Reader Rant: “We Should All Take Notice of What Is Truly Going On in Mission Valley”

San Diego River in Mission Valley and Grantville

By  Carole Thompson

The river in Mission Valley exists even though few San Diegans have really looked at it.

I served on the Mission Valley Community Council for more than five-years and sat through many discussions on the river and Mission Valley as a concerned San Diegan.

More people should take notice of what is going on in Mission Valley before we wind up with a situation much like New Orleans, because the valley is at or below sea level.

In a time with so much attention given to drought why are those in charge so tempted to mess with one of our water sources? Although, much of it is underground the San Diego River is more than 60 miles long and part of the water table. The water table is part of the cycle of water.

Most people in San Diego are aware of the flooding in Mission Valley, but they do not know why the river floods here.

It floods in Mission Valley because they have taken an aquifer and tried to manipulate it by paving over it, tucking it under roads, and small passages on its way to the ocean.

December 23, 2010

Mission Valley is part of the flood plain; however, in the cities’ infinite wisdom they built a fuel tank farm in the path of the aquifer and in the 1980s’ the tanks leaked toxic MTBEs’ into the ground water. And to add to the issue, the city filled the river bed with sand and built the stadium (Jack Murphy) believing that the sand would solve the issue of the flowing water and level the valley.

This has proven to not have worked as the stadium constantly fills with water and the structure is basically floating and cracking apart.

I met a fascinating hydro-geologist (name omitted) in charge of cleaning up the MTBE’s and he explained that they are finding the sand used to fill the valley in the river bed and in the estuary because the sand is being swept out from underneath the stadium.

The water table continues to reclaim the valley.

They keep building and building in Mission Valley – there seems to be no true plan, just develop every parcel of land possible.

It can take 45 minutes to go 7.5 miles on Friars.

We know that Mission Valley is part of the flood plain, but has anyone put thought into the fact that Mission Valley is freeway access only and there would be no way out in the event of a major disaster. That’s right, no way out if the big one happens and El Capitan gives way. I have been told by an expert (name omitted) that the valley will fill once again with water.

Yet another important aspect to the development of Mission Valley is the high concentration of mixed use properties with places such as Civita, Porto Fino, and Escala – there has been no consideration that there will be families with children living in Mission Valley.

I can assure you that Mission Valley is not a plethora of childless adults living in one concentrated area. The lack of attention to this detail is taxing the surrounding areas to educate the children of Mission Valley and how do the children get to school? Their parents are forced to drive them out of the valley to wherever adding more to the already unbearable traffic.

More people should be paying attention of what is going on in Mission Valley.

The people that live in Mission Valley have no place to congregate.

I asked a city official once about a park and I was sent a picture of the fountain at the Promenade and was told that this was a park. (name omitted)

The Mission Valley Community Council took a survey of the residents and surrounding areas years ago and overwhelmingly it was stated that some sort of park was desired in the area of the stadium, not more residences and businesses. We have plenty of this already- just ask those that live here or try to get here what they think of the traffic.

There are several city documents that mention a park for Mission Valley. The Mission Valley Community plan in 1985 mentions a park in or around the vicinity of the Jack Murphy Stadium, the Mission Valley Plan development, and the San Diego General Plan mentions a population based park.

All of these documents mention a park in Mission Valley and there is no park in Mission Valley. Mission Valley until recently had no fire station and the firemen have been living in temporary facilities in the parking lot of the stadium for years. This is how little the city thinks of Mission Valley. One would think that the city has made money on all of the building going on down here, but where did the money go?

The roads are so busted up and dangerous they certainly are not reinvesting it back into the area. The city charter 221 states that the city cannot sell land without a vote on anything over 80 acres, one of the parcels is 82 acres and the other is 84.

There are so many reasons to be concerned about what is going on in Mission Valley. The land under the stadium is on an aquifer and the municipa lwater district should have an interest in the matter, as we are in a drought and the aquifer is part of the water cycle.

We all should take notice of what is truly going on in Mission Valley, but of course this is just one opinion.