Introduction INTRODUCTION
CITY OF ENCINITAS GENERAL PLAN
As Amended 3/9/94 and 5/11/95
INTRODUCTION TO THE GENERAL PLAN
Planning for The City of Encinitas was incorporated in 1986
the Future though its history goes back more than a hundred
years, when first settlers arrived. In recent
decades, the City has experienced tremendous growth
that has continued to the present day. The Ci.ty,s
variety of housing, opportunities, rich natural
setting, small town atmosphere, pleasant climate and
other amenities continue to attract new residents
into the City and surrounding areas. Encinitas is at
a critical juncture in its history where decisions
need to be made concerning future growth and the
maintenance of those amenities that have attracted
people into this area for so long.
The Purpose The Encinitas General Plan is, in effect, the
of the constitution of the City and will serve as a blue-
General Plan print for the long-range physical planning of the
City. The Plan contains stated community goals and
Policies designed to shape the long term development
of the City, as well as protect its environmental,
social, cultural and economic resources.
Paragraph The majority of the City of Encinitas is located
Amended within the California Coastal Zone; therefore,
319194 issues and policies related to the requirements of
the California Coastal Act are also included within
the General Plan. These are combined to create the
General Plan and Local Coastal Program Land Use Plan
(LUP) for the City of Encinitas. Within this
document and its supporting documents, the term
General Plan will be used to refer to both the
Paragraph City' s General Plan and LUP.
Amended The Noise element is excluded from the City's LP.
5111195 Each of LUP.the remaining elements
(Land
Circulation, Public Safety, Resource Management land
Recreation) include policies and provisions which
serve to apply the Coastal Act in the City. Each
portion of the General Plan text which is also a
part of the LUP is identified by being backshaded.
Maps and exhibits which are also part of the LUP are
also labeled.
The Plan consists of an integrated and internally
consistent set of goals, policies and standards that
address a number of issue areas which include land use,
circulation, housing, noise, safety, recreation,
conservation and open space. These issues are discussed in
the seven elements which correspond with State
requirements. These elements include Land Use,
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Housing, Circulation, Public Safety, Resource Management (Open Space and
Conservation) , Recreation and Noise.
Although the focus of this Plan is on land use and the need to plan for
future development, other issues also benefit from long range planning.
In the Encinitas General Plan, the relationship of the other elements
to the Land Use Element is constantly examined. This structure ensures
compliance with State law regarding general plan consistency.
Moreover, it establishes a comprehensive document which can improve
coordination of community development activities among all units of
government.
This plan is an internally consistent document which provides a
comprehensive data base and set of projections for all of its parts.
Therefore, it is anticipated that the Plan will require periodic review
and possible amendment to ensure that the information presented is
timely and relevant.
Where any policy or provision of the General Plan that is a part of the
Local Coastal Program Land Use Plan (LUP) conflicts with any policy or
provision of the General Plan that is not a part of the Local Coastal
Program Land Use Plan (LUP) , the LUP policy or provision shall take
precedence in the area of the City within the Coastal Zone. Where two
or more LUP policies or provisions conflict with each other, the
conflict shall be resolved in a manner which on balance is the most
protective of significant coastal resources. Added 5/11/95 (Reso. 95-
32)
Planning case law has placed the General Plan atop the hierarchy of
local government law regulating land use. Consequently, consistency
between the General Plan and all other land use plans, policies and
programs is necessary. Zoning ordinances, specific plans,
redevelopment plans and individual project plan proposals must be
consistent with the goals, policies and standards contained in the
General Plan. In addition, all capital improvements and public works
projects must be consistent with the General Plan.
Public Participation The public plays an important role in both the
preparation and implementation phases of the General Plan because the
General Plan reflects community goals and objectives, Citizens must be
involved with issues identification and goal formulation. The City
made every effort to insure that the public and various civic and
professional organizations were consulted during the plan preparation
stage. Additional public involvement was also encouraged through the
public hearing process.
Citizen groups and individuals actively participated in preparation
of the General Plan through a series of General Plan Ad-Hoc meetings,
the use of a general plan questionnaire, other public meetings and
workshops. Additionally, many citizens and representatives from the
business community attended general plan public study sessions and
public hearings . This document represents a clear
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Identification of community goals and policies as
expressed by the City's residents as well as those
expressed by various civic and professional groups.
The General Plan Ad-hoc Committee was instrumental in
identifying the issues to be addressed in the Plan, and
in drafting goals and policies and the General Plan
Land Use Map. The members were chosen from each of the
five communities within the City; therefore, a cross
section of knowledge and concern surfaced from the
meetings with this committee.
Finally, the Draft General Plan and its supporting
documents underwent rigorous review at public hearings
held before the City of Encinitas Planning Commission
and City Council . At that time, the appointed and
elected officials heard public testimony concerning
the adequacy of the Draft General Plan.
The Encinitas General Plan consists of an introduction
and seven separate elements which together satisfy the
content requirements of State general plan law.
Included within these elements, as well, are the goals
and policies that meet the requirements of the
California Coastal Act of 1976. The spporting
documents include the accompanying Techn caluReports,
the Implementation Plan, Master
Assessment and the Environmental Impact Report ]^onmental
The seven General Plan elements and the Land Use Policy
Map clearly state the community' s goals and policies
for the long term development of the City,. Each
element is comprised of three sections. The first
section presents a brief analysis of element issue
areas. The second section lists the goals and policies
relevant to each issue, and the implications of the
goals and policies are presented in the third section.
Finally, background data necessary for issues
identification and plan preparation is included in the
Technical Reports that support the various elements.
The background information is temporal and will. become
outdated as conditions change. This information has
been separated from the elements to facilitate periodic
updating.
The Implementation Plan identifies strategies and
programs that will implement the goals and policies
contained in each element. As a supporting document,
Implementation Plan may be revised separately as
implementation strategies change in response to changes
in funding and programs without actually amend=ing the
General Plan.
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The Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is the final supporting
document of the General Plan. EIR
T he
environmental impacts anticipated to result the
implementation of the plan. The EIR will cross-reference
sections of the elements and technical reports that serve to
analyze the environmental impacts of plan policy.
ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES
Information about issues and opportunities with=in the City of
Encinitas was derived through four sources:
Individual meetings with the General Plan Ad Hoc Committee and
the five Community Advisory Boards of Leucadia, New Encinitas,
Cardiff, Old Encinitas, and Olivenhain during the month of
August, 1987; General Plan questionnaires published in the
local newspapers, the Coast Dispatch and The Citizen, and
distributed at City Hall and through civic groups; public
meetings where input from residents and property owners was
received; and additional material from the City Council.
From these sources, important planning issues and opportunities
which influence the quality of life in Encinitas were
identified. These issues and opportunities are outlined below
for the individual communities that comprise the City as shown
in Figure 1. They represent the basis for many of the goals
and policies described within the General Plan Elements.
Additional information describing community histories is
included as a separate Technical Report.
Leucadia Preservation of Single Family Areas - Incompatible multi-family
development has been allowed to intrude into single family
residential areas, particularly west of Interstate S. In many
cases, this higher density housing was constructed without
adequate parking and buffering from single family development.
Commercial Rehabilitation - The existing commercial corridor
along the Hwy 101 is suffering from a lack of improvements and
much of the area is badly in need of rehabilitation. Its poor
physical and economic condition has been accompanied by an
increase in crime. This area already includes some mixture of
uses which may be appropriate to continue and foster as part of
an overall approach to redevelopment. With redevelopment, the
future need for additional visitor serving commercial
facilities is important.
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Commercial Area Parking - There is a significant shortage of
convenient parking in the Highway 101 commercial area to serve its
desired level of use and activity. This lack of parking contributes
to traffic congestion and the poor economic condition of that area.
Architectural Creativity/Compatibility - The community contains many
custom homes and possesses a rustic informal charm. The
individuality of the structures is an element of the area's character
that should be maintained and encouraged. At the same time,
satellite dish antennas and other accessory structures need to be
integrated with other elements of the community's architecture to
maintain compatibility, and protect views of scenic areas.
Building Bulk - On many smaller lots, construction utilizing the
maximum permitted building envelope has resulted in structures with a
bulk that is out of character with surrounding development. This
incompatible bulk has resulted in the loss or reduction of ocean
views in some cases. There is a need to protect important scenic
areas and public views, including areas immediately adjacent to the
beaches and coastal bluffs.
Street Capacity - Many streets are narrow, poorly constructed and
maintained, and unable to support the higher traffic volumes
generated by more intensive development. In particular, Vulcan
Avenue functions as an important circulation roadway, but lacks
adequate development. In particular, Vulcan Avenue functions as an
important circulation roadway, but lacks adequate width, lighting,
and drainage improvements, as well as having too many access points.
Railroad Crossings/Right-of-Way - The limited number of railroad
crossings acts as a deterrent to east-west pedestrian and vehicular
movement. This obstacle to movement results in uncontrolled
pedestrian crossings of the track wherever it is convenient. The
right-of-way represents a significant source of noise, but is also a
potentially valuable area for the establishment of a
riding/hiking/bicycling path for north-south movement near the coast
and a landscaped buffer adjacent to the major north-south streets
circulation roadways, Hwy 101 and Vulcan Avenue. Enhancement of the
rail corridor, including the possible depression of the track grade
to address these issues, is warranted.
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Parkland - There is a definite shortage of parkland for
active recreational uses. Existing parkland such as
that overlooking Paul Ecke Central School (Orpheus
Park) should be improved to become more useable.
Drainage Problems - Significant drainage problems exist
along such streets as Vulcan Avenue, Hymettus Street,
Orpheus Street, and Union Street. These streets lack
storm drain systems and are not fully curbed to control
runoff within the improved section of the street.
Mature Tree Preservation and View Protection - Mature
trees exist within the community which create an
atmosphere which should be maintained as development
occurs. Vulcan Avenue includes a number of mature
eucalyptus trees which may be threatened if that street
is to be widened. At the same time, there is a need to
establish criteria for plantings to protect public
views to the ocean and scenic coastal areas.
Intrusion of Man-Made Structures - A large number of
walls, fences, and other man-made structures exist in
the right-of-way such as in the Neptune Street area.
These structures have created both a safety and
aesthetic concern.
Coastal Erosion/Bluff Erosion - Much of the area along
the coast consists of bluffs which are highly
susceptible to erosion. This condition poses a problem
in gaining safe public access to the beach. The
construction or reconstruction of public stairways,
such as the Grandview Stairs offer a potential solution
to this access problem. Bluff protection measures must
be assessed in terms of interference with public
vertical and lateral beach access and other physical
affects related to bluff erosion, associated with such
man-made improvements.
Beaches - The beach areas are losing sand depth each
year and sand replenishment programs are needed to
provide for their restoration.
Batiquitos Lagoon Upland - A portion of the Batiquitos
Lagoon upland and watershed lies within the community.
Strict development and grading controls are important
in avoiding sedimentation from development. Protective
regulations within the watershed and viewshed for this
important environmental feature are essential.
Commercial Area Access - Circulation between commercial
New Encinitas centers is difficult because
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center-to-center driveway connections have only been
provided in a few instances. This lack of internal
access between centers is a major problem along E1
Camino Real and Encinitas Boulevard where vehicular
traffic must rely on these primary public arterials to
move from one center to another. The number of
driveway access points presently existing along such
arterials slows traffic considerably by allowing
uncontrolled entry onto and exiting from the streets.
Commercial Area Design and Landscaping - The overall
architectural and site design of the more recently
constructed commercial centers is fairly good and
should be continued as new properties develop and older
properties redevelop. Landscaping along street
frontages and in parking areas has been underutilized
in the past and needs to become an integral part of all
further development, including public street medians.
In addition, other elements of development such as
signs, utilities, benches, walls and fences have not
been integrated into the overall design of the area,
and should be.
Landscaping in Residential Areas - Much of the
community is relatively new and lacks sufficient
landscaping. The planting of street trees and slope
vegetation is needed.
Traffic Congestion - Major roads do not handle peak
hour traffic conveniently and, as a consequence,
residential streets are used as more convenient
bypasses.
San Elijo Lagoon - The southern portion of the
community is located in the lagoon's upland/watershed
area. Development in these areas may cause siltation
of the lagoon unless it is controlled.
Bluff/Slope Protection - Some inland slopes in the
community contain important biotic habitat areas which
need to be preserved and buffered from development.
Some of these areas also have geologic stability
problems.
Parkland - Very few parks or community gathering places
exist; however, the large north-south San Diego Gas and
Electric easement represents a potential location for
hiking/riding trails and other more passive
recreational activities. Residents in this community
have expressed a desire for more parks and recreational
facilities.
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Community Character - Although most of the community is
suburban in character, the southwest corner of the area
includes a more rural type of development that should
be maintained.
Cardiff Parkland - An insufficient amount of parkland for
active and passive recreational uses presently exists
within the community.
Beaches - The beach areas are losing sand depth each
year and sand replenishment programs are needed to
provide for their restoration.
Traffic/Parking - Traffic congestion occurs during the
morning and evening peak hours at the intersections of
Chesterfield/San Elijo, Birmingham/San Elijo,
I-5/Birmingham, and I-5/Manchester. In addition,
circulation in the Lake/Crest Drive area has raised
substantial concern. Traffic congestion also occurs
along the Hwy 101 corridor particularly in the vicinity
of "Restaurant Row. " That same area also experiences
severe parking deficiencies, especially during the
evenings and on weekends. Other areas within the
community also experience periodic parking deficiencies
to a lesser degree; however, the paving of alleyways, a
source of parking that is presently underutilized, may
provide some relief by creating additional parking
area.
Noise - Noise caused by traffic, amplified music, and
crowds in the "Restaurant Row" area is a severe
annoyance to the surrounding residential community;
this noise impact is exacerbated by the surrounding
lagoon which seems to reflect and convey that noise
over a wide spread area.
Building Bulk/Open Space - The smaller lots within the
community are valuable because they have ocean and
lagoon views. New construction on these lots has made
maximum use of the allowable building envelop,
resulting in increased building bulk, loss of views,
and a reduction of openness. This is particularly
evident where zero lot line construction has occurred
creating what are termed "twin homes. " Setbacks of
structures along bluffs and other hillside areas are
important as a means of preserving a natural view and
topography and insuring access.
Railroad Right-of-Way - The Santa Fe right-of-way may
offer opportunities for erosion control and plantings
which protect and enhance ocean/scenic coastal area
views. The limited number of railroad crossings acts
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as a deterrent to east-west pedestrian and vehicular
movement. This obstacle to movement results in
uncontrolled pedestrian crossings of the track wherever
it is convenient. The right-of-way represents a
significant source of noise, but is also a potentially
valuable area for the establishment of a
riding/hiking/bicycling path for north-south movement
near the coast and a landscaped buffer adjacent to the
major north-south streets circulation roadways, Hwy 101
and Vulcan Avenue. Enhancement of the rail corridor,
including the possible depression of the track grade to
address these issues, is warranted.
San Elijo Lagoon - The lagoon is an environmentally
sensitive area of natural open space. It contains
important plant and animal habitat areas, and it has
been the recipient of both contamination and siltation
resulting from runoff within its drainage basin. The
lagoon has also been an area of illegal dumping of
debris and a location for commercial billboards; yet it
is an important public recreational area which should
be accessible. Buffering of the lagoon from adjacent
development is essential, as is protection of the
watershed and viewshed.
Density of Development/Preservation of Single Family
Character - Conversion of single family units to
multi-family units in older areas has changed
neighborhood character.
Redevelopment - The older business district within the
community is in need of sensitive rehabilitation.
Old Encinitas Coastal/Bluff Erosion - Much of the coastal area is
highly susceptible to erosion. This condition impacts
recreational use of this area and makes beach access
difficult. Bluff protection measures must be assessed
in terms of interference with public vertical and
lateral beach access and other physical impacts related
to bluff erosion.
Parkland - Insufficient parkland for active and passive
recreational uses presently exists within the
community.
Traffic/Circulation/Parking - The existing circulation
system within the community seems inadequate,
especially in terms of east-west traffic movement
across the railroad corridor. This problem affects
coastal access which is further aggravated by the lack
of parking near the beaches and the noncontinuous
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sidewalks which interrupt safe pedestrian movement.
Many unpaved alleys represent additional sources of
parking.
Railroad Right-of-Way - The Santa Fe right-of-way
may offer opportunities for erosion control and
plantings which protect and enhance ocean/scenic
coastal area views. The limited number of railroad
crossings acts as a deterrent to east-west
pedestrian and vehicular movement. This obstacle to
movement results in uncontrolled pedestrian
crossings of the track wherever it is convenient.
The right-of-way represents a significant source of
noise, but is also a potentially valuable area for
the establishment of a riding/hiking/bicycling path
for north-south movement near the coast and a
landscaped buffer adjacent to the major north-south
streets circulation roadways, Hwy 101 and Vulcan
Avenue. Enhancement of the rail corridor, including
the possible depression of the track grade to
address these issues, is warranted.
Downtown - The downtown area has a human scale and
good transition of commercial to residential use.
It has a pedestrian orientation and a possible theme
for future redevelopment with the presence of the
"Lumberyard" commercial development.
Historic Buildings - A number of buildings having
historic significance, such as the La Paloma, the
Self-Realization Fellowship, the Derby House, and
others represent valuable assets worthy of
preservation.
Infrastructure - Some areas within the community
lack important public improvements such as sanitary
sewer, street lighting on major roads, and
undergrounding of utilities.
Noise - Certain areas experience significant noise
from traffic traveling on I-5.
Beach Access - Additional public access points to
the beach are needed as are additional parking areas
in support of that access.
Beaches - The beach areas are losing sand depth each
year and sand replenishment programs are needed to
provide for their restoration.
Views - Many areas have excellent ocean views on
scenic corridors which may be impacted by additional
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building bulk associated with new development and by the
existence of large free-standing signs and many utility
poles. Protection of the scenic areas and views is
important.
Compatibility of New Development - In some cases, new
development has been separated from the existing
neighborhoods by fences, walls, and gates, creating a
sense of alienation. Incompatible strip commercial
development and signs have also created community
concern.
Olivenhain Rural Atmosphere - Maintenance of existing large lots,
open space, and animal keeping activities is important to
the community.
Preservation of Land Forms - Unnecessary grading has
impacted natural land forms in a negative way.
Lot-Averaging Subdivisions - The use of an inappropriate
lot averaging technique has resulted in smaller lots that
are incompatible with surrounding larger lots.
Parkland - There is a shortage of public parkland for
recreational activities.
Cultural Resources - Historic buildings from the original
German settlement and archaeological sites are important
resources for preservation.
Commercial Development - The community has experienced an
intrusion of commercial development into an otherwise
residential and rural area.
Traffic/Circulation - Improvements are needed to create
safer collector roadways.
Trails - Riding and hiking trails are an important
feature of the community which should be maintained and
expanded to create linkages with other recreational
areas.
San Elijo Lagoon - The southwestern portion of the
community contains the easterly portion of San Elijo
Lagoon and its upland/watershed. Protection of the
lagoon habitats through buffering from development and
other measures is essential.
Residential Development - Non-customized tract type
housing has impacted existing community character.
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Local Coastal As previously mentioned, the majority of the City of
Program Paragraph Encinitas is within the Coastal Zone, and as such is
Amended 3/9/94 required to implement a Local Coastal Program (LCP)
consisting of a coastal Land Use Plan (LUP) and
implementing Ordinances. The LCP issues and policies
have been included within the General Plan creating a
combined document - the General Plan and :Local Coastal
Program (LUP) .
The California Coastal Act was adopted in 1976 in an
attempt to generally protect the natural. and scenic
resources of the California coastal zone. As a part of
the Coastal Act, the Legislature found and declared that
the basic goals of the State for the coastal zone are
to.
(a) Protect, maintain, and where feasible, enhance and
restore the overall quality of the coastal zone
environment and its natural and artificial
resources.
(b) Assure orderly, balanced utilization and
conservation of coastal zone resources taking into
account the social and economic needs of the people
of the state.
(c) Maximize public access to and along the coast and
maximize public recreational opportunities in the
coastal zone consistent with sound resources
conservation principles and constitutionally
protected rights of private property owners.
(d) Assure priority for coastal-dependent and
coastal-related development over other development
on the coast .
(e) Encourage state and local initiatives and
cooperation in preparing procedures to implement
coordinated planning and development for mutually
beneficial uses, including educational uses, in the
coastal zone. (Section 30001.5,C.A. )
Further, the Legislature found and declared that "to
achieve maximum responsiveness to local conditions,
accountability, and public accessibility, it is
necessary to rely heavily on local government and local
land use planning procedures and enforcement" in
carrying out the State' s coastal objectives and policies
(Section 30004,C.A. ) . To reach this end, the Coastal
Act directs each local government, lying wholly or
partly within the coastal zone, to prepare a Local
Coastal Program (LCP) for that portion of the
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coastal zone within its jurisdiction. Thus, the City of
Encinitas f inds its direction to prepare an LCP, as the
major portion of the City of Encinitas lies within the
coastal zone (7, 874.7 acres of the total 13, 266 acres) .
That portion of the planning area that is located within
the coastal zone is identified in Figure 2 .
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The City of Encinitas ' s LCP will consist of the City' s
land use, circulation, and other plans and policies
included in the General Plan for the coastal zone,
zoning ordinances, zoning maps, and other implementing
actions such as special zone overlays for sensitive
resource areas. The land use plan portion of the LCP,
making up the heart of the LCP, consists of the
"relevant portions of a local government 's general
plan. . .which are sufficiently detailed to indicate the
kinds, location, and intensity of land uses, the
applicable resource protection and development policies,
and, where necessary, a listing of implementing
actions. " (Section 30108 .5, Coastal Act)
The City of Encinitas has allowed for and encouraged
public input throughout the development of the LCP
through the process of General Plan preparation and at
the public hearing/approval stages of the process. Once
the LCP has been certified by the Coastal Commission and
adopted by the City of Encinitas, the City assumes
responsibility for administering coastal development
permits for development in those areas of its coastal
zone that are not on submerged lands, tide lands, public
trust lands, and state universities or colleges.
Development within the City of Encinitas coastal zone
would then only be approved if found to be in conformity
with the certified LCP, with only limited appeals from
such local permit decisions being heard by the Coastal
Commission.
Paragraph Amended The General Plan together with the Zoning Ordinance and
319194 other relevant City codes will contain all of the
components required by the Coastal Commission to
comprise the LCP. Table 1 identifies the required
components and the issue areas that need to be
considered in the LCP. These issues are then cross
referenced with the supporting information found in the
General Plan and Zoning Ordinance.
Paragraph Added Amendments to those portions of the General Plan which
319194 also comprise the City' s LUP must be approved by the
California Coastal Commission as LCP amendments before
they become effective. The City will follow procedures
required for LCP amendments when processing such
proposed General Plan changes.
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TABLE 1
LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM REFERENCE MATRIX
Required Component/ Land Housing Circulation Resource Public Recreation Zoning
Issue Area Use Mgmt. Safety Ordinance
Shoreline Access X X X X X X
Recreation and Visitor- X X X X X
Serving Facilities
Water and Marine Resources X X X X
Diking, Dredging,Filling,and X X X X
Shoreline Structures
Commercial Fishing and X X X X
Recreational Boating
Environmentally Sensitive X X X X X X
Habitat Areas
Agriculture X X X
Hazard Areas X X X X X X
Soil Resources X X X X
Locating and Planning New X X X X X X X
Development
Coastal Visual Resources and X X X X X
Special Communities
Public Works X X X X X X
Industrial Development and X X X X
Energy Facilities
Table Revised 5111195-Reso. 95-32
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