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ESCONDIDO, Calif. (KGTV) - The Old Palomar Hospital on the eastern edge of downtown Escondido could be redeveloped into hundreds of new homes and thousands of square feet of commercial, recreational and office space.In a letter to the city, developer Integral Communities says it wants to turn the site into a 450 homes, and 5,500 square feet of commercial spaces. The project could serve as a new gateway to downtown and add some much needed foot-traffic to Grand Avenue. Some businesses were closed Wednesday despite this being the midst of holiday shopping season. Beth Stevens, who owns the Vinklectic boutique on Grand Avenue, said she would welcome the project and the crowds it could bring. "I think new development is a good thing for everyone," Stevens said. Other business owners, however, said they are concerned about the project's increased traffic. But Rorie Johnston, who heads the Escondido Chamber of Commerce, said downtown needs to become more walkable. "The more you can slow people down, the more you can keep people in an area longer, the more possibility you have to engage with them," she said. Integral reached a deal with Palomar in February to buy the site for million. Palomar moved most of its services to its new hospital in west Escondido in 2012, making the older hospital available. It still offers cancer treatments, mental health services, and has office facilities at the downtown site. A hospital spokesman says it expects to stay in the downtown location through March 2020. Escondido city officials say they expect Integral to submit formal plans to the city in the next week. A call to Integral's project manager was not immediately returned. 1694

ESCONDIDO, Calif. (KGTV) -- The County is investigating complaints from neighbors that a business owner with a criminal history for fraud may have converted a former hotel into a drug treatment center without proper permitting.Residents living near the former site of the Tuscany Village Resort on Circle R Way in unincorporated Escondido say they started noticing people wandering trough their neighborhood this summer."The people that are staying there have told us they're getting treatment," said one neighbor, who asked not to be identified.The property was acquired in March by NSI Services, LLC, according to public records. The company identifies itself as a "drug rehab" in its incorporating paperwork."Our concern is the safety and well-being of our community with a gentleman who seems to have disregard for the law," the resident said.NSI Services is owned by Larry Burns, an entrepreneur with several aliases who served prison time for mail and wire fraud and has been charged with crimes in at least three states.Burns, who also goes by Lawrence Burzynski, did not respond to phone calls by 10News seeking comment Monday or Tuesday.Burns was once the president of the Escondido-based Crosby Centers and is listed as a director of the Crosby Clinic on its website. Neighbors say they've seen a Crosby Clinic van parked at the resort.The clinic advertises drug rehab services along with treatments for traumatic brain injuries and CTE, and attracted media attention for treating former NFL players. In 2015, the NFL Players Association issued a warning to players about Burns, urging players using his services to "exercise extreme caution."Burzynski "has accumulated numerous convictions for felony FRAUD related violations," the bulletin read. "He has been convicted in federal prosecutions in Wyoming, Colorado, California and elsewhere."The old Tuscany Village Resort is not zoned for drug rehabilitation or medical services. After complaints by neighbors, code compliance inspectors began investigating the property on August 7, according to a letter from County Planning and Development Services Director Mark Wardlaw.The owner "indicated they had not yet finalized their plans for the property" but "noted that he may use the property as a resort that may also provide brain injury and other medical treatments," the letter stated. The owner, who was not identified in the letter, said he did not intend to offer drug or alcohol treatments at the facility."We will continue to keep our code compliance case open until we have received all the information required to classify the use," Wardlaw wrote.Staff gave the owner a 0 citation on September 12 for improperly storing items in the parking lot. When a 10News reporter visited the property Monday, there was still furniture and other items in the parking lot.The owner has until October 9 to clean up the property, said County spokeswoman Tammy Glenn."We will continue to update residents in the area and work with the property owner to ensure compliance with County codes," she said.Late Tuesday, a man who identified himself as one of Burns' employees contacted 10News, saying the hotel was undergoing renovations and would open next year as a Bavarian-style spa. The man named Jeff said other than himself, no other Crosby Clinic employees were working at the property and the resort would not be used for drug treatment."They think because they see a Crosby van it's going to be drug and alcohol [treatment], but that's not the case," he said. "It's going to be a whole different place" with water falls and a new pool, he added. 3616

Europe is proposing a ban on single-use plastic items such as cutlery, straws?and cotton buds in a bid to clean up the oceans.The European Commission wants to ban 10 items that make up 70% of all litter in EU waters and on beaches. The list also includes plastic plates and drink stirrers.The draft rules were unveiled Monday but need the approval of all EU member states and the European Parliament. It could take three or four years for the rules to come into force.The legislation is not just about banning plastic products. It also wants to make plastic producers bear the cost of waste management and cleanup efforts, and it proposes that EU states must collect 90% of single-use plastic bottles by 2025 through new recycling programs.The European Commission estimates that these rules, once fully implemented in 2030, could cost businesses over €3 billion (.5 billion) per year. But they could also save consumers about €6.5 billion (.6 billion) per year, create 30,000 jobs, and avoid €22 billion (.6 billion) in environmental damage and cleanup costs.The Rethink Plastic Alliance -- an association of environmental organizations -- called the proposals "a leap forward in tackling plastic pollution" but criticized some perceived shortcomings.The proposals do not set targets for EU countries to reduce the use of plastic cups and food containers, it said."This could result in countries claiming they are taking the necessary steps as long as any reduction is achieved, regardless of how small," the alliance said in a statement.The proposal also faced criticism from the plastics industry.Plastics Europe, which represents manufacturers, said it supported the "overarching objective" of the proposal but said there must be more resources dedicated to "waste management" to ensure better collection of used plastic."Plastic product bans are not the solution," it said in a statement, and noted that "alternative products may not be more sustainable."On a global basis, only 14% of plastic is collected for recycling. The reuse rate is terrible compared to other materials -- 58% of paper and up to 90% of iron and steel gets recycled.Research shows there will be more plastic than fish by weight in the world's oceans by 2050, which has spurred policy makers, individuals and companies into action.Last month a group of more than 40 companies including Coca-Cola, Nestle, Unilever and Procter & Gamble pledged to slash the?amount of plasticthey use and throw away in the United Kingdom.Starbucks also announced in March it was launching a  million grant challenge to solicit designs for a cup that's easier to recycle. 2689

ESPN is expected to cut at least another 100 employees after Thanksgiving, marking the company's third round of layoffs in the last three years, Sports Illustrated reported on Thursday. According to SI, the layoffs are expected to include several anchors from ESPN's longest-running program "SportsCenter." The layoffs are also expected to include other employees such as producers, executives and other staffers, SI reported. The layoffs to end 2017 come just seven months after ESPN laid off nearly 100 reporters from its roster. Among those laid off were basketball reporter Andy Katz, baseball reporter Jayson Stark and SportsCenter anchor Jay Crawford, to name a few. In 2015, ESPN laid off 300 employees, most of whom were behind the scenes staff. In recent years, ESPN has had to combat rising fees to carry live sports, coupled with a decline in cable television subscriptions. According to eMarketer, nearly 22 million former cable subscribers have "cut the cord" in recent years.   1034

ESCONDIDO, Calif. (KGTV) -- Police in Escondido are joining law enforcement throughout the state in cracking down on distracted driving throughout April.Throughout the month, the city is deploying extra traffic officers thanks to grant-funded resources. Violators will be stopped and cited with fines set at 2 for first-time offenders.On April 5 and April 13, law enforcement officials all over the state are set to step up distracted driving enforcement.According to authorities, officers have issued hundreds of thousands of citations over the past three years to those texting or calling while driving.Recent legislation has even gone as far as to make it illegal to use a smartphone¡¯s apps while driving."California¡¯s distracted driving laws have been saving lives for a decade now,¡± said former State Senator Joe Simitian, who authored the state¡¯s hands-free and no-texting laws. ¡°Every day, somewhere in California, someone is sitting down to dinner with their family who wouldn't have made it through the day without these laws on the books. That¡¯s tremendously gratifying.¡±Data from 2017 shows that nearly 22,000 were involved in distracted driving crashes throughout California.¡°Traffic safety has consistently been a top priority in Escondido,¡± said Chief Craig Carter. ¡°If our enforcement and education campaign to eliminate distracted driving saves even one life, I would consider that a success.¡± 1420

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