By Hala Ali Aryan
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
October 5, 2000
OCEANSIDE -- City Councilman Terry Johnson said yesterday he will vote for the proposed $200 million Manchester
Resorts luxury hotel, now that the downtown project has been redesigned.
Johnson made the announcement at City Hall with the developer, Doug Manchester, and Jim Watkins, who intends to
build time-share condominiums next to the hotel. The three said they had come to an agreement on plans for the
450-room resort hotel.
Johnson often was the sole dissenter in recent council votes on the project. He said he didn't want the hotel to
extend onto public parkland, as initially planned. The state Coastal Commission also was expected to vote against
the project.
But Manchester Resorts agreed in September not to build on the public beach and bluffs, and that has satisfied
some who had criticized the hotel plans. The project now may not require Coastal Commission review.
"I'm now convinced we will deliver a landmark project that will bring pride to all residents," said Johnson,
who is running for mayor. "It will create jobs and generate huge economic returns."
Said Watkins, "The community will (now) have what they want on that property."
Manchester reached a compromise with Watkins, who owns some of the property the resort was to occupy. Watkins now
plans to build a 150-unit time-share next to Manchester's two 12-story towers, and Manchester no longer will have
to buy him out.
Watkins said he could break ground on the condominiums in about a year, pending city approval. The condominiums
would take about a year to build.
State Sen. Bill Morrow, R-Oceanside, also attended the news conference yesterday. He helped bring the parties to
the negotiating table.
In a related matter, Manchester may give more land to the city than previously agreed upon, as part of his plans
to build a golf course and smaller hotel on the El Corazon property three miles inland.
The original agreement called for giving the city 15 of the 445 acres, but the developer probably will increase
that to 20 acres, said Pete Litrenta, Manchester Resorts senior vice president.
The city plans to hold a workshop at an undecided date to receive public input on the resort plans. Council members
agreed not to attend the workshop and discouraged council and mayoral candidates, as well as members of city commissions
and committees, from attending in order to create a relaxed environment.
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