The council voted unanimously to uphold the city Planning Commission's approval of the 36-acre Oceanpointe project off Stage Coach Road.

Residents complained about traffic, loss of views and possibly unstable slopes in the project.

Resident Linda Curtiss, who filed the appeal with the council, said additional traffic from the 158-unit development would trap residents in their driveways.

She also said residents in the area live on an unstable hill, which has already sustained three slides. The biggest, she said, came about 50 yards from where developers plan to displace hundreds of tons of earth using heavy machinery.

The petition asked the council to “assist the developer in finding a nature conservancy to buy the land so that endangered and sensitive species can be protected in perpetuity.”

City Planner Jerry Hittleman said more than half of the site is being maintained as permanent open space.–L.S.

County takes appeals on property tax assessments

San Diego County residents and business owners can appeal their latest property tax assessment through Dec. 1.

Appeals go before the county's Assessment Appeals Boards, which are quasi-judicial panels made up of three members appointed by county supervisors.

The boards base their decisions on hearings and evidence submitted by the taxpayer and the assessor.

Applications, information booklets and staff assistance are available at the Clerk of the Board Office in the County Administration Center, 1600 Pacific Highway, Room 402, San Diego.

For more information, go to sdcounty.ca.gov/cob/aab/index.html.

To file appeals, taxpayers need to know their parcel or tax-bill numbers and property addresses and must state on the application an opinion of the property's market value. Filing an appeal is free. –J.S.

Port Commission OKs $141.5 million budget

NATIONAL CITY: The San Diego Unified Port District expects to spend $141.5 million on operations this fiscal year – an increase in expenses of more than $10 million from last year.

While expenses are up, expected revenue of $151.2 million is down more than $3.1 million from last year.

The Port Commission unanimously approved the budget yesterday, marking the beginning of the new fiscal year.

Port Treasurer Jeff McEntee said the port is expecting a decrease in cruise-ship business, as well as a reduction in imports of cars, lumber, cement and sand because of the poor economy. The projected revenue from cargo and cruise-ship business is $41 million, down $1.1 million from last year.

Meanwhile, the port's rents from hotels and about 600 other tenants show an increase of more than $700,000, to $82.5 million.

The agency, which administers state tidelands in San Diego, National City, Chula Vista, Imperial Beach and Coronado, is expecting to launch new environmental programs, including one that reduces truck emissions at the port's marine cargo terminals in San Diego and National City. –R.W.P.

Abundance of kittens, cats up for adoption

NORTH COUNTY: Humane societies are reporting a glut of kittens and cats in need of homes.

More than 50 kittens are available for adoption at the Helen Woodward Animal Center in Rancho Santa Fe. The shelter will hold a Fourth of July “In the Pen-dence” special today through Sunday in which two kittens can be adopted for the price of one.

The adoption center is open every day from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. except holidays. But this year, the center will be open on Independence Day, tomorrow, to allow prospective pet owners to check out kitties with names such as Georgie Washington, Tommy Jefferson, Hot Dog and Relish.

The center is at 6461 El Apajo Road, Rancho Santa Fe,

Photos of the shelter's adoptable cats and dogs are available at animalcenter.org/adoptions. For information call, (858) 756-4017.

The North County Humane Society in Oceanside is celebrating Cat Independence Days, Saturday through July 14, by lowering adoption fees to $17.76 for an adult cat and $76 for a kitten. The shelter, which will be closed tomorrow, is at 2905 San Luis Rey Road, Oceanside. For information, call (760) 757-4357. –M.U.

Staff writers Lola Sherman, Jeanette Steele, Ronald W. Powell and Monica Unhold contributed to this report.