Miracles Cafe, a rustic seaside coffeehouse in coastal North County, has a foreboding tagline on its website: “It’s a miracle we’re still here.” Unfortunately, they might not be for long. While the cafe has been independently owned by German emigre, Brigitte Menges for the past 14 years, its funky charm is threatened by a development project that plans to put a two story office building with a two level underground parking garage in its place.

Such a move would radically alter the laid back feel of surfer-town Cardiff-by-the-Sea as well as threaten small locally owned businesses throughout the area. Already corporate owned Starbucks Cafe, which moved into Cardiff in 2002, has taken away much of Miracles’ business. For the remaining loyal customers, however, the demoliton of Miracles to replace it with a two story office complex would mean the end of an era of sunny Sunday mornings on the patio with live jazz and casual conversation. It would mean the end of Tuesday’s open-mic night where local musicians and poets meet weekly to share their newest inspirations and muses. Frankly, the end of Miracles Cafe would mean the end of Cardiff-by-the-Sea’s unique personality and heritage in exchage for an “Orange Countified” model of suburban development.

You can voice your concerns about the development proposal at tomorrow night’s Encinitas city hall meeting beginning at 6 p.m. (the city site says in one place that the meeting begins at 6 and another, 7) Driving directions are available in PDF format or alternatively you could use Mapquest.

Update: You can also voice your opposition and/or concerns quickly on an online petition that has just been created.