Wednesday,
April 9,
2008
2008
What is the future for light rail in Hillcrest?
Dozens attended last night’s Hillcrest Town Council meeting at the Joyce Beers Community Center. Three reps of SANDAG (SD Area of Governments) and MTS (Metropolitan Transit System) shared info re: the history of transportation thru Hillcrest and how MTS determines routing and fees. Dave Schumacher, SANDAG Planner, said the last community input was in 1995.
Litter Committee chair Tim Gahagan announced this Saturday’s community clean-up. Meet in front of the Egyptian (just south of University on Park Blvd) at 9am. Brooms, bags and gloves will be provided. A dumpster, provided by Councilmember Toni Atkins will be located across the street at Numbers beginning at 7am for neighbors to drop off large items. Leo Wilson reported that there are efforts to expand the over-sized vehicle ordinance to encompass the Uptown area. Juli Peters-Hyde introduced Marston Hills resident Ernie Villafranco who gave a report on zoo construction work that is creating a disturbance in the neighborhood. A motion was passed to bring the issue to the Uptown Planners and the Balboa Park Committee. All agreed that we are a voice, and that the concerns of our neighbors need to be addressed and supported by the council. The HTC meets every second Tuesday of each month.
Tuesday,
April 8,
2008
2008
On Thursday, April 24th the Historic Resources Board (HRB) will decide whether to designate eight potentially historic properties on Fifth, Sixth and Thorn in Bankers Hill. If the Historic Review Board does not designate, all of the structures will likely be demolished to make room for a proposed high-rise development. Historic reports have been prepared for each building, and they’ve been recommended for historic designation. However, because of the supra-majority vote requirement of the HRB, it often only takes one negative vote to prevent designation — and permit demolition.
Please attend this meeting if you are able. The threatened properties are 2900 Sixth, 2901 Fifth, 2950 Sixth, 3330 Sixth, 3340 Sixth, 504 Thorn, 516-522 Thorn and 540 Thorn Street.
Monday,
April 7,
2008
2008
— SEC charges against five former San Diego officials
Sunday,
April 6,
2008
2008
— Former congressman (and Hartley
ally) Jim Bates re: John’s sticky situation
Saturday,
April 5,
2008
2008
there goes our history again...
An open letter to preservationists,
Please be aware that the Kensington Talmadge Community Association, a social group and legal owner of the Kensington sign which hangs over Adams Avenue, has applied in the past week for a demolition permit for the community sign that hangs over Adams Avenue. About one week prior to the application Celia Conover, a resident and member of Heart of Kensington, submitted an historic nomination for the sign to the Historical Resources Board. The sign has been hanging over Kensington for 54 years, since the Christmas of 1954.
Unfortunately, the KTCA has chosen to stop maintenance on the sign, so now there is not only no SIN in Kensington, there is no SINGTON, either. Some think they are going for demolition by neglect, in case all else to sway the public fails. Most other older communities with the neon banners have chosen to refurbish or restore their signs (like Hillcrest). In the last year, the KTCA chose instead to circulate in the community a ballot with two designs for a new sign, with no mention of the age of the sign or that it was a potential historical resource. At the same time, they also raised $40,000 from within the community for the new sign.
It was only after a member of the KTCA made a presentation at the Kensington Talmadge Planning Group that Celia became aware of the plans to demolish the old sign and took action to save it. If you would like to help save the Kensington sign, contact the folks at the Heart of Kensington.
Friday,
April 4,
2008
2008
— Mayor Jerry Sanders to the Hillcrest
Town Council at their February meeting
City Planning Commission stonewalls Interim Height Ordinance
Is Mayor Jerry Sanders running the City of San Diego? At the February 12th meeting of the Hillcrest Town Council, Mayor Sanders expressly stated his support for the proposed Interim Height Ordinance (IHO), which would apply to Hillcrest during the update of the Uptown Community Plan.
However, the Mayor’s planning staff flip-flopped at yesterday morning’s meeting of the City Planning Commission. What took place Thursday was a-not-too-subtly-staged attempt to stonewall the adoption of the IHO. It was announced at the start the hearing on the IHO (at about 11:30am) that one commissioner had to leave at noon and would not be returning. This would deprive the Planning Commission of a quorum — and the Planning Commissioner requested the item be continued a week. Abruptly, the Assistant Director of Planning from the Mayor’s office stated that her office needed a four-week continuance. The justification for the delay was a memorandum submitted by 301 University developer Bruce Leidenberger. It questioned the City staff’s determination about the effect of a height limitation on density. The density issue had been brought up and fully discussed at prior meetings, so was not new. It certainly does not merit a four-week delay.
On March 12th, the Land Use & Housing Subcommittee of the City Council had voted 3-0 to support the IHO, and requested it be immediately placed on the City Council docket. This motion was now, in effect, overridden by the advisory Planning Commission; this says a lot about the power and influence of our present City Council. After yesterday’s meeting, Planning Director Bill Anderson indicated that the IHO could not go to City Council until after the Planning Commission made a recommendation. Why then did the Mayor’s office request such a long continuance? This clearly violates the intent of the Land Use & Housing Subcommittee motion.
Early last week, a member of the IHO Task Force was informed by a reliable source that the Mayor’s office had promised to delay the adoption of the IHO until a new 110-foot tall project planned for the site of the Corvette Diner and Kemo Sabe had completed the application process (and be exempt from the ordinance). The project filed its initial application several days later. Was the source correct?
Mayor Sanders enjoys a lot of goodwill in Uptown. It may be about to evaporate with this major flip-flop. What took place today was a staged event and an insult to the Hillcrest and the Uptown community. The Mayor needs to assure us that he is the one in charge in San Diego, not his staff, and that Uptown can rely on his words and promises.
— Leo Wilson, Uptown Planners
Chair
we heard it through
the grapevine...
...that Toni is not pleased about the delay that resulted from yesterday’s Planning Commission meeting. Her office is in communication with Planning staff to try to expedite a Council hearing within the parameters of the City’s Muni-code. At the very least, Bill Anderson has agreed to try to bring the Interim Height Ordinance back to Planning Commission sooner than the May 8th date. She is hoping to move quicker, but will need to wait on some legal answers. Amy Benjamin, Toni’s representative for Hillcrest hopes to have more information to share at the Hillcrest Town Council on Tuesday.
...that Toni is not pleased about the delay that resulted from yesterday’s Planning Commission meeting. Her office is in communication with Planning staff to try to expedite a Council hearing within the parameters of the City’s Muni-code. At the very least, Bill Anderson has agreed to try to bring the Interim Height Ordinance back to Planning Commission sooner than the May 8th date. She is hoping to move quicker, but will need to wait on some legal answers. Amy Benjamin, Toni’s representative for Hillcrest hopes to have more information to share at the Hillcrest Town Council on Tuesday.
Thursday,
April 3,
2008
2008
— One of several former staffers
who describe the city council candidate as erratic
Wednesday,
April 2,
2008
2008
The
new board of the Uptown Planners met last evening at the Joyce Beers
Community Center. New officers were elected (Chair Leo Wilson, Vice
Chair Janet O’Dea, Secretary Andrew Towne and Treasurer Roy Dahl).
The first issue focused on Olive & Third land that was given to the
city in 1909 for use as a park, but for years has been privately used
by a local doctor. Descendants of the donor couple spoke passionately
about returning the land to public use. Other agenda items included a
city presentation about Mission Hills sewer lines, a development at
Fifth & Thorn and preservation of an historic home on Falcon Street.
Tuesday,
April 1,
2008
2008
A new Balboa Park West Advisory Group is being organized which will provide an open and transparent forum to facilitate dialogue between Hillcrest and Bankers Hill residents and officials regarding neighborhood/park interface issues. The group will advise the Balboa Park Committee on concerns that impact the park along Sixth Avenue and west of Highway 163, referred to in the park planning documents as the West Mesa.
There is an increased
utilization of Balboa Park given the region’s population growth. More
events and activities in the park require decisions on the best way to
use this finite resource in a manner that benefits all park users.
Decisions are made based on the capacity of the park infrastructure,
the interests of the public as a whole and the effect the proposed
usage or activity has on the grounds and the adjacent community. This
group will serve to advise on these issues and more. As advisors to the Balboa Park Committee, the group will be subject to the City of San Diego’s procedures; therefore all meetings will be noticed, topics discussed will be limited to agenda items and minutes will be taken then made available to all. It is expected that a process for electing an Advisory Group Board will be determined in the near future.
Topics for discussion will include special event permitting, public safety needs, infrastructure, transient assistance, noise, future planning efforts, park maintenance & beautification and a park/neighborhood interface.
The first meeting of the Park West Advisory Group will be this Wednesday, April 2nd at 6pm in the Redwood Bridge Club, 3111 Sixth Avenue in the park.
