CARLSBAD ---- Calling it a brilliant and long-sought proposal, Carlsbad's planning commissioners put their stamp of approval Wednesday on plans to build a seaside desalination facility capable of producing 50 million gallons of drinking water a day.

"I do believe this project may be the most significant that we have here in our lifetimes as commissioners," Commission Chairman Marty Montgomery said just before the commissioners cast their votes.
Commissioner Frank Whitton said the time had come for Carlsbad to have a "reliable and sustainable" local water supply instead of depending on imported Colorado River water, while Commissioner Courtney Heineman declared, "I think the future is here, and I think it is remarkable that our city is positioned to take advantage of it."

The vote, which came after four hours of presentations and public testimony, was 6-0 with Commissioner Bill Dominguez abstaining because he owns property near the proposed site. The plant is proposed to go east of Carlsbad Boulevard within the huge coastal power plant complex known as the Encina Power Station. The desalination plant would obtain its salt water from the power plant, which uses seawater to cool its electric-generating equipment.

The commission's vote is one step in a lengthy approval process. Next, the desalination plans go before the City Council in June. If the nearly $300 million facility wins all the needed state and local approvals, it could open in 2009, an official with developer Poseidon Resources Corp. of Connecticut has said.

However, there's a complication. Poseidon is pushing two different desalination options for the Encina Power Station site. The one the commission considered this week would be a privately-run facility, but the second option is a plant that the county's main water supplier, the San Diego County Water Authority, would manage. Talks between the water agency and Poseidon have their troubles in the past, but have since revived. If those talks succeed, Poseidon is expected to drop the privately-run proposal in favor of the water agency version of the plan, meaning that a whole new set of hearings would be required.

At Wednesday's commission hearing, the crowd numbered some 90 people. Many of them sported blue buttons supplied by project proponents that declared, "Got Desal?" Roughly three-quarters of the some 20 public speakers supported the project. Speakers included a representative for the region's farm bureau who praised the proposal saying it would help protect farmers' water rights; a representative for the city's Chamber of Commerce who said it would result in "reliable and affordable" water for business owners; and a union official who talked about how many jobs would result.

"We believe that this particular project strikes that balance, providing good paying jobs and protecting the environment," said Art Lujan, business manager for the San Diego Building and Construction Trades Council.

Opponents' views varied. A representative for the Surfrider Foundation said his organization wasn't opposed to desalination in principal, it just didn't want marine life killed as it is sucked into the intake pipe. And, Surfrider representative Joseph Geever said his organization has concerns that the new facility would prolong the life of the aging power plant.

Meanwhile, Sierra Club representative Ed Kimura and Conner Everts of the environmental coalition Desal Response Group said desalination just encourages cities to promote growth and waste water.

"The reason we bring (conservation) up is there's a lot of talk about water reliability tonight and not a lot about cost," said Everts.

The meeting had its light-hearted moments. One speaker, the former owner of company that supplies purified drinking water, said Poseidon's plant would produce such good water that it would put his company out of business. But, he said, amid general laughter, he was still supporting it and he thought his son-in--law, who has now bought his old drinking water company, would also do so.

Contact staff writer Barbara Henry at (760) 901-4072 or bhenry@nctimes.com.