Daily Business Report-Oct. 15, 2015
Supervisors Rescind Approval
Of Soitec Solar Farm Project
City News Service
The San Diego County Board of Supervisors Wednesday approve a revised version of a controversial solar farm project that’s been in the works for years.
Following a lawsuit in San Diego Superior Court this summer over the Final Program Environmental Impact Report for the Soitec solar farm project in the county’s back country community of Boulevard, the supervisors voted 4-1 to rescind their February approval of the project. The court found the original FPEIR violated the California Environmental Quality Act because an optional energy storage facility had been added to the report after it had been circulated for public review, according to county staff. The supervisors approved adopting a revised plan, with the energy storage facility removed from the Rugged Solar project.
A handful of Boulevard residents spoke against the project, citing a potential fire hazard and groundwater contamination as two major concerns. Supervisor Dianne Jacob, who cast the dissenting vote, said she supports solar projects, just not this one.
“I strongly support solar but I believe it belongs on rooftops of both single family homes and businesses and a solar farm in the right location,” Jacob said. “This project would potentially industrialize our back country which was never meant to be. The project can no longer live up to the promises and major use findings that are needed for approval.”
The Rugged Solar project would provide alternative energy for up to 26,000 homes, which Soitec officials said could offset some of the loss of renewable energy the county was hit with after the closure of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station in 2012.
Supervisors Dave Roberts, Ron Roberts and Greg Cox all said that while rooftop solar does provide renewable energy to the county, it isn’t enough to meet the demand and state requirements for alternative energy.
“We have to, everyday, balance competing needs in this county,” Supervisor Dave Roberts said. “We’ve got federal requirements, state requirements, renewable energy goals. Unfortunately, not everyone lives in a single family home where they can have rooftop solar. I can sympathize with the community, but I think this is the right thing to do to meet this goal.”
The supervisors also unanimously approved amending county building code to promote rooftop solar installation through an expedited permitting process.
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General Atomics Gets Army Contract
For Improved Gray Eagle Drones
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. has been awarded a production contract by the U.S. Army for 19 Improved Gray Eagle (IGE) Unmanned Aircraft Systems to be delivered by September 2018.
IGE is a next-generation advanced derivative of the Army’s Gray Eagle UAS that has accumulated over 228,000 flight hours since 2008. Developed on Internal Research and Development funds, General Atomics built on the success of its Gray Eagle predecessor. The company said it delivers improved capabilities that will perform ISR collection and close air support of ground forces.
“We are very pleased that the Army has awarded us this production contract for IGE, which delivers a high-value solution for accomplishing multiple mission types, all at an affordable cost,” said Linden Blue, CEO. “IGE provides better endurance, additional payload capacity, easier maintenance, and extended life cycle of critical components.”
NASSCO Begins Construction on Navy’s
Second Expeditionary Base Mobile Ship
General Dynamics NASSCO has began construction on the second ship of the U.S. Navy’s newly reclassified Expeditionary Base Mobile (ESB) program.
The 784-foot ship will be configured with a 52,000-square-foot flight deck, fuel and equipment storage, repair spaces, magazines, mission planning spaces and accommodations for up to 250 personnel. The ship will be capable of supporting multiple missions including Air Mine Counter Measures, counter-piracy operations, maritime security operations, humanitarian aid and disaster relief missions and U.S. Marine Corps crisis response. It will also support MH-53 and MH-60 helicopters, and will be upgraded to support MV-22 tilt rotor aircraft.
In 2011, NASSCO was awarded a contract from the Navy to design and build two Mobile Landing Platforms (MLP). In 2012, a third MLP, the USNS Lewis B. Puller, was added to the contract and reconfigured as an
Expeditionary Base Mobile ship. All three ships have been delivered by NASSCO to the U.S. Navy.
White House Appoints Supervisor Cox
To National Ocean Council Post
The White House has appointed San Diego County Supervisor Greg Cox to the National Ocean Council’s Governance Coordinating Committee, a group that advises the president on ocean policy issues.
Cox was chosen for his service on the California Coastal Commission, his leadership of San Diego’s growing Blue Economy and his advocacy on initiating Marine Spatial Planning.
“I’m incredibly honored to be asked to serve the nation on this committee,” said Cox. “Growing up in California, I have always had a love and respect for our oceans and coastlines and I will continue working to protect our big blue world.”
The National Ocean Council is charged with implementing the National Ocean Policy, which was created by President Obama in 2010 to improve the health of our oceans, support our economy, bolster safety and security, and better understand how our activities impact the ocean.
The Governance Coordinating Committee of the Council includes state, local and tribal representatives from across the nation. Cox was nominated by the National Association of Counties and will serve a two-year term.
Panel to Study Proposal to Lengthen
Palomar-McClellan Airport Runway
The Palomar Airport Advisory Committee will hold a public meeting in Carlsbad on Oct. 22 to discuss the Palomar-McClellan Airport Master Plan Update, which includes a proposal to lengthen the airport runway. “The runway is under discussion as part of the entire master plan,” said Olivier Brackett, manager of the airport.
As proposed, the runway extension would improve airport safety without increasing noise for nearby residents, said Carlsbad Mayor Matt Hall, who supports the proposal. A longer runway also is expected to make the airport safer.
The proposed extension has the potential to stimulate North County’s economy by increasing business at the airport, Hall said. It would enable regional jet aircraft to use the facility, bringing new commerce into the North County region.
The 20-year airport master plan is meant to provide a comprehensive approach to strategic planning for facilities and services. Its purpose is to identify a range of development alternatives.
During the Oct. 22 public meeting, the county’s Airport Project Team will discuss various options for the master plan. The team’s role is to make a recommendation to the county Board of Supervisors. There will be an opportunity for public comment.
The Oct. 22 meeting will be held from 7-8 p.m. in the Carlsbad City Council Chamber, 1200 Carlsbad Village Drive.
Glen Oaks Escrow Acquires Carlsbad Escrow Firm
Glen Oaks Escrow announced that it is acquiring First Capital Escrow in Carlsbad.
First Capital Escrow’s Manager and Senior Certified Escrow Officer, Hilary Jackson, will be taking on the branch manager position at Glen Oaks Escrow’s Encinitas location bringing with her over 30 years of experience. Joining her are Escrow Officers Kris Cummings and Therese Cook.
Glen Oaks Escrow has received numerous accolades and awards, including recognition as one of the Best Places to Work in 2014 and 2015.
“I’m excited to start a new chapter with such a forward-thinking company,”
said Jackson. “It will enable me to serve my clients at the highest level with GOE’s state-of-the-art systems and proactive preparation to meet CFPB compliance regulations.”
Oceanside Town & Country
Shopping Center Sold for $15.7 Million
The Florida-based Sterling Organization has purchased the 87,740-square-foot Oceanside Town & Country Shopping Center for $15.7 million. Prudential Real Estate Investors and Kimco Realty Corp. were the sellers.
The shopping center is anchored by a Smart & Final Extra! grocery store. Other retailers at the center include Starbucks, T-Mobile, West Marine, The UPS Store and Avis. The property is located at the interchange of the Interstate 5/San Diego Freeway and Oceanside Boulevard.
Cushman & Wakefield was the broker.
Scripps Research Partners with 2
German Firms on Stem Cell Work
Researchers at The Scripps Research Institute and two German institutes, the Center for Integrated Psychiatry Kiel and the Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, have announced a partnership to advance the quality control of human stem cells.
Scientists now routinely create “induced pluripotent stem cells,” called iPSCs, which have enormous potential for regenerative medicine, research, and development of new therapeutic agents. To assure that high quality iPSCs are available for research and clinical use, the collaborators are developing rigorous new genomics-based methods to analyze the cells.
“Quality control is our major goal,” said Professor Jeanne Loring of TSRI. “We must ensure that the neurons and other cells derived from iPSCs for clinical use and drug discovery are the ideal cell type for the application. As an analogy, imagine the development of a classical drug treatment. The pills that are provided to patients must contain the right amount of the right drug. Our work applies the same quality control principles to stem cells.”
Personnel Announcements
Chad Kilgore Named Chef de Cuisine at Kitchen 4140
Chef Kurt Metzger, owner of Kitchen 4140, has appointed Chad Kilgore as chef de cuisine of the farm-to-table restaurant.
Kilgore is an alumnus of the Art Institute of California-San Diego for Culinary Arts, is a founding partner of Cheffin’ Around: A Community of Chefs, and has cheffed at Ruth’s Chris Steak House, The Oceanaire Seafood Room and Fleming’s Steakhouse.
In his new role as Chef de Cuisine, Kilgore’s cooking style will be highlighted at Kitchen 4140’s Harvest of Fall eight-course, autumn-themed dinner event on Oct. 19. He will also put his skills to the test to compete in Eating and Drinking in San Diego’s Cinnamon Roll Challenge and Coffee Showcase on Nov. 21.
Kilgore, a San Diego native, spent his youth in the Central Valley, where exposure to fresh agriculture and livestock gave him an early interest in the culinary arts, as did his mother, who taught all of her sons to cook.
Shannon Foster Appointed
General Manager of Hotel Solamar
Kimpton’s Hotel Solamar has appointed Shannon Foster as general manager. Foster joined the team in June and is responsible for day-to-day hotel operations, guest relations and business development for the 235-room boutique hotel, including event space, the Jsix Restaurant and LOUNGEsix rooftop bar.
Foster comes to Hotel Solamar from Kimpton’s Hotel La Jolla, where she spent three years as a general manager. Prior to relocating to San Diego in 2012, Foster spent five years managing operations at Hotels Monaco Chicago and Salt Lake City — both part of the Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants collection. She started her hospitality career as a director of operations for Sage Hospitality Resources.
Foster holds a bachelor’s degree in hospitality business from Michigan State University.
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Unveiling SDSU’s Rock ‘n’ Roll History
A mural unveiling celebrates the importance of artistic and musical history on campus
By Hallie Jacobs
Some say music isn’t as important as it used to be. They argue that songs don’t contain the same social, cultural and political charges as they did in earlier decades. But according to Seth Mallios, an anthropologist at San Diego State University, popular entertainment remains a catalyst for social change.
“The acts that have played at SDSU have defined crucial moments in history — and they continue to do so,” Mallios said.
Mallios has spent the last five years studying SDSU’s rock ‘n’ roll history which dates back to the early ’60s. More than 3,000 concerts have taken place on campus, featuring big names such as Ella Fitzgerald, Bob Dylan, The Ramones and Lady Gaga.
Although genres have shifted over time, messages in music are a constant — stories of love, heartbreak, loss, uprising and revolution are present in the songs, regardless of the decade.
Many of these songs were echoed in a tiny concert venue located in unfinished lanes in SDSU’s old bowling alley. The Backdoor served as the stage for a number of classic acts, many of whom unknowingly walked past a vibrant painting located near the rear stage entrance.
Mallios has been instrumental in restoring the Backdoor Mural, which is one of the most important cultural artifacts of SDSU’s rock ‘n’ roll history. With the support of donors — such as Aztec Parents, Steve and Susan Weber, the President’s Leadership Fund and dozens of supporters through SDSU Strive — the now infamous Backdoor mural is getting a second chance in the spotlight.
An Oct. 29 ceremony will unveil the coveted mural and explore SDSU’s role in chronicling musical history. The event will include a release of a five-volume book anthology on the history of live popular music at SDSU, and will also feature a performance by famed songwriter, SDSU alumnus and Backdoor mainstay Jack Tempchin.
About the Backdoor Mural
Painted in 1976 by students in Professor Arturo Anselmo Roman’s Chicano art class, the artwork serves as a glimpse into the height of SDSU’s bustling music scene which
simultaneously coincided with pivotal moments for Chicano activism.
“SDSU’s rock ‘n’ roll history is extraordinary; yet most San Diegans have no idea,” Mallios said. “So many of us have had favorite musical moments on Montezuma Mesa, but virtually no one knows how they all fit together to make this campus the rock ‘n’ roll epicenter of the region.”
“Let it Rock!” will be available in hardcover and eBook formats.
Mallios and his co-author Jaime Lennox’s anthology titled “Let it Rock!” details SDSU’s concert repertoire. According to their research, SDSU has hosted more live music shows than nearly any other college campus. The books include an array of performances, from Joan Baez to the Grateful Dead, Ray Charles to Adele.
Each book contains pictures and personal accounts from concert attendees.
The Backdoor Mural unveiling event runs from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 29, on the third floor of Love Library. The event is free and open to the public.
— SDSU NewsCenter
