Point Loma Marketplace (Fresh & Easy shopping center) Up for 3-Year Review
From Next Door Sunset Cliffs
The Peninsula Community Planning Board has notified residents that a Project Review Board meeting on Tuesday, August 13 will discuss a 3 year extension request for the plan approved by City Planning 3 years ago to construct Phase Two of the Point Loma Marketplace.
Specifically:
“This item (request for a time extension on the approved project) will be heard at the next PCPB Project Review Committee meeting on 8/13/13 at 1:30pm at the Pt. Loma Library. The agenda for this meeting should be posted by now at pcpb.net.
The item is also scheduled for the next PCPB meeting on [Thursday] 8/15/13 at 6:30pm at the Pt. Loma Library. If you know of any neighbors who are interested in this project, please spread the word.
Phase Two includes:
- tearing down the real estate office,
- constructing a 3 unit retail building across from Peet’s Coffee,
- Cup-o-Yo, and Subway at the corner of Catalina and Talbot, and
- replacing the two story office building at Talbot and Cañon with a 3 unit retail building.
- Parking spaces will be reduced in width to approach (but not meet) the required number of spaces for the number of businesses.
- The 2 entrances to the shopping area will remain the same, severely disrupting current business access during demolition and construction, and creating pedestrian hazards afterwards.
Here are some comments on Next Door Sunset Cliffs by those requesting disapproval rather than routine renewal of Phase 2 construction approval:
- The current development of stores and businesses in the Point Loma Marketplace has been welcome. Further development would pack too much into a small lot within a residential district, and negatively impact safety, businesses and the surrounding neighborhood.
- Original approval by the City was with significant waivers and with some items that still don’t meet City requirements:
- Parking in the routinely filled lot will be reduced 15% due to the footprint of a new retail building.
- Phase 2 will shrink existing parking spaces to the minimum width allowed by the City.
- The plan approval relied on public parking spaces in the Fresh & Easy store loading docks area.
- Visibility is restricted at the corner of Talbot and Catalina due to out-of-specification setback.
- Walls rather than storefronts will face the neighborhood, and entrances are not pedestrian friendly, both of which violate the Point Loma Community Plan guidelines.
hat tip: Jeff Fischbeck
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Point Loma really deserves something better than this Tijuana style mini-mall. I have no complaint about the tenants but the architecture is right out of Clairemont. The Rosecrans area is exhibits far more cultural sensitivity, with natural materials, awnings, woods, and stone. This place is a stucco and neon mistake.
Several weeks ago I received an email from “Fresh and Easy” saying that even if they closed down a new market would take its place. Since I have lived in the area it has been at least 4 – maybe 5 – markets. If it is unable to keep customers and has to close down what would this new “mall” become? The area is a residential area for the most part. I’d hate to see a “strip mall” put on this piece of property.
That mall needs redevelopment. I worked on the Pt for a long time and that was the only near by place to spend money. It is nice that a Peet’s is there now. A nice breakfast/lunch establishment would probably work with all the Military and DOD so close.
The comments above are also valid but they sure don’t seem like a show stopper. Good planning and engineering should be able to solve them and make the majority of residents happy. I would love to see the plan.
Thanks for the update the corner is long overdue
Cars leaving the base in the afternoon speed through the right turn lane, along Catalina, where they should turn right on Talbot, and continue along Catalina. Very hazardous as they blow through turn lane and continue straight.
Could Catalina support diagonal parking behind Fresh&Easy? That would seem to ease the parking crunch for Subway and Peets while improving safety at the intersection at Catalina and Talbot (a very short turn pocket, maybe even a turn island). Most cars wishing to go down Talbot from northbound Catalina would take the Canon fork anyway.
Backs of new stores on Talbot side need a creative (lots of tall landscaping?) solution.
Driveways do need more thinking and/reconfiguration.