By Jan Zverina, 20-Year Resident of University City
Dear Mayor Gloria:
Allow me to begin with the opening statement in the City of San Diego’s latest University Community Plan Update Program Environmental Impact Report (PEIR), which is a blunt contradiction to the City’s stated intent to foster “an inclusive and constructive dialog” with University City residents regarding future plans for our community:
“In response to comments received during public review, minor revisions and clarifications have been made to the document which do not change the conclusions of the Draft Program Environmental Impact Report (PEIR) regarding the project’s potential environmental impacts and required mitigation.
As defined in CEQA Guidelines Section 15088.5, minor revisions and clarifications to the document – which are shown in underline format – do not represent “significant new information” and, therefore, recirculation of the Draft PEIR is not warranted. No new significant environmental impacts would occur from these modifications, and similarly, no substantial increase in the severity of environmental impacts would occur.”
As a long-time University City resident and elected officer of two Homeowner Associations covering 175 residential units at the intersection of Genesee Avenue and Decoro Street, this quote summarizes a complete lack of due diligence on the City’s part.
Moreover, the vast majority of our residents are stunned by the City’s unwillingness to productively engage with UC homeowners to reach an equitable compromise that balances growth rates in our neighborhood, which is already struggling to adequately handle significant increases in population density with an infrastructure where all residents, including families, can grow and thrive.
Now we have the “final” EIR, which at more than 2,100 pages and published with shortened response deadlines so residents are unable to properly digest it, appears to be the last word despite city representatives, including Zach Burton from Councilmember Kent Lee’s office, repeatedly asking residents to foster “an inclusive and constructive dialog” with the City while addressing homeowners at University City Community Association (UCCA) meetings.
With this communication, we are again going on public record to express our key concerns about the City’s latest EIR that have not been adequately addressed in its latest version of this report – let alone acknowledged or discussed in an “inclusive and constructive” manner:
Governor Drive Lane Reductions: The City acknowledged at a meeting in early April that, while traffic “models” were done for the draft EIR plan, they were not done for the high-density alternatives included in the EIR. Moreover, there was no new traffic count or specific study of Governor Drive regarding what the City now promotes as “complete streets.” Governor Drive should not be reduced to two lanes without a current and legally valid Traffic Study with a full analysis – one that will ensure the safety of cyclists and pedestrians while minimizing vehicular traffic gridlock.
Emergency Ingress/Egress Issues: Related to the Governor Drive lane reductions and combined with substantially higher density allowances, the latest EIR ignores the reality of the impact it will have on emergency vehicles getting through in time, or worse yet, if residents needed to evacuate in the event of a disaster in an area that already is in a very high-risk fire hazard zone, as well as in close proximity to MCAS. Again, the City is under legal obligation to conduct a current and legally valid Traffic Study with a full VMT analysis along the Governor Drive corridor.
High-Rise Apartments Planned for Genesee and Nobel Drive: It is our understanding that Willmark Communities is seeking permission to build three high-rise towers comprising 1,315 “luxury” apartments on the southwest corner of Nobel and Genesee, replacing a 108-unit two-story affordable apartment complex. This is yet another example of the City defaulting on its promise to add more affordable housing, while such a project will surely displace current residents and add to traffic gridlock on Genesee Avenue, particularly during rush hours and when parents are attempting pick up/drop off their children at area schools.
Increased Height & Density Allowances at Vons, Sprouts Shopping Centers: The planned sharp increase in overall housing density allowances is now coupled with the “final” EIR which confirms that the City has again ignored UC community residents’ requests and raised the allowable structure heights of the Vons shopping plaza on Governor Drive/Genesee to 100 feet (10 story), with residential units added to those areas. There is no way this will not further impact all kinds of mobility along Governor Drive and onto Genesee Avenue, as well as toward I-805 to the east and Regents Road toward the west, where a similar program is planned for the Sprouts shopping plaza. Moreover, the Sprouts center is NOT an existing Transit Priority Area (TPA) — buses do not stop there frequently and it is not close to the trolley nor an existing TPA.
Planning Deficiencies in Parks: Under the City’s ‘Master Plan’, the UC area is already short on publicly accessible parks – not “greenways” or some other term that, in reality, is not a park, or in a land-use area that does not allow residential use. It is also our understanding that developers can now pay a one-time, in-lieu fee to avoid providing such amenities as small recreational areas in their residential complexes. The City has fallen short in this key area while allowing developers to buy their way out of providing more green spaces or publicly accessible recreation areas.
In summary, the EIR and the City’s “vision” of UC’s future ignores even somewhat affordable housing, disregards existing residents’ input, and intentionally erodes single-family neighborhoods.
Well-executed city planning initiatives call for plans that balance growth rates with an infrastructure where residents, including families, can grow and thrive. Most of all, responsible municipal growth always includes residents’ input in decision-making, and we now look forward to the November elections to help ensure such a future.
Sincerely,
Jan Zverina, Resident of University City
Just FYI – ‘VMT’ in this case means ‘Vehicle Miles Traveled’.
Jan Zverina’s letter is a powerful statement of the issues the City of San Diego is ignoring by cramming a major portion of the density into University City. North University City is already one of the densest areas of San Diego outside of downtown, with traffic congestion, lack of parks, and emergency evacuation issues today. In addition, value of the multi-billion-dollar investment in the extension of the trolley system to UCSD is compromised when density is not spread among the 62 trolley stops in the system. The arrogance of city officials to try to cram this plan update through while ignoring the good work of the University City Planning Group and the hundreds of letters, testimony to the Planning Commission, Land Use & Housing Committee and now the San Diego City Council says we need change. Remember that in November.