Liquor sales, bike
races, prompt hot debate at Campo meeting
By Christy Scott
The Alpine Sun
CAMPO — At a Campo/Lake Morena Planning Group meeting Monday night, board members and residents talked about problems raised by a yearly bicycle race on area roads.
For the past eight years, Campo residents have been growing increasingly concerned and even angry about a bicycle race that takes place each summer. The race, part of the San Diego Omnium held by Cycle-Vets, spans two days in Campo and clogs up Buckman Springs Road and La Posta Road, generating considerable frustration and anger in local drivers.
Race director Adrienne Bryan attended in response to many complaints by locals drivers after the last race. Her goal, she said, is to work with residents to create a better and safer event in the future.
“Blocking one of our roads is an inconvenience,” said planning group member Joe
Carmody. “Blocking two of our roads is much more than just an inconvenience.”
Concerns raised by residents include clumping of cyclists during the race, blocking lanes along BSR, and forcing residents to either crawl at a snail’s pace behind groups or try to pass on the two-lane road.
“There’s a lot of emotion about this issue,” said Chairwoman Bev Esry. “I’ve been run off the road during one of these races, that’s why I’m fighting tooth and nail for this.”
“My real concern is that one of these times someone is going to die.”
During last year’s race, many residents filed complaints with local law enforcement regarding a truck that drove behind the racers with a sign posted that read, “Do not pass.”
“Your riders have no respect for us out here,” said one resident. “You not only inconvenience our community, you really put our lives at risk.”
Other residents complained about riders throwing trash along the course, and some that even stopped to urinate in resident’s yards.
Bryan vowed to work with community members to provide better communication and organization during the race and to try to help promote the event to local businesses. She talked about letting local businesses sell concessions to race participants and fans, and local community groups, such as scout troops or sports teams, working as course marshals. She also offered free advertising to local businesses to be published in a race pamphlet.
Bryan also said that the club would look into moving the race course to the east to avoid clogging Campo’s main roads.
This year, the event will begin Friday, June 23, with a timed trial that travels for 10 miles along Old Highway 80. The Saturday event is a road race that starts from the corner of Old 80 and BSR, travels east to La Posta, south to Highway 94, and then loops to the west back to BSR and north to the starting line.
Campo Hills commercial development
A representative from KB Homes also attended the meeting to speak about the proposed commercial building that is part of the project. The project, for a 4,840 square-foot building with the proposed use as a retail center, is the final part of construction for the Campo Hills development.
Jessica Moore, forward planner for the Campo Hills project, presented site maps and design schematics for the building, which will be located right across the street from the fire department on Sheridan Road. At present, she said she does not know who, or what sort of business, will occupy the space, but that it must be used for some sort of retail.
“We are not in the business of running retail stores, but we are trying to find a patron for that site,” Moore said.
According to Moore, KB Homes will retain ownership of the property and will lease it out to businesses. It could be one large store, or could be subdivided inside to house several.
Residents raised concerns about the kind of business that would occupy the site.
“We already have several convenience stores in the area that are struggling,” said Cheryl Carmody. “How can you justify bringing in another store to run these places out of business?”
Moore responded by saying that any sort of retail store could be on the site, such as a postal annex or clothing stores. A tack store was suggested by some of the residents, and planning group member Jean Bates argued that it could be a perfect spot for a new Campo post office. The general
consensus was that, whatever kind of business does ultimately occupy the building, should be vetted by the community.
The county has found the Campo Hills Amended Environmental Impact Study to be incomplete per California Environmental Quality Act guidelines and has requested additional information. Moore said that in the last few weeks she has completed a scoping letter that responds to concerns raised by the county.
Campo Hills, visible from Cameron Corners, is a 221-home development. The one-story homes, between 1,400 and 2,000 square feet in size, are selling for $395,000 to $430,000, according to
KB Homes.
According to the project’s major use permit, construction on the commercial building must be started by the time the 125th resident moves into Campo Hills. According to KB Homes spokeswoman Cameron Triebwasser, 135 homes have been sold to date, but not all of those are occupied yet.
Moore expects KB Homes to break ground on the commercial building project this summer.
No more liquor sales in Campo
Planning group members voted to deny an alcohol beverage license for a business owner who proposes to build a convenience store at Cameron Corners — but Sheriff’s Sgt. Mike Radovich said that the county had already nixed the Type 21 permit, due to his negative response to the proposal.
Doug Wright, who first brought the matter to the board at the February meeting, said then that he had purchased an ABC license from a closing business in North County.
The license would have allowed him to sell beer, wine, and hard liquor at the Circle K he proposes to build across Highway 94 from Cameron Corners Convenience Store.
Many residents raised concerns about the new business clashing with its laboriously drafted community character document — and about whether the area needs another alcohol vendor.
According to county records, there are currently seven licenses in the area.
“We don’t need another liquor license out here,” Carmody said. “No franchises! We want to stay rural. That’s why we came here.”
At the February meeting, Wright argued that his business would be an asset to the community.
“I believe that my place is the future. That place across the street is an eyesore,” he said, referencing the Cameron Corners convenience store. “We can have these old, decrepit businesses here, but I’m trying to bring modern amenities to serve this community.”
At Monday’s meeting, Wright was not present and had asked that the item be tabled to the next meeting. Esry decided, however, to hear the issue, as several members of the public were in attendance to speak. One of these was Steve Jina, the owner of the Cameron Corners store, who wished to respond to the comments made by Wright.
“I am proud of my little store,” said Jina, who has plans for remodeling in the near future. “I will be working on my plan using the community character statement as a guide.”
“I want a nice mom and pop business,” he added. “I don’t believe that grand edifices to commercialism have a place in our community.”
According to Campo sheriff's station commander Mike Radovich, Wright has informed him that he will be reapplying for a Type 20 license that allows only beer and wine sales.
Radovich said that he would treat the new application independently of the old.
“The main points are, is it good for the community... does it create problems for law enforcement... does it create problems for the community?”
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