Here's something you might be interested in.
Roads? Who needs roads to get to the Grand Del Mar when you can land your helicopter just steps from the front entrance?
And permits? Why get the necessary permits from the City for said helipad when your name is Douglas "Papa Doug" Manchester?
In a public notice posted on October 31, the City announced that Manchester and his Grand Del Mar Resort finally applied for permits for a helipad that had been built approximately one-year earlier without permission from the City of San Diego.
"As a property owner, tenant, or person who has requested notice, you should know an application has been filed with the City of San Diego for a Site Development Permit and Conditional Use Permit to allow construction of an at-grade helistop at the existing Grand Del Mar Hotel and Site Development Permit Amendment to resolve two prior permit violations at 5300 Grand Del Mar Court, in the AR-1-2 Zone of the Del Mar Mesa Community Plan area in Council District 1," reads the public notice.
In a February 25 post on the resort's Facebook page, staff at the Grand Del Mar boasted about the new landing pad.
"Touch Down. Check In. However you arrive, we look forward to welcoming you to The Grand life," was the post on Facebook accompanied with a picture of a rich-looking white couple walking past the two-person helicopter crew.
The construction of a helipad at the Grand Del Mar is just the latest example of Papa Doug's refusal to go through the proper permitting channels at the City.
As we reported back in May 2012, the City threatened Manchester and his media-partner John Lynch with fines for installing illegal banner signs on the U-T San Diego's Mission Valley headquarters.
And then, there was the case of Papa Doug's vintage auto museum inside the same building that was built without proper permits, as was reported by the Voice of San Diego back in August.
Gary Levitt, chair of the Del Mar Mesa Community Planning Board said the group will hear the item at a January meeting.
A spokesperson for the Grand Del Mar has not yet responded to questions about the un-permitted helipad.
http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/nov/12/35320/
Roads? Who needs roads to get to the Grand Del Mar when you can land your helicopter just steps from the front entrance?
And permits? Why get the necessary permits from the City for said helipad when your name is Douglas "Papa Doug" Manchester?
In a public notice posted on October 31, the City announced that Manchester and his Grand Del Mar Resort finally applied for permits for a helipad that had been built approximately one-year earlier without permission from the City of San Diego.
"As a property owner, tenant, or person who has requested notice, you should know an application has been filed with the City of San Diego for a Site Development Permit and Conditional Use Permit to allow construction of an at-grade helistop at the existing Grand Del Mar Hotel and Site Development Permit Amendment to resolve two prior permit violations at 5300 Grand Del Mar Court, in the AR-1-2 Zone of the Del Mar Mesa Community Plan area in Council District 1," reads the public notice.
In a February 25 post on the resort's Facebook page, staff at the Grand Del Mar boasted about the new landing pad.
"Touch Down. Check In. However you arrive, we look forward to welcoming you to The Grand life," was the post on Facebook accompanied with a picture of a rich-looking white couple walking past the two-person helicopter crew.
The construction of a helipad at the Grand Del Mar is just the latest example of Papa Doug's refusal to go through the proper permitting channels at the City.
As we reported back in May 2012, the City threatened Manchester and his media-partner John Lynch with fines for installing illegal banner signs on the U-T San Diego's Mission Valley headquarters.
And then, there was the case of Papa Doug's vintage auto museum inside the same building that was built without proper permits, as was reported by the Voice of San Diego back in August.
Gary Levitt, chair of the Del Mar Mesa Community Planning Board said the group will hear the item at a January meeting.
A spokesperson for the Grand Del Mar has not yet responded to questions about the un-permitted helipad.
http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/nov/12/35320/