Campfire’s octopus, chorizo, and celery-root entrée.
Gage Forster
On March 25, All Peoples Church filed a complaint against the City of San Diego alleging that the city council’s rejection of the church’s large-scale project for a new 900-seat sanctuary on a vacant, 6-acre lot in Del Cerro violates federal protections provided to churches by the Religious Land Use And Institutionalized Persons Act.
The suit further claims that the city is in violation of the church’s free speech and assembly and the free exercise of religious rights outlined in the First Amendment.
All Peoples Church purchased the property, located near the College Avenue off-ramp, in 2017.
In addition to the 900-seat sanctuary, the church group sought to construct a building with “staff offices, Sunday School classrooms and a multi-purpose room.” The latter of which is intended to serve as a youth room, fellowship hall and a basketball court, according to the lawsuit.
Since the lot’s purchase, the All Peoples Church has undergone the process of amending the Navajo Community Plan to allow church use on land zoned for residential use.
The church, which was started in 2008 by Pastor Robert Herber, has a congregation of 900-1,000 individuals, according to Save Del Cerro, a movement backed by concerned community members that have remained outspoken against the project.
All Peoples Church currently operates out of a facility located at 5555 University Ave., with a lease set to expire in June and is required to vacate the premises on Dec. 31, 2024.
In September 2023 the San Diego Planning Commission voted unanimously in the project’s favor upon reviewing the plan’s required documents: a general plan amendment, community plan amendment, site development permit and certification of the project’s environmental impact report.
However, just four months later, San Diego City Council voted 6 to 2 to deny the plan.
Councilmember Raul Campillo, who represents Del Cerro, was the dominant voice of opposition. He stated that the church’s application was legally flawed and that the church project’s environmental impact report and subsequent traffic study undercount daily car trips to the planned multi-purpose room.
The lawsuit outlined that it anticipates that church staff will use the multi-purpose room Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. (The hours Pastors are present.)
However, civil engineering and traffic experts both explained during the January City Council meeting that the project would not cause transportation impacts based on years of time-consuming and costly reviews, such as the environmental impact report and traffic studies pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act.
The complaint specifically details that “the [environmental impact report] found the [project] to be consistent with the Navajo Community Plan and did not identify inconsistencies with any applicable [city] land use policies.”
As a result of Councilmember Campillo’s opposition to the project, the lawsuit calls into question his motives. Specifically, Councilmember Campillo’s place of living, allegedly located a half-mile away from the project site.
When asked to comment on the matter, Councilmember Campillo said, “I will let my 30-minute presentation from the day of the hearing speak for itself. That said, I must point out that the litigant’s assertion that my home is within a half-mile of the project is flat out wrong.”
The Office of the City Attorney declined to comment on the pending litigation.
Moreover, the project has been branded as a “megachurch” by Save Del Cerro which, according to the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, refers to any Protestant Christian congregation with a sustained weekly average of 2,000 attendants for its worship services.
“We are reviewing the court filing and fully support the City’s Land Use decision to deny the application for the proposed church and its related activities,” said Save Del Cerro Spokesperson Michael Livingston.
Dan Dalton, of Dalton & Tomich, PLC, is All Peoples Church’s lead attorney. Dalton previously represented Our Lady of Peace Academy, which sued the city on similar grounds for blocking its campus expansion plan. The lawsuit was settled in the academy’s favor in 2014.
Dalton did not respond directly to a request for comment before publication. However, Worship Pastor Stephen Gulley provided the following statement on Dalton’s behalf via All Peoples Church’s press release:
“The City has a long history of discrimination against religious institutions,” said Dalton. “They’ve made it nearly impossible to [cite] them, and when the land use laws of the City allows, they change the rules to deny access. That is wrong, federal law doesn’t allow it, and we believe the Court will ultimately find their decision inappropriate and overturn.”
The press release includes Herber’s sentiments, as well.
“The personal attacks and accusations used to foment opposition were unfortunate, but as Christians we forgive and bless those who come against us,” Herber said. “Nevertheless, the Council’s decision to side with the opposition was wrong, which is why we’ve decided to protect our rights by seeking legal redress.”
Additionally, as detailed in the filed complaint, “The Church believes it is called by God to own and build a permanent home large enough to accommodate its growing congregation, its anticipated growth and its various ministries.”
Photo credit: savedelcerro.org/.
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SANDY, Utah — SANDY, Utah (AP) — Sergi Solans had two goals and an assist, Diego Luna added a goal and two assists, and Real Salt Lake beat San Diego FC 4-2 on Saturday night to extend its unbeaten streak to six games.
Morgan Guilavogui scored his first goal in MLS and had an assist for Real Salt Lake (5-1-1). The 28-year-old designated player has five goal contributions in his first six career games.
RSL hasn’t lost since a 1-0 defeat at Vancouver in the season opener.
San Diego (3-3-2) has lost three in a row and is winless in five straight.
Luna opened the scoring in the fifth minute when he re-directed a misplayed pass by Duran Ferree, San Diego’s 19-year-old goalkeeper, into the net.
Moments later, Solans headed home a perfectly-placed cross played by Luna from outside the right corner of the 18-yard box to the back post to make it 2-0. Solans, a 23-year-old forward, flicked a header from the center of the area inside the right post and past the outstretched arm of Ferree to make it 3-1 in the 37th minute.
Guilavogui slammed home a first-touch shot to give RSL a three-goal lead in the 45th.
Marcus Ingvartsen scored a goal in the 14th minute and Anders Dreyer converted from the penalty spot in the 66th for San Diego.
Ingvartsen has five goals and an assist this season and has 10 goal contributions (seven goals, three assists) in 16 career MLS appearances.
Rafael Cabral had three saves for RSL.
Ferree finished with five saves.
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer
When John Resnick opened Campfire on a quaint little street in Carlsbad, Calif., in 2016, some locals weren’t sure what to think. The coastal enclave wasn’t exactly awash in innovative, chef-driven establishments, so it was a shock to see the dining room consistently full. Early on, one woman wondered aloud to Resnick, “Where did all these people come from?”
It’s a moment he remembers vividly. “I was struck by her statement, because I think she was surprised that so many other people in Carlsbad were there,” Resnick says.
The rest of the culinary world would take some time to catch up to what was happening. In 2019, when Michelin expanded to rate restaurants throughout all of California—not just the San Francisco area—Addison was the only one in San Diego to earn a star. But since emerging from the pandemic, the region’s food scene has grown dramatically. Driven by outstanding farms, ingredients, a bumper crop of talented chefs, and a G.D.P. approximately the size of New Zealand or Greece, San Diego County has become one of America’s most underrated dining destinations.
Campfire’s octopus, chorizo, and celery-root entrée.
Gage Forster
Perhaps no single restaurant is a better emblem for this shift than chef William Bradley’s Addison, which opened in 2006. After landing his first star, Bradley knew he wanted more. To get them, he transformed his French-leaning fare to serve what he calls California Gastronomy, which combines the cultures of SoCal with impeccable ingredients and wildly impressive techniques, prizing flavor over flair. Michelin responded, awarding Addison a second star in 2022, and making it the first Southern California three-star restaurant just a year later. The accolade has created a halo effect, attracting culinary tourists from around the world.
Berry beet tartlets at San Diego’s three-star stalwart Addison.
Eric Wolfinger
“Earning three stars forces the global dining community to pay attention to a place that may not have been on their radar before,” says chef Eric Bost, a partner in Resnick’s four Carlsbad establishments.
Resnick recruited Bost, who spent time at award-winning outposts of Restaurant Guy Savoy, to run Jeune et Jolie, which he led to a star in 2021. They’ve since taken over an old boogie-board factory down the street and converted it to an all-day restaurant and bakery, Wildland. The space also hosts an exquisite tasting-counter experience called Lilo, which was given a Michelin star mere months after opening in April 2025. And as Resnick and Bost grew their successful Carlsbad operation, chef Roberto Alcocer earned a Michelin star for his Mexican fine-dining spot Valle in nearby Oceanside.
The stylish tasting counter at Michelin one-star Lilo in Carlsbad.
Kimberly Motos
About 25 miles to the south, another affluent coastal community is going through its own culinary glow up. In La Jolla, chef Tara Monsod and the hospitality group Puffer Malarkey Collective opened the stylish French steakhouse Le Coq. Chef Erik Anderson, formerly of Michelin two-star Coi, is preparing to launch Roseacre. And last year, Per Se alums Elijah Arizmendi and Brian Hung left New York to open the elegant tasting-menu restaurant Lucien, lured by the ingredients they’d get to serve. “A major reason we chose San Diego is the quality and diversity of the produce,” Arizmendi explains. “San Diego County has more small farms than anywhere else in the U.S., and its many microclimates allow farmers to grow an incredible range of ingredients year-round.”
Wildland’s spicy Italian sandwich.
Gage Forster
Chef Travis Swikard has also been a tireless advocate for the region’s ingredients since he returned to San Diego, his hometown, and opened Mediterranean-influenced Callie in 2021. There’s no sophomore slump with his latest effort, the French Riviera–inspired Fleurette in La Jolla, where he’s serving his take on classics like leeks vinaigrette and his San Diego “Bouillabaisse” with local red sheepshead fish and spiny lobster. Its food is bright, produce-driven, and attentive in execution, while the dining room maintains a relaxed and unpretentious style of service. And Swikard sees that approach cohering into a regional style with a strong network of professionals behind it.
“It’s really nice that we are developing our own identity, not trying to be like L.A. or any other market, just highlighting what’s great about the San Diego lifestyle and ingredients,” he says. “Similar to New York, a chef community is starting to develop where chefs are supporting each other. There is a true sense of pride to be cooking here.”
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