As of 2022, it is suspected that the prissy, snooty, snobby element of the Carlsbad City Council is long gone. And that the "hideously agrarian" Strawberry Fields will last at least until mid-century; many of us hope so.
As detailed in a prior post, a well known, yet unsuspecting developer accepted an invitation to come to discuss replacing the Strawberry Fields with condos; the year was 2005. The meetings were supposed to be published on a real agenda, thereby accessible to the public; didn't happen. THAT developer left quickly, and was embarrassed about been duped by Carlsbad's city hall.
Ten years later, the regime decided to "do things right" in order to get the Strawberry Fields paved over. City Hall chose to dispatch people with Real Estate Licenses to find a developer who would build a mall. Highly respected developer Rick Caruso said he was interested.
City Hall advised Caruso that it won't be quick and easy. In fact, Carlsbad voters will have to approve a ballot proposition to make it happen. But if you provide the funding for the ballot campaign, "WE will make it happen!" Believing that city hall could be trusted to keep their promise, Caruso spent millions to convince voters approve Prop A. Their most absurd claim was "none of this will cost one penny to Taxpayers, and there will be a Special Election." Special elections cost Taxpayers a lot of money.
It was in their script for the "brave, noble, respectful" City Council to ride in to save the day...meaning, the city council would spare us the expensive Special Election just by the Five of THEM voting to approve the mall. Then all-hell broke loose.
Some dedicated, ethical citizens collected thousands of signatures to defeat the ruling cabal...thereby creating Prop A, which voters defeated, along with the mall. Mister Caruso was duped into spending about $9 million to assist in creating the promised political outcome. He didn't deserve any scorn from anybody.
Would these things keep occurring if Carlsbad had not incorporated during 1952?
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