The Biggest Stories In Rancho Santa Fe in 2007

1. Witch Creek Blaze Nearly Claims RSF Village.

Thousands of residents evacuated the Rancho Santa Fe area at the ring of a reverse -911 call on the morning of Oct. 22, urged to get out of the way of a massive, Santa Ana fueled Witch Fire that would claim over 55 structures, most of them private homes, before residents were allowed to return. A decisive moment came late that night, when walls of fire howled perilously close to the Rancho Santa Fe Village after demolishing dozens of homes to the east. Fire crews took a stand in the area along Via De Santa Fe and Camino Selva and by pointing their fire hoses straight into the air, saved the local commercial district from the storm of wind-whipped ember and flame. When all the flames were out and residents returned, the outpouring of gratitude was immense. The gratitude and giving continues to this day.



2. School District Finds Light at End of a Long Tunnel.

In a banner year for the Rancho Santa Fe School District, trustees and a superintendent saw one overcrowding solution suddenly vanish, only to come together on another direction before the end of the year. Plans to purchase a 28- acre site at Calzada Del Bosque and Via De La Valle for a district wide middle school were announced in early April, with the district hoping to earn the support of 55 percent of voters for what would have been a $60 million school bond. But the school's plans disintegrated almost overnight after the Rancho Santa Fe Review broke news in early August that a local resident and noted horse breeder, Larry Mabee, had purchased the Calzada site for a horse ranch. School officials were despondent, and some residents were angry. Results in an October based survey showed that most residents favored a long-discussed plan to vastly renovate the R. Roger Rowe campus, trustees and Superintendent Lindy Delaney decided to push for a $34 million bond in 2008 to do just that. Though the bond may pass in 2008, it is 2007 that will be remembered for putting the district on its current trajectory.

3. Traffic Troubles or Trifles?
While work quietly continued on the Rancho Santa Fe Association's plan to install three roundabouts at the north end of the village, some residents urged the HOA to take more immediate steps-adding fuel to an issue that burned in the minds of residents all year ling. The RSFA'S Road and Traffic Committee asked the Association in July for $30,000 to study traffic along Paseo Delicias, including the possibility of installing temporary stoplights at the three intersections planned to eventually have roundabouts. While most residents wanted the signals temporarily- as a minor panacea to the problem of cut-through commuters speeding down residential streets-a few residents,at least, said they wouldn't mind of the signals became a permanent feature. But the RSF Association Board of Directors, as well as many residents, balked at the idea of giving up in the area's long-fought aversion to traffic signals. Eventually, the request for a traffic study was denied. But as the slow process of preparing for roundabouts continues, another year of cross-country pressure on local Rancho Santa Fe roads has residents more exasperated than ever.

4. Mixed Reviews for Mixed-Use Development.
It may be called "The Lillian", but local residents didn't savor the original version of a proposed residential and commercial project like they do the creations of the woman who gave the Rancho its signature style. At least not at first- the architecturally detailed proposal earned biting criticisms for the audiences at a meeting in July to announce it. The Spanish Colonial style proposal for the corner of Avenida De Acacias and El Tordo, if approved, would be a major commercial and residential addition to the village.

5. Village Planning And Problems.
While the Association toiled away on preparations to implement its Village Master Plan-major work will begin in 2008-the owners of the gas station in the village saw an initial victory in their legal battle with the HOA, claiming they owed funds for years of improper zoning of their property. A judge ruled in August that the property, on which a gas station was built in the 1960's, should be zoned entirely for commercial use. The Association , arguing that the board of directors never officially granted permission for the gas station, has considered half the property zoned for residential use only. It plans to appeal the judge's ruling after two more issues in the case.