HERE ARE THE NOTES FROM THE DECEMBER MAINSTREET MEETING:
Meeting notes by Lola Sherman
Construction could get underway in 2024 on what has been called the most important development project in downtown Oceanside since the vaunted “nine-block master plan.”
The project involves 547 apartments, a 165-room hotel, retail shops, offices and 1,798 parking spaces in three new parking garages as well as new train and bus terminals on 10 acres along Tremont Street at the Oceanside Transit Center. It also includes 206 apartments and retail on what now is the North County Transit District (NCTD) headquarters a few blocks away at 810 Misson Ave.
Representatives of the project – the transit district, which owns the land, and the developer it has chosen, Toll Brothers, detailed the project Tuesday at the Monthly Morning Meeting of MainStreet Oceanside. Rick Wright, CEO of MainStreet, introduced the subject by comparing its importance with that of the nine-block plan. “You guys heard me talk about the nine-block master plan until you were sick of it,” Wright said, but “it’s my job to educate the community” and now, he said, “we have a very important new project. It’s really a big deal. it’s a huge site. It’s important that we do it right.”
The nine-block master plan, bisected by the railroad tracks between Seagaze Drive and Civic Center Way, just to the north of the new proposal, has seen the construction of luxury hotels, apartment buildings, retail shops and a parking garage in the past decade. Arlene Tendick, Community Outreach Manager for the project and Mike Winter, Senior Construction Manager for Toll Brothers, made the presentation. Winter said he expects the city approval process to take place next year so that construction can begin in “mid-2024,” but he added that “it may be later – there is a lot of work to do.” (The project was submitted to the city Planning Commission in August). Tendick said the transit district first approved the concept of development of its property in 2016. With a map projected on the screen, she detailed the proposed buildings.
Many of the questions from the audience centered on parking with concerns expressed that there would be enough spaces for each proposed apartment, fearing that otherwise, parking would spill over into neighboring residential areas. The development delegates said that all of the existing parking spaces would be replaced. Additional parking will be provided for the new uses and the existing parking structure will remain.
There also were questions about the height of the buildings, and Winter responded that they would not be over five stories. Questions were asked about the “affordable” units planned as part of the project – 82 in the depot area and 31 on Mission Avenue. The plans call for 10 percent for low-income and 5 percent for “moderate” income tenants. Tendick cited county statistics that show a sliding scale of what constitutes low and moderate incomes moving up from starting at $73,000 low income for a single-person household to almost $90,000 for moderate-income in such a household – figures that caused surprise among some in the audience, expecting it to be lower perhaps.
Gumaro Escarcega, MainStreet COO, asked about retail opportunities and was assured that they would be included in the project. From the audience, Brigid Parsons, a city Arts Commissioner asked if there would be public art in the project, and was assured by Winter that there would be, including space for murals.
Kristi Hawthorne, director of the Oceanside Historical Society, commented that the first train stop in 1883 was nothing more than loading docks. There was a depot in 1888, she said, and a bigger one in 1946 and the current structure in 1983. “Every 40 years or so, Oceanside reevaluates and rebuilds its transit hub”.
A website for the project is at osidetransit.com. Project representatives invited additional input and inquiries from the community at outreach@osidetransit.com.
At the beginning of the meeting, Cathy Nykiel, Sunset Market Manager and Director of Events, thanked everyone for their help with the tree lighting last Thursday. Nykiel said the Farmers Market is full this week with a lot of holiday shopping needs: fruit, vegetables, prepacked food, juices, jams, jelly, jackets, dog treats and more. And, she said, Holiday Markets will continue Thursday evenings through December with international food, desserts, drinks and shopping.
On Jan. 19. Nykiel said, the Sunset Market will kick off the Mardi Gras season with a Zydeco band, and on Jan. 26, the market will hold its annual Authors Night. Feb. 2 is Public Safety Night. Nykiel also mentioned the toy drive for toddlers in the North County Lifeline program at Balderrama Park and for gift certificates for high-school-age youth at the Crown Heights Resource Center.
At the end of the meeting, Wright complimented Kathy Kinane, organizer of the annual Thanksgiving “Turkey Trot” on the success of this year’s 17th annual event. “The people of Oceanside really came through,” Kinane responded.
Alex Goodman, Interim Managing Director of the Oceanside Theatre Company, reported on its gallery opening Friday, a poetry reading, improv comedy and a New Year’s Eve program. Information at https://oceansidetheatre.org/
Escarcega reminded everyone to take an ornament from the trees in the lobby with the name, age, and gift ideas for a child in the toy drive. Gifts are due by Dec. 12th.
Meeting notes by Lola Sherman
