City Heights Area Planning Committee

Minutes Nov 2008 - Jan 2009

November 2008

City Heights Area Planning Committee
Draft Minutes, November 3 , 2008

Metro Career Center 3rd Floor Community room
3910 University Avenue

1. Call to order at 6:30 pm.

Present: Liz Avalon, Heather Bentley, Sam Charry (6:45), Russ Connelly, Ahmed Malinomar, Mazda Mehraz, Kasra Movahedi, Jeanette Neeley, David Nelson, Mohamed Omar, Jessie Sergent, Patty Vaccariello, Jim Varnadore (Chair), Abdulahi Yusuf.

Absent: Jose Cervantes, Bill Closson, Valentina Hernandez, Tim Jung, Mark Kassab,DJ Taylor,

2. Remarks by Seventh District Councilmember Jim Madaffer

3. Adoption of the agenda

Moved by Jeanette Neeley, Second by Mark Kassab. Approved unanimously.

4. Off-agenda public comment

none

5. Staff reports and comment

none

6. Committee member reports and comment

Heather Bentley reported that the Fall Facelift was a success. Jessie Sergent stated that the community court could use new volunteers. Jeanette Neeley reported on the Halloween Carnival at Rosa Parks Elementary School. David Neslon reported on the Bus Rapid Transit project for the I-15 corridor.

7. Corrections to the minutes of October 6, 2008

Approved with no corrections.

8. Business Agenda

8.1 Sewer and Water Group Jobs 683A and 684A to continue replacing pipe throughout the city. (Info)

Matthew De Beliso from the City of San Diego stated that the City has funding to replace 1 mile of water mains and 4 miles of sewer mains. Projects will start this month and will also include street resurfacing and installing curb ramps at the same time. Some old sewers will be abandoned. The historic stamps on the street corners will be retained. Committee members asked questions regarding the criteria for replacement, prioritization, and relining. The project will take approximately 10 months to complete.

8.2 Public Convenience or Necessity determinations in connection with ABCD license issuance (info)

Sgt. Howard LaBore from SDPD handed out guidelines for off sale liquor licenses. Different types of establishments have different restrictions. No CUP's needed for restaurants. SDD always protests license applications, the granting of which is overseen by the state. The best time to get a community recommendation heard is as an ABCD individual after a permit notice is posted on site. The ABC is not required to provide any additional noticing to the community but does notice the city planning department, police, and mayor.

8.3 Application for a side setback deviation at the building which will replace Murphy's Market at 3596 Fairmount Avenue.

Mark Kassab, the owner of Murphy's Market recused himself and then made the presentation. The project would expand the Market from 2000 to 9000 square feet, and has required street side setbacks for sidewalks. The applicant would like a reduced side setback, which would still allow for continuation of the sidewalk at its normal width.

Russ Connelly made a motion for the Chair to write a letter to the Planning Director to request return to the standard zero-lot line setback. Second by Sam Charry.

Moved: Connelly Second: Charry Vote: 9/0/3 CNV
(Clossen, Neeley, and Nelson abstained. Kassab recused.)

8.4 Seminar about possible restrictions to on-sale and off-sale ABCD licenses in City Heights. (action)

Discussion of restrictions on either the alcohol itself or on the building, parking, signage, etc. Continued to next meeting.

8.5 Application for ABC license at Murphy's Super Mercado, 4580 University Avenue (Action).

The application is for an off sale hard alcohol license. The committee raised questions regarding the conditions currently on the permit, linear feet of alcohol, hour restrictions on sales, and crime rates. Continued to next meeting.

8.6 Name the 2009 Election Subcommittee.

Heather Bentley, Russ Connelly, Mark Kassab, Ahmend Malinomar Jessie Sergent, and Patty Vaccariello will be on the Subcommittee. Malinomar will be chair pro tem.

Meeting adjourned.

December 2008

No Meeting was held in December 2008.

January 2009

City Heights Area Planning Committee
Draft Minutes, January 5, 2009

Metro Career Center 3rd Floor Community room
3910 University Avenue

1 Call to order at 6:30 pm.

Present: Liz Avalon, Heather Bentley, Sam Charry (6:45), Russ Connelly, Ahmed Malinomar, Mazda Mehraz, Kasra Movahedi, Jeanette Neeley, David Nelson, Mohamed Omar, Jessie Sergent, Patty Vaccariello, Jim Varnadore (Chair), Abdulahi Yusuf.

Absent: Jose Cervantes, Bill Closson, Valentina Hernandez, Tim Jung, Mark Kassab, DJ Taylor,

2. Adoption of the agenda Moved by Russ Connely, Second by Jessie Sergent. Approved unanimously.

3. Off-agenda public comment

none

4. Staff reports and comment

Nick Norvell from Susan Davis's office stated that the economic stimulus plan is the primary agenda item for Congress right now. Davis is also supporting Renewal Communities and empowerment zone act, which will help communites like City Heights.

Kim Nguyen, informed the Committee that she is now working for Councilmember Marti Emerald's office. Emerald will be chair of public safety committee with Council. Kim's new phone number is 619-236-6677.

Pam Ison informed the Committee that she is now working with Todd Gloria's office. Gloria will be chair of Land Use and Housing Committee and will also be on several other committees. Pam will be the CDBG person for the office. CHAPC members asked questions regarding the on-street car sale prohibitions and suggested that Committee should have been given opportunity to comment prior to implementation. Pam will send info on the subject. Russ Connelly suggested making this a future agenda item to consider adjustments to boundary and scope.

Pat Calloway from Price Charities informed the committee that the 1st time home buyer program is still going on with $50K down payment assistance.

5. Committee member reports and comment

Patty Vaccariello informed the Committee that on January 17th there will be a cleanup in Islenair. Jeanette Neeley suggested informed the committee about a movement to put blue lights on your house on 9th and 10th to support equality and express opposition to Prop 8. Kasra Movahedi informed the committee that the community garden was allocated funds through CDBG process, but has been unable to access the cash due to issues of indemnity and contract language. Permitting and land are in place though. David Nelson told the committee that at 25th and A in Golden Hill there is a community garden on park land.

6. Corrections to the minutes of November 3, 2008

Continued to next mtg.

7.1 Review of three Metropolitan Waste Water Division projects:

Laura Ball, Nhon Dong, and Nabel Qawasmi with Metropolitan Wastewater attended.

a) Lexington/Manzanita Canyon - Maintenance & Emergency Access (Action)
Nhon Dong gave the presentation. The city considered taking the sewers out of the Canyon but determined that the most feasible and cost effective plan is to keep sewers in the canyon. They will be creating 3 additional access paths -two from the north and one from the south. Committee members asked questions about maintaining community landscaping at access points. Laura Ball talked about mitigation of impacts to significant habitat. Other habitat will be created/enhanced near Chollas Parkway. The site was chosen because of water availability at mitigation location and because it is in the same watershed. Laura is Project manager for the mitigation project. Russ Connelly made a motion to approve with suggestion that mitigation be conducted within Manzanita Canyon or in the City Heights area. Ahmed Malinomar seconded the motion.

Moved: Connelly Second: Malinomar Vote: 13/0/0 CNV

b) Fox Canyon - Sewer repair (Action)
The sewer main runs through the middle of the canyon. Five spot repairs need to be done. One was an emergency and was done immediately, the other four need permitting prior to repair. Two will be done by hand carry and hand digging, while the others will take machinery, which will be done with a later permit request. Questions by the Committee included whether the pipe is considered for removal out of the canyon and into streets and what kind of machinery will be used in the second projects. The pipe is scheduled for being relocated, but must be repaired in the near term. Work will take approximately 1 week following issuance of site development permits. Motion by Russ Connelly to approve. Second by Mazda Mehraz.

Moved: Connelly Second: Mehraz Vote: 13/0/0 CNV

c) Redwood/Menlo area - Canyon Pipe Protection (Action)
Pipe Protection Project. Erosion has exposed the pipes, which makes them more likely to break and spill. The plan is to do erosion prevention, including vegetation trimming, filling gullies, installing fiber rolls, and hydroseeding. Questions regarding time required and permitting, whether vehicles are needed. Work will be done with small canyon-proficient machinery. Russ Connelly moved approval. Jeanette Neeley second.

Moved: Connelly Second: Neeley Vote: 13/0/0 CNV

7.2 Request from SR-15 Committee for a letter of support for a grant to fund a study in connection with the Centerline Bus Route (Action)
City representatives Stephen Russell and Vicky White made the presentation

Steven Russell introduced the proposal. The study will review 4 proposals, including Community's preferred proposal for centerline routes, as well as SANDAG's preferred shoulder routes. SANDAG will study efficiency, but not community impact. This proposed study will look at land uses and implications on community. To fund the study they are requesting a smart growth planning grant from SANDAG. The study would encompass City Heights, Kensington, and Talmadge. Vicky White discussed scope of project and grant request. Request to CHAPC is for a letter of support for grant request. Committee expressed concern about the origin of the study from outside of City Heights, the study's analysis of land use, and whether increased density would be proposed for City Heights. Committee also made comment that the study would provide more information, which couldn't hurt, considering that one of the four options will be implemented, no matter what. Questions regarding whether Community Planning Groups will be allowed to participate in process. Several Committee members warned that CHAPC has already been cut out of planning process on centerline BRT, and that this proposal will result in recommendations to increase density of community, including recommendations to increase density to a level that will support certain types of transit nodes, likely resulting in placing a larger concentration of poor people into a poor community. City Staff responded by stating that no land use would change as a result of this study.

Motion by David Nelson to recommend approval but not to project future land uses. Second by Jeanette Neeley
.
A friendly amendment was proposed by Russ Connelly to recommend that Planning Groups be officially represented in the the station area planning study. Accepted by David Nelson and Jeanette Neeley.

Friendly amendment proposed by Liz Avalon to change recommendation to state recommend approval but without any study or consideration of land use changes of any kind (drop bullet points 1 & 3 under land use). Accepted by David Nelson and Jeanette Neeley.

Moved: Nelson Second: Neeley Vote: 13/0/0 CNV

7.3 Election Subcommittee report (Info)

Russ Connelly is chair of the election subcommittee. They have had two meetings, selected a chair, and reviewed documents for elections. Interested candidates must fill out information and return it by February 21s t. at 5pm. The subcommittee will also be going to neighborhood groups to encourage people to serve. Next meeting is on January 20th and volunteers are needed for election night (March 2).

7.4 Name two volunteers to Project Area Committee-CHAPC joint infrastructure
subcommittee (Action)

David Nelson stated that the PAC is looking at spending money on missing infrastructure, such as sidewalks. Volunteers are needed to survey, etc. Heather Bentley volunteered to participate.


7.5 Council member Emerald’s request for three most important issues in City
Heights (Action)

Committee members will each submit top 5 items this week by email to Chair, who will forward them to the Councilmember.

7.6 Consider bylaws changes to conform to Council Policy 600-24 (Action)

Chair Varnadore reviewed draft bylaws changes including the City Shell Bylaws, the CHAPC language that was rejected by the City, and a third alternative that blends the two and can likely receive approval. Committee members expressed concerns regarding certain sections, including timing requirements for candidates to attend a committee meeting prior to running for election, and process for filling vacancies.

Russ made a motion to send bylaws to City Staff with changes.

Moved: Connelly Second: Vaccariello Vote: 13/0/0 CNV


7.7 Declare the School/Nonprofit-09 seat and the District 1-09 seat vacant owing to absences of the incumbents (Action)

Patty Vaccariello moved approval.

Moved: Vaccariello Second: Malinomar Vote: 13/0/0 CNV


Meeting adjourned at 8:30pm.