City Heights Area Planning Committee

Minutes May 2010 to July 2010

CITY HEIGHTS AREA PLANNING COMMITTEE

 

Meeting of May 3, 2010 6:30PM

3910 University Avenue

City Heights CA 92105

 

Draft Minutes

Attendance:  p = present. a= absent 

 

Total:	13
Liz Avalon	p	Russ Connelly	p	Mazda Mehraz	p	Jessie Sergent	p
Heather Bentley	a	Kenton Finkbinder	a	Amanda Moss	p	Patty Vaccariello	p
Ahmedei Cheikguei	a	Val Hernandez	a	Kasra Movahedi	a	Jim Varnadore	p
Sam Charry	p	Mark Kassab	p	Jeanette Neeley	p	Laura Vale	p
Bill Closson	p	Ahmed Malinomar	a	David Nelson	p	Abdulahi Yusuf.	a

 

 

1.  Call to order and introductions

 

2.  Adoption of the agenda -

 

Patty Vaccariello made a motion to move committee comments to item 5.5. Passed unanimously. Chair stated that we would strike item 3. No vote necessary.

 

4.  Off-agenda public comment

 

Michael Sprague asked for assistance in writing a new description of City Heights on Wikipedia. He also stated that Urban League is looking to plant additional eucalyptus trees in City Heights and would like to send a message to CalTrans that eucalyptus are not a preferred species.

 

Joyce Summers of the CCDC provided information about economic development, a new fire station, and a new homeless shelter

 

5.  Staff reports and comment

 

Courtney Thompson of Todd Gloria's office spoke about upcoming events and distributed the District 3 newsletter.

 

5.5 Committee member reports

 

Patty Vaccariello spoke about the upcoming June Facelift. Valentina Hernandez discussed several local events, including marches about immigrants and education. Russ Connelly spoke about utility undergrounding, sewer and water projects, and advertised to come to the Fairmount Park neighborhood garage sale. Amanda Moss informed the committee that she had requested handicap accessible curbs at 38th and Polk, and it was put on the City's list. David Nelson informed the committee of an affordable housing study regarding parking requirement reductions.

 

6.  Corrections to the Minutes of April 5, 2010

 

Deferred to next meeting.

 

7.  Business Agenda:

  

   7.1 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Annual Action Plan

         public presentation to solicit comments. (Information)

 

Laura Black, a city staffer working with CDBG provided document about allocations approved by City Council. Comments can be received until May 12, 2010. CDBG funds will total somewhere around $16 million citywide. Questions were asked regarding repayment of loans from City Heights projects, targeted  distribution of funds on low income areas, and how many projects are being funded.

 

 

   7.2 Application to restore slopes near 45th/Maple and 46th/Maple

         (Action)

 

A City representative spoke about capturing street water runoff and redirecting into a brow ditch and catch basin to prevent further slope erosion. Russ Conelly moved approval of the site development permit with request that low impact equipment be used on site to reduce impacts on native vegetation. Patty Vaccariello seconded. Approved unanimously.

 

 

   7.3 Report on Healthy Communities activities in City Heights

         (Information)

  

Item continued. Valentina Hernandez announced that Community Congress will occur on June 5.

 

   7.4 Shall the CHAPC establish student seats?  Voting or not? How

         many such seats, etc.?

 

The Committee discussed whether students/youth should be granted a seat on the Committee on a trial basis. The Committee had a youth seat previously, but it was removed due to attendance issues. The question was raised whether a school would participate by allowing a student to achieve community service credits by sitting on CHAPC as the designated school/nonprofit representative. Several committee members expressed support for having a youth seat.

 

Jeanette Neeley exited the meeting at 7:50pm.

 

   7.5 Officer elections (Action)

 

Motion by Liz Avalon to accept all nominated officers, as there is no competition for seats. Second by Ahmed Malinomar. Approved with one abstention (Valentina Hernandez).

  

8.  Committee member reports and comment (moved to 5.5)

 

9.  Adjournment at 7:55pm.

 

The Committee will reconvene on June 7, 2010 at the time and place listed above.

 

If called, the mid-month meeting will be at 6:30PM on May 17, 2010 at 4310 Landis Street in the Mezzanine Conference Room.  Agenda will be published and posted separately.

  

For information about the agenda, please contact Jim Varnadore at (619) 280-3910 of “Jim” <CHAPC_Chairman@yahoo.com>.  For information about the Committee, please contact “Patty” <Patty_CHAPC@yahoo.com> or “Russ” <FairmountPark92105@yahoo.com>.

 

For the website, dial up www.neighborhoodlink.com/sandiego/chapc/.  Agenda and minutes are posted there as a convenience, but the postings there are not official copies of Committee documents.  Official agenda are posted at the meeting place, conforming to the Open Meetings Act (the Brown Act).  Copies of official minutes are kept by the Secretary and the Chair.

 

CITY HEIGHTS AREA PLANNING COMMITTEE

 

Meeting of June 7, 2010 6:30PM

3910 University Avenue

City Heights CA 92105

 

Minutes

 

1. The meeting was called to order at 6:36PM.  Sam Charry, Bill Closson, Russ Connelly, Kenton Finkbeiner, Valentina Hernández, Mark Kassab, Ahmed Malinomar, Mazda Mehraz, Kasra Movahedi, David Nelson, Jessie Sergent, Patty Vaccariello, Abdullahi Yusuf, and Jim Varnadore formed a quorum.  Liz Avalon, Amedei Cheikgurei, Amanda Moss, Jeanette Neeley, and Laura Vale were absent.

 

2.  The agenda were adopted as tendered.

 

3.  Off-agenda public comment was received from Joyce Summer, speaking about event in the downtown community and about the Center City Development Corporation; and from Charles Sirois, speaking about Villa Madrid and its status.

 

4.  Courtney Thomsom from CD-3 distributed the District-3 Dialogue.

 

5.  Committee members offered these reports and comments: Patty spoke of the recent FaceLift event; Mazda asked about the former Susie Wong building and its status, and asked about the status of repairs for the bus benches on University Avenue; Kasra discussed the new MTS “Compass Cards” which replace old bus passes; David urged the City to proceed with the construction of the Wightman Street Park; Russ discussed Proposition-D; and Ahmed reminded the Committee about its earlier interest adding youth seats.

 

6.  There was one edit correction to the May 3 minutes.

 

7.1  The Committee heard a presentation from Jim Baross of the County Bicycle Coalition about “ciclovia”, a program to convert segments of city streets to non-motorized uses for short periods, usually on the weekends.  Baross asked the committee for its support for the concept.  There was a discussion that included questions about how to implement the concept, what its cost might be, and who would be in charge. After discussion, Ahmed moved, Kenton seconded a motion to support the idea and approve its implementation.  The Committee voted 13/0/0, (chair not voting), and the motion passed.

 

7.2  The chair reported and distributed a letter from the City asking the Committee to consider angle parking on two-thirds of the West side of 33rd Street, South of Lincoln Avenue.  After discussion, Russ moved, Jessie seconded a motion to recommend approval, to urge the City to install street-sweeping signs there, and to actually sweep the streets.  The Committee voted 12/1/0 (chair not voting), and the motion passed.

 

7.3  The Committee heard an application for a Conditional Use Permit to accommodate an on-sale beer and wine license at the Minh Huong Market, 4029 Euclid Avenue.  After discussion, Patty moved and Russ seconded a motion to recommend approval of a Permit with these conditions attached:

 

- no sales between Midnight and 7:00AM daily;

- no wine sales in containers smaller than 750 milliliters;

- no sales of beverages having alcohol content above 15% by volume

  (except dinner wines, aged longer than two years);

- all sales of beer or malt products to be in containers between 16

  ounces and 30 ounces;

- no sales of single beer or malt beverages if chilled;

- allow no more than 1,000 SqFt of shelves for alcoholic beverages,

  including chill box interior shelf space;

- no exterior advertising of alcoholic beverages;

- no interior advertising of alcoholic beverages which is visible

  outside the store;

- install proper parking lot prohibition signage;

- remove graffiti within 48-hours of discovery;

- allow no more than ten years between Permit renewals;

- conform to the transparency requirement of the CUPDO;

- improve the parkway landscape along Euclid Avenue

 

The Committee voted 6/3/4 (chair not voting), and the motion failed.  After further discussion, the motion was re-introduced and seconded.  The Committee voted 13/0/0 (chair not voting), and the motion passed.

 

7.4  The Committee discussed a section of terrazzo located in the sidewalk outside 4746 El Cajon Boulevard.  After discussion, Russ moved and Ahmed seconded a motion to recommend that the terrazzo be repaired, preserved, and incorporated into the Bus Rapid Transit stop planned for that location; and that the Metropolitan Transit System provide for the continuing maintenance of the terrazzo for so long as it is a part of the transit stop.  The Committee voted 14/0/0 (chair not voting), and the motion passed.

 

7.5  The Chair solicited volunteers to consider developing a street tree manual especially for City Heights.  Patty volunteered to chair a sub-committee of volunteers.

 

8.  The meeting was adjourned at 8:25PM to reconvene at 6:30PM Monday, July 5, 2010 at the same venue.

 

 

CITY HEIGHTS AREA PLANNING COMMITTEE

 

Meeting of July 5, 2010 6:30PM

3910 University Avenue

City Heights CA 92105

 

Draft Minutes

Attendance:  p = present. a= absent 

 

Total:

11/19/10

Liz Avalon

p

Russ Connelly

p

Mazda Mehraz

a

Jessie Sergent

p

Mark Tran

seated tonight

Kenton Finkbinder

a

Amanda Moss

p

Patty Vaccariello

p

Ahmedei Cheikguei

p

Val Hernandez

a

Kasra Movahedi

a

Jim Varnadore

p

Sam Charry

a

Mark Kassab

a

Jeanette Neeley

a

Laura Vale

p

Bill Closson

p

Ahmed Malinomar

p

David Nelson

a

Abdulahi Yusuf.

p

 

 

1.  Call to order and introductions 6:36

 

2.  Adoption of the agenda -

 

Russ Connelly moved to adopt the agenda. Ahmed Malinomar seconded. Approved unanimously.

 

4.  Off-agenda public comment

 

Kathleen Ferrier proposed an action item for the next meeting agenda to discuss involvement of two youth with an official role in CHAPC.

 

5.  Staff reports and comment

 

none

 

5.5 Committee member reports

 

Ahmed Malinomar reported about the City Heights basketball tournament. Amanda Moss reported on the Corridor packer cleanup. Russ Connelly stated he saw a report showing crimes by neighborhood, including a breakdown of City Heights neighborhoods. Fairmount Village was the lowest crime area. Most areas of City Heights do better than some much wealthier communities around the City of San Diego.

 

6.  Corrections to the Minutes of June, 2010

 

Patty moves to adopt with corrections.

 

7.  Business Agenda:

  

   7.1 Consider the application of Mark Tran to take the vacant School/Non-profit-11 seat (action)

 

Mark Tran introduced himself and discussed his background with the City Heights and other communities.

 

Patty Vaccariello made the motion to nominate Mark Tran to the Committee's Non Profit/School seat. Amanda Moss Seconded. Approved unanimously.

 

   7.2 Caltrans report on plans to improve Interstate-805 (info)

 

Caltrans representatives made a presentation regarding building extra lanes on the I-805 for HOV, toll lanes, and bus rapid transit. Soundwalls may be proposed. There will also be new interchanges from the 805 to the 15 and 94. The Draft EIR will become available in August or September. Committe members suggested that Caltrans officials attend neighborhood association meetings of those communities most likely to be impaceted, including Fairmount Park, Azalea Park, and Ridgeview.

 

   7.3 SDG&E report on smart-meter implementation in City Heights (info)

 

Item removed from agenda and continued to a future meeting.

 

   7.4 Consider declaring the District 3-11 seat vacant due to absences (action)

 

Ahmedei Cheikguei spoke regarding why he had been unable to attend the meetings, apologized for his absences, and stated that his personal goal is to be more involved in City Heights and that he would like to stay on the Committee.

 

No motion was made, therefore the seat will be retained by Mr. Cheikguei.

 

   7.5 Discuss possible future density increases and whether to make a declaration about future densities in City Heights (action)

 

The City is currently considering increased density and higher height limits in Golden Hill/North Park/Uptown. Similar proposals will likely be introduced into City Heights as well. Ahmed Malinomar moved to continue to the next meeting. Russ Connelly seconded. Unanimously approved.

 

8.  Adjournment. at 7:45.

 

 The Committee will reconvene August 2, 2010 at the time and place listed above.