A new site popped up recently that may be of interest to you. The content on it SHOULD be of interest to you. UnclogCambria.com tells the story of Cambria development from the point of view of lot owners not on the CCSD wait list. An appeal was set for last Thursday (10/28) and no matter how the judges rule on the appeal, the case is still far from over.
UnclogCambria.com includes all the case filings in a battle that may not end well for the CCSD and will continue to cost Cambrians money that would be better spent elsewhere. If you can wade through some of the more slanted and obnoxious statements about the Coastal Commission, the Cambria Community Services District and the sometimes immature tone, it is an interesting read that will provide some background on the other side of the “preserve our village” coin.
My recommendation: click over to the site and read the couple of brief pages (Home and Case Background) with an open mind and the understanding that there are always more ways to see things than the one we may prefer. The best way to protect ourselves and a vision of Cambria we can support is to get informed, stay involved and keep the conversation going. This will not go away just because it is being ignored.
Last 5 posts by Amanda Rice
- Water You Thinking? Panel Discussion of Water Issues Tuesday March 16, 2010
- Bygones Aren't Bygones For Cambria Healthcare District Board, It Seems
- Agenda for Thursday February 25 CCSD Meeting
- Open Invitation to Cambria Potluck Saturday, February 13, 2010 at 4pm
- CCSD Water Master Plan and Related Documents
My wife and I attended the UNCLOG appeal in Santa Barbara this week, and it proved to be most interesting. At first, the judges appeared somewhat disengaged with the case (they had already heard about four cases before this one). By the end of oral arguments, they were on the edge of their seats, gazing intently at every word spoken by the UNCLOG attorney. If body languge counts for anything, I would say they ended the hearing with a great deal of interest towards this case. This reversal of mood indicates the potential this lawsuit has to get the ball moving over what has happened to so many neglected property owners in Cambria.
We now must wait to get the judges ruling on this appeal. This is a wake up call to all of Cambria. If you take the time to read the details of this case, I think you will be shocked at what you will discover about what the CCSD/county/CCC has been doing. Bottom line – the lawsuits are coming, so hold on to your wallets.
During the UNCLOG appeal hearing my wife and I also heard the argument by UNCLOG stating that the issue is not about water. Their attorney stated that they are not asking for one single drop of water – a change of issue from what most believed was at the core of the problem. What they want is a ruling as to whether lot owners not on the CCSD wait list are deemed to be potential users of CCSD services (water ,sewer etc) in the future. According to the CCSD approved BRP, they are not. However, the CCSD will not make a simple declaration on this issue out of fear what this means. The CCSD fears that they may have illegally “taken” this right of these lot owners away, and the BRP is not enforceable. Because of this fear, they are caught in a Catch 22 situation – They will lose legally either way they declare whether lot owners are or are not potential users. So, we wait to see what the judges decide. Even if you are not personally affected by this situation, it certainly is an interesting legal case to follow. Potentially the damages could run into the millions of dollars – certainly enough to get the lawyers excited. This looks like a candidate for a 60 minutes episode on government gone amuck – with everyone burying their heads in the sand.
Very well stated Will.