BajaNomad

Cancun in Baja or Cabo Wabo Grande

oldhippie - 8-1-2007 at 05:33 PM

Baja as we like it seems to be doomed.

Adios Todos Santos, it used to be my favorite place.

http://www.bajawesternonion.com:80/MasterPlan.asp

CaboRon - 8-1-2007 at 05:49 PM

Oldhippy,
I too read this article in the Onion this week ... and was deeply sadened. I had hoped it could remain a Pueblo, but that may be a broken dream.

It is such a lovely town,
- CaboRon

805gregg - 8-1-2007 at 09:46 PM

I don't like that area that much, but this is bad.

[Edited on 8-2-2007 by 805gregg]

Bajaboy - 8-1-2007 at 10:00 PM

Maybe CaboBaja can pipe in since he has connections with elected officials in the area.....

Zac

wilderone - 8-2-2007 at 09:51 AM

Have no fear - LB Foundation is here! I sense a dichotomy. HA!!!!

"The Loreto Bay Foundation (LBF) of Baja California Sur (BCS), Mexico, has commissioned the creation of a comprehensive set of Sustainable Coastal Development Standards to be applied at a State level. The primary goal is to create clear regulations for responsible coastal development in a region experiencing rapid tourism development. LBF commissioned Sherwood Design Engineers to perform research, field reconnaissance, interviews, and ultimately the creation and implementation of these Standards. In addition to pursuing the general culture of sustainability, the project objectives are as follows:

• Protect and integrate built forms with the local environment;
• Maintain essence of the region with respect to scale and cultural heritage;
• Protect the valuable marina areas, such as the Loreto Bay National Marine Park;
• Educate the community on the practice of sustainable development;
• Generate political support leading to adoption of Standards as a governing document;
• Allow for measured economic growth.

Research was performed by accessing best practices applied throughout the international community while performing reconnaissance to understand existing practices in BCS. To facilitate the implementation of these Standards, an interpretive document was developed informing users and decision makers of the writing process for Standards and the strategy of integrating these Standards into the BCS development review process. The result is a set of documents identifying appropriate methods, justification, and requirements in executing sustainable development in a coastal setting while comparing these methods to existing law. The project team is currently continuing their efforts by creating a guide for developers based on the Standards for the State government to distribute to potential applicants.
LBFF and Sherwood Design Engineers will present jointly at the 5th International Coastal & Marine Tourism Congress (CMT'07) on the creation of a comprehensive set of Sustainable Coastal Development Standards. This event will take place in New Zealand of September 2007."

Where do you want to be?

Lee - 8-2-2007 at 10:00 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by oldhippie
Baja as we like it seems to be doomed.

Adios Todos Santos, it used to be my favorite place.

http://www.bajawesternonion.com:80/MasterPlan.asp


I keep thinking that change is inevitable, and some of it is good and some isn't.

There seems to be alot of planning in the development mentioned in the Onion. That's definitely good. Are you all thinking Todos needs to remain a Pueblo? Why?

If you hate Cancun and Cabo and the rest, you need to just move on. That's not a bad thing either.

Nothing remains the same and that's that. The feeding frenzy that has happened in Todos for the past 4-5 years was inevitable. This stuff isn't new. And, I have to think, it's not ALL bad. Maybe Peru if Baja doesn't work.

I keep liking the fact that I can drive Baja. And I love the drive. There is so much land down there to explore and live on. Goes for the Loreto area too.

:cool:

oldhippie - 8-2-2007 at 04:08 PM

Yeah but everything is so expensive at these resorts and they build them in the best places. I can enjoy a resort hotel swimming pool full of bikinis but paying 4 or 5 dollars for a beer is a drag let alone $100 - $200 for a crappy hotel room. All of these places used to be cheap and beautiful.

Plus, and this is a biggy, they all pollute and don't believe anything to the contrary.

So they're expensive and dirty and worst of all CROWDED with people.

You have to admit, nature's version of a nice place will never be matched by something built by man.

oldhippie - 8-2-2007 at 04:13 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by wilderone
Have no fear - LB Foundation is here! I sense a dichotomy. HA!!!!


So King Butterfield is moving up to the state level. I hope he makes someone real mad.

Baja Bernie - 8-2-2007 at 04:19 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by oldhippie

You have to admit, nature's version of a nice place will never be matched by something built by man.


Sadly, so!

Lee,

I really hate the philosophy of use, abuse, bash, slash, trash, and move on only to repeat..............you keep aluding to this and I sure hope I am wrong in what you are saying because I enjoy a lot of your thoughts.

cabobaja - 8-2-2007 at 05:33 PM

Zac, it is not I that has the political connects. It is my wife who is alittle politically connected. But, she and I sometimes do not agree. On this subject we do. We do not want to see them ruin Todos as they have Cabo, Loreto etc.

There is a concerted thought and effort through town meetings at this point to gather information, and I assume to attempt to stop this development. If it is not stopped, we will see MASSIVE development from Rancho Nuevo to Las Playitas. And, I will move to the mountains.

Bajaboy - 8-2-2007 at 07:22 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by cabobaja
Zac, it is not I that has the political connects. It is my wife who is alittle politically connected. But, she and I sometimes do not agree. On this subject we do. We do not want to see them ruin Todos as they have Cabo, Loreto etc.

There is a concerted thought and effort through town meetings at this point to gather information, and I assume to attempt to stop this development. If it is not stopped, we will see MASSIVE development from Rancho Nuevo to Las Playitas. And, I will move to the mountains.


with the booty of rum that is coming from hawaii?

cabobaja - 8-3-2007 at 09:41 AM

Si Zac, if I move to the montana's I will make sure I take the rum. I am almost ready as I have been on the wagon since you and Tracy departed.
When are you and Tracy coming back to visit?:biggrin:

Bajaboy - 8-3-2007 at 09:58 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by cabobaja
Si Zac, if I move to the montana's I will make sure I take the rum. I am almost ready as I have been on the wagon since you and Tracy departed.
When are you and Tracy coming back to visit?:biggrin:


If all goes according to plan...Christmas time. I still need to get a trip report out from this past trip....

cabobaja - 8-3-2007 at 10:07 AM

Yes, we are all looking forward to your trip report!!

Aluding?

Lee - 8-3-2007 at 02:13 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Baja Bernie
I really hate the philosophy of use, abuse, bash, slash, trash, and move on only to repeat..............you keep aluding to this and I sure hope I am wrong in what you are saying....


What are you sayiing, Bernie? What do you think I'm aluding to?

Does it read like I approve of developers who use, abuse, bash, slash and trash?

:smug:

RE: Development in Todos Santos

BCSTech - 8-10-2007 at 10:32 PM

I'll be e mailing the latest issue of the Baja Western Onion tomorrow. It will contain an announcement about the next meeting about the Master Plan, to be held at the Cultural Center this next Tuesday, August 14th at 11 AM.

The Mayor of La Paz will be there (TS is in their jurisdiction) as well as the members of the Council elected to speak on behalf of TS about this issue. For the first time that anyone can remember around here concerning any governmental policy issue, foreign nationals owning property here have been formally invited to provide their comments on the Plan.

At the last meeting, one of the council Members even expressed some disappointment that there were actually more foreign nationals than Mexican Nationals in the crowd of about 200 attendees, wishing that the Mexicans would be more concerned about the Plan.

A few things...

The mayor and the council want to focus this meeting on soliciting comments on the plan, and not wasting time arguing about who should be on the council or how to fix the city's broken water pump.

One of the people reportedly pushing this Plan, as well being responsible for pushing the "Pueblo Magico" designation, is a local Mexican Developer. Interestingly, in the original Plan, few to none of the proposed roads criss crossing the area apparently would be built through his property. But they were going to be built right through the middle of quite a few others' private property. This was just one of the reasons many people here were so upset.

The Master Plan has already gone through some major revisions since the meeting last week. One of our citizens personally went to Mexico City to petition the the governing agencies responsible for the Plan. Most of the proposed major roads have apparently been taken out, as well as that Malecon (realy stupid idea, as any Todos Santeño who's walked along that beach in the winter will tell you). The revised plan can be seen at AmeriMex Realty in Todos Santos

Apparently, this is a 50 year plan for the area (Tiempo Mexicano?). The plan was reportedly drafted by some of the same engineers and architects who designed Cancun. Conclude what you might from that.

Vamos a ver...

Alan Thompson
Publisher, The Baja Western Onion
News For the Left Coast of Baja California Sur