Sorensen rebuttal

This letter is in response to the letter and paid advertisement in last week’s Village News from the Sorensen Ranch explaining the ranch was going out of business because of lack of support from the Rainbow Planning Group. It is necessary to clarify the facts involved in the ranch’s demise.

First, the property is zoned residential. This was known to and admitted to by the owner. The property was immediately developed into a commercial enterprise without necessary county approval, in violation of the county Zoning Code.

Rainbow Planning is not aware of any effort by the owner to obtain a zone change from the county. Sorensen, however, did advertise in the Village News for the public to contact Supervisor Horn’s office for a zone change if they wanted Sorensen Ranch to operate in Rainbow. Supervisor Horn does not issue zone changes any more than Rainbow Planning, and the obvious attempt to go around the county agencies was inappropriate. Rainbow Planning could not support Sorensen’s request for a zone change if no request for zone change was ever applied for through the proper county agency.

Rainbow Planning was not responsible for “calling the San Diego County Code Enforcement on us for code violations in a residentially zoned area.” County Code Enforcement is to be applauded for doing its job, brought on most likely by Sorensen’s blatant advertising of its zoning request from the Supervisor’s office. The Sorensen Ranch problems were of its own doing by not following the rules and procedures set up to prevent such unilateral and improper developments.

Further, the Sorensen letter stated that Rainbow Planning “has approved ‘grandfathering’ the gun club, construction storage lot and the Dairy Truck Relay Facility in this area…” This statement is untrue. Rainbow Planning has not approved these possible zoning violations, which was included in the Sorensen letter only to infer partiality on the part of Rainbow Planning. This kind of tactic is irresponsible.

These are my opinions and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Rainbow Planning Group, but you should know the facts.

Larry Pearce

Member,

Rainbow Planning Group