Normal Heights Community Planning Group Chairman Paul Coogan
There’s a movement afoot to have the San Diego County Grand Jury investigate the city of San Diego’s planning process, and it just recently picked up support from the La Jolla Community Planning Association.
The idea for such an investigation started with a complaint from the Community Planners Committee, which meets monthly and is composed of the leaders of community planning groups across the city. (OB Planning Board head Andrea Schlageter chairs the CPC.)
CPC has asked the planning groups to “endorse a request for an investigation of the San Diego city Planning Department, Development Services Department and reporting structures that have led to improper project classifications, improper legislation of municipal code and non-compliant communications.”
At their May 2 meeting, the La Jolla Community Planning Association gave its unanimous support to the proposed investigation.
The proposal was brought to the La Jolla planners by Normal Heights Community Planning Group Chairman Paul Coogan. Coogan chairs the ad-hoc committee that has been looking into the issue of city planning.
Coogan told La Jolla that the city’s Planning and Development Services departments are the main focus “because that really sets the tone for what we build, where and how that impacts the community. The city of San Diego oversees planning and development on behalf of its citizens, and civic leadership has a duty to its residents,” Coogan said.
In Normal Heights, Coogan said, he has seen improper classifications on at least one prominent project. “It didn’t qualify for the program that was being applied for,” he said. “When we pointed that out, we were given a lot of shuffling of the facts.”
“That meant a lot of time and money that was wasted,” he said, and he accused the departments of favoring developers when disagreements arise. If the Planning Department and DSD were to coordinate better with CPGs [community planning groups], we could get more efficiencies and less waste,” Coogan said.
Any non-criminal investigation can be conducted by a San Diego County grand jury. Previous grand jury investigations have looked into public restrooms in downtown San Diego, street paving, and governance of San Diego Bay and tidal lands. A grand jury in such cases typically looks into local complaints and makes recommendations.
Coogan said that once more support is gathered for the investigation, the Community Planners Committee will vote on whether to send a formal request. He noted that the grand jury might not take up the investigation.
Reported by La Jolla Light:
Other News from LJCPA-
Planning group recognition: Bubbins said the San Diego City Council is expected to vote Tuesday, May 21, on which of La Jolla’s competing community planning groups will receive city recognition. Both LJCPA and the new La Jolla Community Planning Group are seeking to be the official local advisory body on land-use issues.
The council’s Land Use & Housing Committee voted 4-0 on March 21 to recommend to the full council that LJCPA retain its status as the recognized planning group. The vote came on a motion by City Councilman Joe LaCava, a La Jolla resident and former LJCPA board member, leading the La Jolla Community Planning Group to question his objectivity.
The day before the vote, LJCPG filed a complaint with the city Planning Department alleging that LJCPA board members were told to fabricate demographic data on the association’s application. It asked that LJCPA’s application be disqualified and that LaCava recuse himself from future decisions in the recognition process.
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Excellent idea, needed now more than ever.
Long overdue! North Park’s 30th. Street had a complete re-configuration, that went against the North Park Community Plan, the City of San Diego Master Plan, and somehow slid by a CEQA (State of California Environmental Quality Act), and an inefficient EIR the City Mobility Dept., claimed was done, but they don’t have any stats on how many cars vs how many cyclists traveled on 30th. St. from Adams Ave., to Juniper done prior to the removal of 452 parking spaces, causing drivers to circle the residential blocks repeatedly looking for an empty parking space. Consequently the City Climate Action Plan, the Mobility Dept., and no one else knows any “before” stats to compare to “after” stats. To see if the air quality increased or decreased with the now daily congestion, since a traffic lane and a center lane was eliminated. Common sense tells most people when the now congestion stacks up cars idling, and circling of course there will be much worse air quality than “before” this mayor did this to North Park. The so silly it’s laughable, is the fact the mayor has instructed SDPD to start ticketing vendors/suppliers parked in the very little used bike lanes. Where oh where does the mayor suggest they park in the traffic lanes somewhere???? WHERE specifically? No common sense, and catering to the special interest bike group. The parking on 30th. could and should have been left for the businesses, and the cyclists could have ridden on Utah, in the existing bike lanes, where there are no businesses. SD needs a new mayor that has real world experience, common sense, and life experiences too, to get the crazy train back on track in SD.
Time to go back to a Charter City?!!
Strong Mayor (General Law) has obviously failed
But maybe increasing the sales tax by 1% will pay for the infrastructure and pension costs we citizens are stuck with. CA dreaming I know
San Diego is a charter city.
And don’t fret, the Toad Gloria is already working on that sales tax increase.
My bad kh! My point was related to SB 9 that was recently ruled unconstitutional in LA Superior Court, for the 5 Charter Cities that filed suit. While CA may appeal, it doesn’t look good. It has opened the door for the rest of CA Charter Cities to benefit also, ie San Diego!
Re TG, and the strong Mayor form of governance, an oxymoron I think.
I believe that is worth a challenge! Not that SER is
Re KM, she recused herself on the recent PC vote on the MEGA project, aka All Peoples Church, in Del Cerro because she lives here. Did she recuse on the above ref’d project in GHill? Probably.
BTW, we have a CC project here in Del Cerro in the process. 5 stories abutting 7 one story homes. Our CM says his hands are tied. Falconer even had a fundraiser across the street at KnB the other night.
Cheers!
I’m really happy to hear that these policies re: high density; limited parking etc are being questioned and even possibly investigated. ??
I live in Golden Hill, specifically in an area that has been reviewed and had a hearing scheduled in 2019 to be designated as an Historic District.
The pandemic stalled out the final step.
In the meantime, we’ve been cursed with a “COMPLETE COMMUNITIES “ 9 STORY, 91 UNIT project that design wise, would fit right in at San Diego City College. It was granted an exemption from a Planning Committee review or any community input.
Here’s the twist…. After a lot of research , it was discovered that the DEVELOPER is KELLY MODEN @cREate Development.
KELLY MODEN just happens to be the VICE CHAIR of the SAN DIEGO PLANNING COMMISSION.
I’ve said many times that MARTHA STEWART went to prison for that! They called it “INSIDER TRADING” at the time.
Does anyone else feel like it’s a blatant conflict of interest for the Vice Chair of the Planning Commission to play both sides by benefiting from this policy as a DEVELOPER?
Kelly Moden
Vice Chair Of The San Diego Planning Commission.
Appointed by Todd Gloria
Correct. She says she was on the commission during Faulconers term and then appointed to vice chair by Gloria in 2020.