's decision "really regrettable."

Canepa should give the city of Carlsbad a chance to produce a regional environmental report on the area, said Todd Cardiff, the organization's representative on Ponto development issues. And, one of the residents in the Hanover Beach Colony development immediately to north, said he too didn't welcome Canepa's decision.

"I've got to tell you, this smells a little opportunistic," said Liam Ferguson, who lives in a community that doesn't like the size of the proposed Wave Crest hotel.

Meanwhile, the city of Carlsbad is moving forward with its plans to produce a similar environmental document covering the entire 50-acre Ponto region. That issue is expected to go before the City Council within the next several weeks, said Debbie Fountain, the city's housing and redevelopment director.

The city did not initially plan to do a full-scale, regional environmental document, but changed its mind after its proposed Ponto Beachfront Village Vision Plan ---- an effort to guide development in the mostly undeveloped area ---- faced opposition from neighbors, environmentalists and representatives for the Surfrider Foundation last year.

During a hearing last summer on the vision plan, dozens of people urged the City Council to conduct a full-scale environmental review of the plan's proposals, which include putting several hotels, a resort, a series of town homes and what are termed live-work units in the area bordered by Ponto Drive to the north and Batiquitos Lagoon to the south. All of the construction would be funded by private developers, including Canepa.

Opponents argued that the city needed to do an overall environmental report of the region rather than expecting each individual developer to do reports on their projects. The City Council agreed, and asked developers to help pay for the document.

That report is estimated to cost $150,000 to $200,000. It's expected to take 18 months to 2 years to complete, city officials have said.

Canepa said Monday that he hopes his smaller report takes much less time. And, if there are any problems producing the regionwide document, his project will be able to move forward without waiting for those to be resolved, he said. His report should be less complicated because his 8-acre project is going on land that's been previously developed, unlike most of the other land in the region, he added.

"Our property is not exactly pristine," he said. "We have dog kennel, we have warehouses on our property."

City officials said they don't think Canepa's document will go all that much faster than the regional report. Both documents will be produced by independent consultants picked by the city. Canepa will pay the cost of his own report.

http://www.calcoast.org/news/coast0060207.html

[4ARedOctober Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close 4ARedOctober]

Any new leads or responses about HGVC? I can't understand why they like Florida so much and ignor Cali.

[Barbeque Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Barbeque]

Any new leads or responses about HGVC? I can't understand why they like Florida so much and ignor Cali.

I dont know this for fact but my guess would be it has to do with governmental beaurocacy or controls

This state can tend to be over regulated

[4ARedOctober Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close 4ARedOctober]

The new Grand Pacific Resort 'Marbrisa' that will be near Legoland that will be affiliated with HGVC.

[4ARedOctober Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close 4ARedOctober]

Here is the link to the new Marbrisa property developed by GPR/HGVC.

Marbrisa Resort Carlsbad California

[Mark @SFX Industry Representative Find all posts View Profile Close Mark @SFX]

Any new leads or responses about HGVC? I can't understand why they like Florida so much and ignor Cali.

It's real simple.... $$$ per square foot... and per acre. (Oh, and not to mention supply of land). Then the cost of marketing...

[4ARedOctober Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close 4ARedOctober]

The new fractional timeshare is well underway

New vacation development in works

December 21, 2007
By Jeff O'Brien
Reporter

New vacation development in works


ENCINITAS — North County’s newest oceanfront vacation destination, known as Surfer’s Point, is gradually coming to life.

According to owner and manager Dan Reedy, Surfer’s Point has been more than eight years in the making. “It takes a long time to get through the California Coastal Commission and other government agencies,” Reedy said.

The $20-million development will feature 26 condominiums in four different floor plans that offer one or two bedrooms. The site, located at the northeast corner of La Costa Avenue and Coast Highway 101, overlooks Batiquitos Lagoon. Ponto Beach is directly across the street.

Eight of the condominiums will be available to the public as hotel rooms, while the rest are being offered as fractional ownership properties, meaning a set of owners will each have the property for one month per year.

Reedy likened the concept to that of a long-term timeshare.

“With typical timeshares you buy a week or two,” Reedy said. “At Surfer’s Point you would own your place for a month and also enjoy the services of a five-star managed facility.”

Reedy said the project is currently in the process of obtaining its grading permit and he is hoping to break ground in Spring 2008, with construction finished about a year after that.

In addition to the scenic views, the condominiums at Surfer’s Point will feature hardwood floors, vaulted ceilings and fireplaces.

Additional amenities will include a fitness center, business center, concierge service, pool AND spa and a clubhouse featuring a gourmet kitchen and full bar for private events.

“This project is designed for ‘second homeowners,’” Reedy said. “People who would typically buy a second home would instead buy a month of ownership at Surfer’s Point.”

He said that Surfer’s Point is already taking reservations — the one-bedroom floor plans start at $149,000 and the two-bedroom condominiums start at $249,000.

Reedy said the pristine location of Surfer’s Point is what sets it apart.

“All of our units will have ocean and lagoon views,” Reedy said. “It’s also the only fractional ownership development in North County that I know of.”

Reedy said these types of projects tend to be highly scrutinized by local officials and government agencies, mostly due to potential liability issues.

Just a couple miles down Coast Highway 101, the city of Solana Beach is currently in the process of becoming the first city in California to establish an outright ban on these so-called “condo-hotels.” Members of the Solana Beach City Council have publicly stated their concerns over such developments, mostly centered on potential problems with regulation and enforcement of proper ownership.

Reedy said Surfer’s Point was able to move forward after being scrutinized by 17 different government agencies and the California Coastal Commission.

Carlsbad resident Wolfgang Duerr has already reserved a two-bedroom, two-bath unit at Surfer’s Point.

“It’s a beautiful location,” Duerr said. “Ponto Beach has to be one of the nicest beaches in San Diego.”

Ciaran Doran of University City has also staked his claim on a two-bedroom unit.

“I’m from Ireland and I’ll be having lots of friends and family who will be visiting,” Doran said. “To me, this is a fabulous investment that will increase in value over the years.”

For more information about Surfer’s Point visit Surfer's Point