By Lynne Miller
We are not alone! We are in fact, quite a herd! Until the May 1 meeting I felt the local residents were powerless in the face of new ‘solutions’ like Complete Communities, ADUs, and the runaway Bonus ADU program.
I was wrong!
I listened to people speak who represented neighborhoods all over San Diego. More importantly the Planning Commission (who are all seated/appointed by the Mayor and City Council) listened! Finally, San Diego voices were heard! A little late? Sure! But I was so thankful and impressed with the San Diego voices, which repeated in unique presentations saying: “Stop the Bonus ADU Program, at least change it. This commission and the Mayor and city council are ruining neighborhoods all over San Diego.”
I hope you had a chance to attend in person or on Zoom the May 1 Planning Commission Hearing! No better show is streaming on Netflix! You can watch it now if you missed it. (click on “video archives of meetings”.)
Many accounts of the colorful and brilliant MAY 1 presentations are already posted on the OB RAG — including today’s post by Kate. There is a lot to read and process. I applaud people all over the city who have been standing alone against the lawlessness of the San Diego officials who have waived Zoning, Coastal Zone, and Environmental Impact Laws, including Climate Change laws.
It was not easy for individual commission members to speak up for their constituents, but they did! Thanks to Mr. Marlborough and Mr. Miyahara for having the courage to listen and hear the speakers at the meeting. Thank you for the thoughtful questions and requests to rewrite portions of the draft of ADU amendments.
I noticed, as I watched from my home office, the careful, subtle support that was extended to the people of San Diego. I felt it was painful for the seated members to say anything in opposition to the recommendations of the staff. I also witnessed the pressure from ‘staff’ and some seated members encouraging lockstep approval of the recommendations. Why? Words like homeless, equity, high density, and affordable, while important, can discourage discussion and creative thinking.
Who is pushing this new San Diego? Who are the people ‘writing’ the laws and amending them?
As I was preparing for the May 1 meeting, I tried to get the draft of the amended changes, simple right? Not so much! My first and second emails to our Councilmember Jen Campbell were answered politely with a standard form letter that gave me links to explore answers to my questions. However, my third response from one of the admin assistants was borderline insulting. To be fair, my third email to the assistant was not without sarcasm. But this is the essence of the email I received:
paraphrased – We don’t have the draft, the Planning Commission (who is a board seated by Mayor and City Council) are waiting for ‘staff’ to present to them the changes in ADU laws that they recommend.
This staff is a group of volunteers. It appears that these nameless volunteers are way more powerful than local residents. They are writing laws and sending them to Planning. WHO ARE THEY? WHO are the people, the volunteers, the staff? We should know their names and affiliations. Are they hired by builders or????? This may be the biggest question that we face as we step into future ‘discussions’ with City Hall.
The attitude of the Mayor, City council and the Planning Commission who they appointed is that we are behind, we have (arbitrary) deadlines that we must meet. The reason for this: We have a homeless problem and a housing problem, and the solution is to build fast. Words are Powerful. When each neighborhood began to see walls of apartments built next to single-family homes they complained. he City response was either nothing or guilting the outspoken saying they were NIMBYs or worse, racist and elitist. Who are the people writing the laws?
We live in a world that uses words to shame and attack, and lie in order to get what they want. In truth, we San Diego activists are getting the attention of the people in power. May 1, we learned we are not alone, we are a part of a citywide effort to be herd, excuse me HEARD!
APPLAUSE, The Herd was Heard!
Lynne Miller is a resident of OB/PL/Sunset Cliffs
Hi, I tried to watch the meeting from the Link in article. I found Archived Meeting, but could not discern what to click on from there.
Would appreciate it if you can send me a link to the meeting your were referring to in your article “Applause: The herd was Heard.”