Candidate for
City Council; City of Solana Beach

http://www.dougsheres.com

I am a native San Diegan and Solana Beach resident. I am fighting to preserve the small town feel of our seaside community. Growth/density are two highly visible and critically important issues in Solana Beach. Unfortunately, while all the candidates claim, for the most part, to support "smart growth" and low impacts on density and growth, their voting records tell a different story. In fact, certain Council members have time and again supported developments involving a change in the General Plan which would increase density, accelerate growth, and adversely impact our small community. Eventually, Solana Beach voters overruled these decisions at the ballot box.

Our neighborhoods and quality of life must not be sacrificed to the interests of out of town developers. I pledge to stop upzoning of properties to appease the interests of developers. I'm a business professional (Financial Analyst, Partner - Rice, Hall, James & Assoc.) and I'm dedicated to fostering a thriving local business community. I'll seek to promote business development, but only if it compliments the needs and wishes of our local citizens.

TRAFFIC - Traffic volume is crippling our ability to move about our town quickly. Large, intense commercial projects that are way out of scale with existing structures and density threaten the character and neighborhoods of our town. I will not even consider these types of projects until our highway intersections are brought up to date by CALTRANS. Until traffic flow specifications are upgraded, I pledge to not allow projects that will worsen the already bad traffic situation.

Environmentally I am for replenishing sand on our beaches by seeking a regional, long-term solution to the problem. As we all now know, just dumping sand on our beaches does not work. Improvements to the ecosystem in the San Elijo Lagoon and the creation of more parks and open spaces are something I will fight for.

I'll work hard to insure that the Fletcher Cove Master Plan is completed with the interests of Solana Beach residents in mind. It is after all our tax dollars that will fund it and we will be the primary users. While a comprehensive plan is necessary, currently proposed changes are prohibitively expensive -- we must first use our limited funds for lifeguards, public facilities, park land and restoring the beach.

Eliminate outfalls located at two of our beaches including Fletcher Cove (the main Public beach). While I will support regional solutions to ocean pollution, I will work hard to ensure that Solana Beach fixes problems in our own backyard.

These are some of the reasons I am compelled to run for Solana Beach City Council. I am not a politician, but simply a concerned citizen. We hope you will join us in the uphill battle to preserve the small town