Traffic Improvements in Tierrasanta
April 15, 2008

My office consistently works with the Mayor's Office to make improvements to our neighborhoods through better traffic engineering. We have completed enhancements in many areas, including speed limit management, new and updated signage, striping and parking management.

Please view the memo (PDF: 22K) outlining the most recent improvements in the community of Tierrasanta.

Fire Prevention

Tierrasanta, as are other communities in San Diego, is vulnerable to the dangers of a wild fire, as the Cedar Fire and the Witch Creek Fire demonstrated. Tierrasanta residents are very aware of this danger. In January of 2008, several residents of the Tierrasanta Norte area asked for help with brush abatement in a canyon area behind Tierrasanta Community Park. Realizing the need to be ever vigilant, Council President Pro Tem Madaffer sent a memo requesting that the City of San Diego remove the brush and other vegetation before it could become fuel for a wild fire in the upcoming fire season. The City of San Diego has included this area on the list of open space areas to be cleared, and it is anticipated to be cleared later this summer. Read the City's letter of response (PDF: 216K).

Antigua Boulevard Medians

The Antigua Boulevard medians have been installed for some time now, and they prove to be functional as well as attractive. The medians, which include a section in front of Kumeyaay Elementary School, help increase traffic safety in an area that is challenging for students walking to school and students who are being driven to school. As part of our overall neighborhood improvement and beautification program, the medians are landscaped with plants and flowers to enhance their appearance. The City of San Diego delayed scheduling street repairs until after the medians were installed. The goal was to avoid having newly repaired streets torn up by the median project and to keep disruptions to the community at a minimum. Street repairs on Antiqua Boulevard from Clairemont Mesa Boulevard to Via Valarta have been completed.

De Portola Comfort Station

The De Portola Comfort Station has been a success all the way around. The comfort station is an incredible amenity for the entire community since it provides public restrooms, storage for the Little League teams as well as De Portola Middle School, and a snack stand. The school uses it, young athletes and their parents use it, and residents of the community use it too. For years the community listed it as a goal, and Council President Pro Tem made it his priority. The City of San Diego built this much-anticipated facility as a joint-use project with the San Diego Unified School District. The community turned out for a ribbon cutting ceremony on November 30, 2006 when the De Portola Comfort Station officially opened.

Vista Grande Elementary School

Students continue to enjoy the grass ball fields at Vista Grande Elementary School. The old gravel playground is now a distant memory. Three acres of new sports turf, trees, infield, and a sports track have transformed this area over the past two years. Our thanks to the Tierrasanta Recreation Council, Vista Grande Elementary School, and San Diego Unified School District who were our partners in this project.

Tierrasanta Logo Wear

The Tierrasanta Community Council is offering a variety of items with the community's distinctive island in the hills logo. They include T-shirts ($12), hats ($15-$20), vehicle license plate frames ($5), visors ($12) and decals ($1). All proceeds go back to the community. For more information or to purchase logo items please visit the Tierrasanta Community Council web site.

Military Housing in Tierrasanta

I certainly support the concept of affordable housing and want affordable housing for our military. I support the construction of affordable housing both North and South of the Highway 8. That said, I do not agree with the site the Department of Defense selected north of Highway 52 near Santo Road as the location for a new 1,600 unit military housing development. I believe this is not a good choice for several reasons: it is poor land use planning, there are environmental concerns, the negative impact on the infrastructure in Tierrasanta, the impact on local schools and the loss of Open Space land that I want to see become part of Mission Trails Regional Park. I have met with concerned community leaders in Tierrasanta as well as Congressman Duncan Hunter to discuss the impact this development will have on Tierrasanta. We take this matter very seriously.

One of the most significant concerns is the impacts to Tierrasanta elementary and middle schools. The project includes land to build new elementary schools but there is no funding set aside by the Department of Defense or the San Diego Unified School District to build these new schools. Therefore, additional students from the military housing development will be absorbed in the existing Tierrasanta schools by adding trailers on site. I believe this is unacceptable. I've had discussions with school board member Katherine Nakamura and Congressman Hunter to try to find the millions of dollars needed to construct the new schools for the thousands of students that will be moving to Tierrasanta as part of this project. There is no way we should accept this project without the federal government paying for the schools.

The open space and environmental issues are also significant. The current proposed site may trigger countless edge effects that could degrade important habitat for many endangered species. That means that with this one development the entire edge along Highway 52 and I-15 could eventually become spread out and built upon. This project could also pave the way for future expansion and development north of Highway 52 on East Miramar land.

Other issues include traffic - the projections used by the military consultants are way off and unless the project includes a new interchange at Hwy 52 and an internal circulation road from the housing area directly to the base, I will vigorously oppose it.

I will continue working closely with the military and all participating parties including the community of Tierrasanta.

Tree Plantings

Councilmember Madaffer has allocated funds to plant hundreds of trees within District 7. The Urban Corps of San Diego is the contractor for this program. For free tree planting in your neighborhood, please contact the following.

Ryan Celbuski
Urban Corps of San Diego
Community Forestry Coordinator
(619) 235-6884