Hillcrest’s Most Popular Website with Oodles of Urban San Diego Information

“Fairewinds' concern is that operating the San Onofre reactors at a lower power and flow rate might actually create a resonate frequency within the steam generators at which some tubes will vibrate as bad or worse.”

— from a report questioning San Onofre restart plan

 

An open letter from Kevin Swanson (to the Park & Rec Board and the Historic Resources Board)

Why the Jacobs-Sanders Plaza de Panama project should not be approved

The $40 million investment in a bypass road, Alcazar meadow parking lot reconfiguring, additional roadway through the Park and underground parking garage has a poor return for the Public.

a. A shuttle system could be implemented around the exterior of the Park at a cost of approximately $15,000/week = $780,000 per year connecting exterior lots and drop-off points with the Community, Santa Fe Depot, and the Trolley System. Cost is based upon published UT San Diego article on the proposed Bayfront shuttle for San Diego’s “front porch.” At $1 million a year, the $40 million proposed cost would provide for 40 years of free shuttles that enable the public to visit Balboa Park while reducing traffic, Green House Gases, and negative impacts on the surrounding neighborhoods.

b. An internal public light electric vehicle system, such as outlined at www.SanDiego2015.com, could be implemented internal to Balboa Park. Investment requirement for the City could be $0 if Balboa Park were to be marketed as a Sustainability Showcase Destination and vehicles designed to operate within the controlled environment of Balboa Park were built and implemented on a public/private partnership with transportation and technology companies.

c. The National Historic Landmark District designation and protection for the Historic Core of Balboa Park is endangered by the project. (here's another link.)

d. The project does nothing to restore the Alcazar Meadow, the Water Building, the California Gardens, and other features of the 1915 and 1935 Expositions to the National Historic Landmark District, and actually encourages the destruction of the District by introducing a bypass bridge, road, and parking garage as non-compatible features.

e. The project encourages the growth of traffic through the surrounding neighborhoods and the Park from the present-day 7,000 to over 12,000 Average Daily Trips. As historical data shows, the present-day 7000 ADT is above the projections made in prior years.

f. The Balboa Park Master Plan is outdated and needs to be revised based upon economic, social, and environmental changes – as well as technology changes.

g. Their plan area negatively impacts pedestrian flow between the International Cottages & Organ Pavilion Promenade.

h. The $40 million investment returns only an addition of 273 parking spaces, of which 100 will be leased to a private valet company, resulting in a net gain of 173 parking spaces in a paid parking garage that requires removal of over 140,000 cubic yards of earth.

i. Application of 140,000 cubic yards of earth to the Arizona Landfill negatively impacts any potential environmental remediation of that site. The site, a capped landfill that is not contained, continues to leach into the Balboa Park aquifer and surrounding environment.

j. The project irrevocably (without any way to change back) the characteristics and nature of Balboa Park without benefitting future generations.

This project does nothing to enhance the visitor experience to Balboa Park and actually detracts from it overall. The Plaza de Panama Committee appears to be self-serving for the Hotel/Motel Tourism Industry, The Prado Restaurant and Japanese Tea Garden Concessionaire, The Museums leasing Public buildings and select private industry interests.

This project does not project Innovation and Sustainability as a message to the World and will paint San Diego as a backward city with nice weather. It initiates a destructive trend toward the future of Balboa Park. I urge you to not support moving this project forward. Thank you.