Carlsbad orders cross removed, citing lack of permit

CARLSBAD, Calif. (AP) - Officials in Carlsbad say a 15-foot wooden cross erected on a hilltop in a park violates city rules and must come down.

The San Diego Union-Tribune reported Monday (https://bit.ly/2e4oIQS ) that someone erected the cross without a permit two weeks ago on city-owned land known as Veterans Park, an undeveloped area with miles of hiking trails.

The city posted a warning notice on the cross Friday stating that it must be removed within 72 hours or officials would take it down and place it in storage. No one had removed the fixture by Monday evening.

An official in the coastal city north of San Diego tells the newspaper the cross will be removed because it was erected without a permit, not because of its religious symbolism.

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Information from: The San Diego Union-Tribune, https://www.utsandiego.com