At a community meeting tonight in Clairemont tonight, Jan. 28, a proposal will be made that calls for an emergency moratorium on all infill construction projects in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones within the City of San Diego until comprehensive risk assessments and mitigation measures are completed.
Paul Coogan, Secretary of the Community Planning Committee will present the proposal at the Cathy Hopper Clairemont Friendship Center at 4425 Bannock Avenue, San Diego, 92117. The meeting runs from 6:15 to 8:00 p.m.
All community members, stakeholders, and media representatives are encouraged to attend. (Click HERE to Join the Meeting Via Zoom)
The proposal highlights concerns stemming from the recent devastating wildfires in urban areas, such as the Pacific Palisades and Eaton Fires, that demonstrate the extreme danger posed by wildfires in densely populated regions. It also cites longstanding vulnerabilities in San Diego, such as aging infrastructure, limited evacuation routes, and funding gaps in fire prevention measures.
The presentation will emphasize the need for city leadership to address these risks before approving additional development in these Very High Fire Hazard Zones. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about the potential impacts of unchecked development in high-risk zones and engage in discussions about wildfire mitigation strategies.
With wildfires having sprung up across San Diego this past week, including the Gilman and SR 52/I-805 fires that had residents of University City on standby to evacuate, there’s never been a more critical time to speak out about the dangers of more infill development without safe evacuation routes, and the urgency to address the clearance of brush in our canyons, public areas and on private properties.
As Seen in Recent News
The above meeting follows on the heels of press coverage about wildfires proving far more deadly in dense urban areas where traffic grids are limited and evacuation is more difficult. This is particularly the case in south UC, which relies on Governor Drive as the only east-west arterial, and with the Pure Water Project taking up vital lanes on Genesee Avenue. You can view these commentaries below:
Opinion: After L.A. disaster, city must rethink its risky plan for UTC — The San Diego Union-Tribune, January 21, 2025
After L.A. disaster, city must rethink its risky plan for UTC — OB Rag, January 21, 2025
Opinion: San Diego Taking Big Risks with High-Density Housing in Fire Zones — Times of San Diego, January 25, 2025
From 1974 to 1998, the County of San Diego employed me as an “Environmental Management Specialist” to evaluate the impact of housing projects in the rural unincorporated lands of San Diego County. Now you would think I spent days, weeks, months, and years working with the Sierra Club, Archaeology Society, Native Plant Society, and Center for Biological Diversity to protect forests, Endangered Species, prehistoric Native American sites, and old farm buildings from all the bulldozing and now housing construction, right? Actually, we were fighting the elected County Supervisors, the Building Industry Association, all sorts of land developers, and a whole raft of lobbyists to try and keep housing far away from forests and native plants. And we were fighting the water agencies, who cranked out letters guarnateeing water service they really could not guarantee would be there during a crisis. And don’t forget all the fire agencies who also cranked out service letters with never really calculating the water delivery or fire fighting facilities in those rural lands. And now they are in a pickle having facilitsted tens of thousands of new homes, shopping centers, and fuel stations all surrounded by forests and dry Chaparral. Because back in the 1970s-1990s, the Bouard of Supervisors NEVER said no to new housing. Now is time to pay the piper. .