Encinitas mayoral candidates take deep dive
Encinitas mayoral candidates take deep dive
Kranz, Ehlers join forces to craft topics for their mayoral debate; candidates take a deep dive into specific issues facing the city while providing historical context
ENCINITAS — A final mayoral forum showcased a heavyweight bout as Mayor Tony Kranz and City Councilman Bruce Ehlers debated several issues facing the city on Monday at La Paloma Theatre.
Kranz and Ehlers, though, developed the topics together. Each candidate “asked” three questions (six total) and answered several audience questions via moderator Neil Hokanson at the end of the 90-minute debate (a video will be available on each candidate’s website).
The questions centered on local control, Quail Gardens (L-7), flooding in Leucadia, homelessness, Proposition A and essential infrastructure. Kranz, who has been mayor for the past two years and on the council for 12, and Ehlers, who is in his second year on the council after 10 years on the Planning Commission, took a deeper dive into each question and were given 90 seconds for a rebuttal.
The result was each candidate displayed their views on the subjects, provided historical context and took turns landing blows regarding their respective positions. Development, though, was much of the focus regarding the specific questions as Kranz and Ehlers discussed their differences and, at times, agreements.
One of the stark differences was how to approach the State Legislature regarding housing laws and the role of a City Council in being able to dictate growth. Kranz said leveraging local state representatives and collaborating with others is the best path forward.
Kranz said one of the challenges with battling the state is the possibility of the city’s Housing Element being out of compliance, which would trigger Builder’s Remedy. The action would give the city just 180 days to find other properties to upzone.
Ehlers, though, said the city is not in jeopardy of being out of compliance. He said he prefers to fight broad and overreaching state mandates and join cities like Redondo Beach, who, along with Del Mar and three others, won a lawsuit declaring Senate Bill 9 unconstitutional.
The two also traded barbs over Our Neighborhood Voices, a coalition attempting to put on the 2026 ballot a measure to amend the state constitution to restore local control over development and growth back with local jurisdictions.
“In September 2021, I initiated a council-member item for the agenda that would protect local control and promote affordable housing, which were two of the goals council had by fighting SB 9” Kranz recalled. “Unfortunately, none of my colleagues supported it. No one else showed up to support it. Another was to get the council to support Our Neighborhood Voices. I put this before the council looking for support from my colleagues and unfortunately, I got no support.”
Kranz and Ehlers both said they don’t see the controversial Quail Gardens as an area viable for dense development. Ehlers said the city bought the property using park funds and it should remain a park.
He said he was the only council member to vote against converting L-7 into a site for housing, although Kranz voted to remove the property from the city’s affordable housing plan in 2018, according to The Coast News.
However, in February, the council voted 4-1, with Ehlers voting no, to conduct an economic study with 30-45 units or 60 units for low-income seniors. Kranz said there also has been an effort by the council to build a 100% affordable housing development to better address state requirements. He said the city has land along Vulcan for a possible transit-oriented project.
However, he said his concerns with developing L-7 center on other developments along the Quail Gardens corridor from Leucadia Boulevard to Encinitas Boulevard and adding more traffic to the area. Kranz said once the city bought the land, it became a political football with several proposals over the past 26 years.
Ehlers, meanwhile, said his voting record has been consistent regarding L-7 and is steadfast it should remain a park.
“The land was bought back in 1998 with park funds for park use,” he explained. “The land is needed now as a park more than ever and will be needed even more in the future as 1,100 units along the Quail Gardens corridor get built and occupied. They’re not even occupied yet and we’re reallocating 9.5 acres for, potentially, housing.”
As for homelessness, Ehlers said homelessness and housing are often conflated. He said about one-third of the population is sober and have hit hard times, but willing to take services and housing.
Ehlers said the challenges, though, are from those with a substance abuse disorder or mental health issues. Building more housing doesn’t work as when they are offered services or housing most decline. Ehlers said the small percentage who do accept services are referred to as “unicorns” as the city builds six times the number of market-rate units for every one affordable residence.
Kranz said the city is executing its Homeless Action Plan, hiring more sheriff’s deputies, hiring a social worker and partners with Vista for the Buena Creek Navigation Center. He said getting the 33% into housing or shelter is critically important and the city is stepping up its efforts when approaching the chronically homeless, which was aided by the Grants Pass ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Both said they will continue support for the city’s public-private partnerships as well.
As for Prop. A, Kranz said there will come a time when it must be amended to ensure the city as there are significant hurdles for it to remain compliant in the future. He said the concerns remain with the potential of falling out of good standing and triggering Builder’s Remedy.
Ehlers, who was the author of Prop. A, said past legal judgments support the measure’s position and other measures have failed at the ballot. He said the worries over compliance are overblown as the city is in a good position with its housing allocations.
The two also tackled flooding in Leucadia as Ehlers ripped years of inaction and cost overruns. Work has begun on a new 60-inch pipe as part of Streetscape, while another $50 million drainage project is in the works.
Ehlers took issue with how the city approached laying the new pipe and potentially running up costs, along with not fully addressing the area’s flooding.
Kranz said the $50 million is a reason he supports Measure K, the one-cent sales tax measure on the ballot. He said the city is making progress on the issue, but more work, and funding, is needed to fully address the problem.
Follow North County Pipeline on Facebook, X and Reddit. Send story ideas and tips to ncpipeline760@gmail.com.