College Area Community Council Annual Report
April 9, 2008

The College Area Community Council (CACC) recently released their Annual Report. Some of the major accomplishments that have taken place in the last year have dealt with nuisance rental properties and working with the City Council, the Development Services Department, City Attorney’s Office and San Diego Police Department in developing and implementing tools to deal with these types of properties.

• Read the CACC’s Annual Report (PDF: 28K)

I commend the members of the CACC for their hard work and dedication to these newly adopted ordinances.

Joe Jones, Chair of the College View Estates Association (CVEA) Beautification Committee, and Marlene Greenstein also a member of the CVEA and the Beautification Committee stand next to one of the more than 120 trees they have worked to plant in their community over the past 15 years. Joe was also recently appointed to the City’s Treed Advisory Board.

The Greening of College View Estates

Cities should have a minimum 40% tree cover; San Diego is way behind with just 13%, according to American Forests, a non-profit conservation group. Urban trees are very important for a community’s well-being. Not only do trees beautify a community, they clean the air, lower energy consumption, reduce storm water run-off, and increase individual property values.

The College View Estates Association is doing something about the San Diego situation. It is fortunate in having its own “Tree People,” Joe Jones and Marlene Greenstein. For the past 18 years they have been encouraging neighbors to plant parkway trees and arranging to have it done at low cost. They have planted over 120 trees in College View Estates since 1990! The goal is to make C.V.E. a canopy neighborhood with a significant number of street trees.

In the CVEA program, homeowners choose the tree they want from a list of trees approved for our narrow parkways. (Many of the original trees and others planted by homeowners are inappropriate for this restricted space.) The City of San Diego provides the trees at no cost, CVEA pays for site preparation and the owner pays $45 for planting and agrees to water the trees.

CVEA tree plantings have evolved and changed. In the first years, neighbors and fraternity members helped with planting and donuts and drinks were served. Now professionals do the planting. Tree preferences have changed as well. For some time Podocarpus and Jacaranda were preferred. Recently neighbors have fallen in love with colorful Crape Myrtles; five of these were planted last year.

For additional information regarding the CVEA Parkway Tree Program call Joe Jones 582-8532. Joe is Councilmember Madafffer’s appointee to the City of San Diego Community Forest Advisory Board and is CVEA Beautification Chairman.

Installation of Streetlights along University Avenue–
Crossroads Redevelopment Project Area

I am pleased to announce funding for two projects along University Avenue in the Crossroads Redevelopment Area–$500,000 for 47 new streetlights and $3 million for sidewalk/landscape improvements. Crossroads was created in 2004 and was amongst controversy in its infancy, but has shown that redevelopment works to benefit the community by improving infrastructure and eliminate blight.

On September 11, 2007, the City Council approved the installation of 47 streetlights along University Avenue. The streetlights were something the community has wanted for many years. With the help of Rolando community member Jody Talbot, City staff worked with the community to complete a study as to where to locate the necessary streetlights. The item passed unanimously at Council and will allow the City to receive up to $500,000 from the Redevelopment Agency for the installation and annual maintenance and electricity for the 47 streetlights. Also approved by City Council was the contribution of $250,000 for the purpose of financing the El Cajon Boulevard median improvements. These improvements would include replacing the utility sleeves installed five years ago at the completion of the Mid-City Pipeline.

"It will be a major improvement to the neighborhood and I hope a decrease in the crime in the area. Many thanks to Jim for his support of Rolando."

–Jody Talbot, Rolando Community Member and Crossroads PAC Member

Additionally on September 25th, 2007, City Council approved Item 331, which provides up to $3 million for improvements for University Avenue sidewalk design, repair, and installation. This project was approved by the Crossroads Project Area Committee and allows the Redevelopment Agency to expand $500,000 for project design this year, followed by up to $2.5 million in construction in the next four years as tax increment funds become available.

BOO! Bash at the Salvation Army Kroc Center

On Wednesday, October 24th, children are invited to celebrate Halloween in a safe, family-friendly environment at the Kroc Center's annual BOO! BASH. The hauntless jaunt promises hours of festive fun including face painting, a pumpkin patch, carnival games, and much, much more! The entire event is free for Kroc Center members, and $2 a person for the general public or $10 per family. The fun starts at 5:30 p.m. in the Performing Arts and Education Buildings at the Kroc Center located at 6605 University Avenue. At 7:30 p.m., guests are invited to Trick or Treat on Ice at the NHL sized rink!

The Paseo and San Diego State University

The news coming off Montezuma Mesa has not been very good as of late with more and more people expressing concern over the long-planned Paseo project. Folks in the College Area have been working on the Paseo project for nearly 18 years and last year President Weber halted the project over a dispute on who should build it: the University or the SDSU Foundation. In response to President Weber's actions, numerous community organizations withdrew their support of the Paseo. The Paseo is a spectacular mixed-use project that will provide relief for traffic and housing issues affecting the community. With planned and desperately needed housing for over 1,300 students, 1,900 parking spaces, retail space, movie theaters, religious space, services and office space for the University, this is a project designed by the SDSU Foundation with the community's interests taken into consideration. With the Paseo project, students won't need to leave campus. And residents will have new amenities conveniently nearby.

As I mentioned, the dispute is really an internal one - between the SDSU Foundation and the President Weber of the University. In an attempt to resolve differences, the President and I formed a Task Force last year to look at options to move forward. The conclusions were simple: the Redevelopment Agency of the City of San Diego announced it would proceed forward and issue an RFP (request for proposals) to find a new builder for the Paseo. The RFP will preserve what the community and Foundation designed over the past 18 years and it will offer the University to participate as well, should it desire. As you'll see from the articles below, things aren't going too well right now at SDSU.

Several recent articles about the Paseo have made the local media. SDSU's Daily Aztec wrote an investigatory piece reaffirming what I and the community have been saying for many months now - and I understand more articles are on the way. See these article links:

• The Daily Aztec, March 9, 2006
• Union Tribune, March 7, 2006
• The Daily Aztec, March 7, 2006

The Salvation Army Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center

This center was made possible by a generous donation from Joan Kroc. The community facility includes an ice-skating rink, skateboard park, playing fields, gym, performing arts center, climbing wall, family enhancement center and swimming pools. There are discounted membership rates for those who live in the 92105, 92114, 92115, 92120, 92182, 91941, 91942, 91945 and 91977 zip codes.

Crossroads Redevelopment

Redevelopment is a tool the City of San Diego can use to bring extra money and economic opportunity into the College and Eastern Areas. Normally, when property owners pay property taxes, only 12% of that comes back to the City. However, under redevelopment 66% of that comes back into the redevelopment area! This money can be used to clean up older, neglected buildings, install landscaped medians and more. Now that the redevelopment area is approved, the Project Area Committee is busy shaping a vision for our major corridors: El Cajon Blvd., University Avenue, College Avenue, 54th Street and Streamview Drive. There is quite a bit of activity taking place within the Crossroads Area, so be sure to get involved so that your voice can be heard. Learn more about the Crossroads Redevelopment Project