City Heights Area Planning Committee

Mimutes November 2018 - January 2019

CITY HEIGHTS AREA PLANNING COMMITTEE
Minutes for January 7, 2019

1. Chairman Russ Connelly called the meeting to order at 6:30 PM. Abdullahi Yusuf, Brian Green Carson, David Nelson, Jose Hernandez, Juan Pablo Sanchez, Maria Cortez, Mazda Mehraz, Patty Vaccariello, Ramla Sahid, Randy Torres-Van Vleck, Rickie Brown, Roddy Jerome, Rosa Calvario, Scott Paquette, Jim Varnadore, Francisco Garcia, and Lisa Nguyen were present. Brenda Diaz, David Bowen, and Jessie Sergent were absent.

2. The committee unanimously approved the minutes for December.

3. Patty Vaccariello offered and Maria Cortez seconded a motion to approve the agenda. The committee unanimously approved the agenda for January.

4. Off-agenda public comments: Patty Vaccariello - get well card from surgery to be signed for Jessie.

5. Staff reports and comment:
   5A: Lt. Stephen Shebloski and CRO Terry Hoskins of the San Diego Police Department gave updates on behalf of Chief Nisleit who couldn’t be present due to a last-minute event and the Mid-City Captain who was out of town. They addressed that one of their priorities is dealing with the homeless. They are working with community groups to help with neighborhood policing. Currently the San Diego Police Department is short 190 police officers due to retirements and other reasons. They also answered questions from the committee and community.
   5B: Gloria Cruz of Council District 9 office invited the committee and community to the State of the District January 23, 2019 at Fair@44 from 6-8pm. She mentioned that Kelvin Barrios will be leaving and that Matthew Yagyagan will be taking on a new role and other community representatives will be filling in the empty role. The office will be hiring a new community representative.

6. 6.1: Appointment to fill Youth Seats: Patty Vaccariello offered and Roddy Jerome seconded a motion to appoint Lisa Nguyen to the Youth 2020 seat. After the Chairman asked for a review of her application, the committee voted 17/0/0 (chair not voting) and the motion passed and Lisa was seated.
   
   6.2: Utility Easement Adjustments – Hollywood Palms Apartments: Brendon Burgen from Affirmed Housing. Wants recommendation to the city that will allow them to abandon the current easements and record new easements that are not in the middle of their private driveway. Jim Varnadore offered and Maria Cortez seconded a motion to recommend approval. The committee voted 16/0/2 (chair not voting) and the motion passed. Randy Torres-Van Vleck and Rickie Brown abstained from voting due to their employment with project partners.
   
   6.3: Update from Election Subcommittee: The subcommittee has begun doing outreach as well as begun dispersing application packets for those interested in running for a seat. The application is due Feb 22, 2019 and the election will take place March 4, 2019 at 4089 Fairmount Avenue.

7. Chairman shared that Caltrans update on the kiosks on I-15 freeway is still in progress and hopes to have answers by next month's meeting. Next month's meeting will take place at 4089 Fairmount Avenue.

8. Rosa Calvario, Mazda Mehraz, Jose Hernandez, Francisco Garcia, Maria Cortez, and Lisa Nguyen offered Committee comments.

9. The meeting adjourned at 7:57pm.

CITY HEIGHTS AREA PLANNING COMMITTEE
Minutes for December 3, 2018

1. Chairman Russ Connelly called the meeting to order at 6:30 PM. Abdullahi Yusuf, Brenda Diaz, Brian Green Carson, David Nelson, Jessie Sergent, Jose Hernandez, Juan Pablo Sanchez, Maria Cortez, Mazda Mehraz, Patty Vaccariello, Ramla Sahid, Randy Torres-Van Vleck, Rickie Brown, Rosa Calvario, Scott Paquette were present. David Bowen and Roddy Jerome were absent.

2. The committee unanimously approved the minutes for November.

3. Patty Vaccariello offered and Jose Hernandez seconded a motion to approve the agenda. The Committee voted 15/0/0 (chair not voting) and the motion passed.

4. Off-agenda public comments: Winter Festival – Saturday and Sunday December 9^th and 10^th at Thorn Street & Belle Isle Drive

5. Staff reports and comment:
   Council Representative - Gloria Cruz announced new council inauguration at Golden Hall @ 10:00 am. Announced a community clean up at Colina del Sol, there were 40 volunteers. In 2018 they were able to do 19 clean ups. They are also conducting interviews this month for their internship program.

6. 6.1: David Nelson offered and Patty Vaccariello seconded a motion to appoint Jim Varnadore to the At Large 2019 seat. The committee voted 10/5/0 (chair not voting) and the motion passed and Jim Was seated.
   
   6.2: Patty Vaccariello offered and Juan Pablo Sanchez seconded a motion to appoint Francisco Garcia to the At Large 2020 seat. The committee voted 14/1/0 (chair not voting) and the motion passed and Francisco was seated.
   
   6.3: No youth appeared to be appointed. Item was continued until next meeting.
   
   6.4: A draft letter was presented by the Mid-month subcommittee. After considerable debate on it’s contents, Patty Vaccariello offered and David Nelson offered to approve the draft letter as amended with the request of the police chief and the captain of Mid-City attend this meeting at their earliest convenience to discuss police priorities. The committee voted 16/1/0 (chair not voting) and the motion passed.
   
   6.5: Presenter did not appear before the Committee and the item was continued for a future meeting.
   
   6.6: Groundwork San Diego presented their Chollas Creek rehab project. After discussion David Nelson offered and Brian Green Carson offered to support in concept the channelization changes of Chollas Creek between 805 and Home Avenue not superseded by any existing plans and not be dependent on expansions of highway 94. The committee voted 16/0/1 (chair not voting) and the motion passed. Francisco Garcia abstained.

6.7:Lesley Henegar, Senior Planner, Planning Department gave a presentation on the citywide tree planting program. She answered questions by community and committee.

6.8: Brenda Diaz gave an update from the Election Subcommittee. Randy Torres-Van Vleck joined the Subcommittee. The Subcommittee will be reconvening in December to discuss outreach ideas and go over application paperwork.

7. Chairman shared we are looking for a permanent location for our monthly meetings.

8. Patty Vaccariello, Francisco Garcia, Jim Varnadore, Randy Torres-Van Vleck, Jose Hernandez, Maria Cortez, Jessie Sergent, David Nelson, Ramla Sahid offered Committee comments.

9. The meeting adjourned at 8:20pm.

CITY HEIGHTS AREA PLANNING COMMITTEE Minutes for November 5, 2018

1. Chairman Russ Connelly called the meeting to order at 6:30 PM.  Aracely M. Lara, Brenda Diaz, Brian Green Carson, David Bowen, David Nelson, Jessie Sergent, Jose Hernandez, Juan Pablo Sanchez, Maria Cortez, Mazda Mehraz, Ramla Sahid, Randy Van Vleck, Rickie Brown, Roddy Jerome, Rosa Calvario, Scott Paquette were present. Abdullahi Yusuf, Andre Sanz, Patty Vaccariello were absent.

2. Randy Van Vleck offered and Jessie Sergent seconded a motion to approve the minutes for October. The committee unanimously approved the minutes.

3. Maria Cortez offered and Brian Green Carson seconded a motion to approve the agenda. The Committee voted 15/0/0 (chair not voting) and the motion passed.

 
4. Off-agenda public comments: Jim Varnadore encourage voters to go vote on November 6th. City Heights resident made a comment about the ninety-degree parking on the east side of 35th Street between Landis Street and University Avenue looking more like a parking lot rather than a community of family homes.

5. Staff reports and comment - City Planner: Nathan Cosman will be attending quarterly or as needed and his role is to be a conduit between the city and the community.
Chief Operating Officer: Kris Michell with the Mayor’s office introduced herself and explained she will be focusing on the operations and transparency of the city. She can be reached at 619-235-5806 or kmichell@sandiego.gov.
Council Representative: Gloria Cruz handed out the November edition of the District 9 newsletter. Addressed a question David Bowen had in regards to an article in the San Diego Union Tribune in rewards for reporting illegal dumping.

6.1: Mara Elliott (San Diego City Attorney), came to give a presentation on some of the work she is doing. They are in the process of filming training materials so when there is no staff available to guide us we feel we have the knowledge to resolve issues that come before the committee. They have enacted a gun violence restraining order program and have achieve 80 restraining orders by working directly with the police chief in the last eleven months. They have a Family Justice Center (located at 11th and Broadway) which is a place a victim of domestic violence can get all the help they need under one roof. You can contact her via email at cityattorney@sandiego.gov.

6.2: Erik Tilkemeier, Economic and Urban Development Director from City Heights Community Development Corporation mentioned that they are partnering with Wakeland Housing and Development to pursue the acquisition of four city owned sites associated
with the SR-15 construction. City Heights CDC is requesting a letter of support for a grant with a deadline for December 5, 2018. After discussion, Brian Green Carson offered and Ramla Sahid seconded a motion to offer a letter to support, in concept, a mixed-used transit oriented affordable housing development, consistent with the MidCities Community Plan, as proposed by a partnership between Wakeland Housing & Development and City Heights Community Development Corporation, on the parcels located at University Avenue & 40th Street (APN 447-491-31), University Avenue & 41st Street (APN 454-762-13) and 4101-22 University Avenue )454-763-25,-15,-16 aka Sally Wong building) in City Heights. The committee voted 11/4/1 (chair not voting) and the motion passed. Randy Van Vleck abstained because he has an economic interest.

6.3: Groundwork San Diego - Chollas Creek presentation was tabled for another time when Vickie Estrada (landscape architect and urban designer) can give the presentation.

6.4: Aracely Lara addressed the issues she had and why she was unable to make it to CHAPC meetings. She wants to vacate her seat and offered her resignation which was accepted by the Chair.

6.5: Ramla completed the eCOW and there is no further action to follow up.

6.6: Brenda Diaz, Jessie Sergent, and Scott Paquette volunteered to serve on the election subcommittee.

7. Chairman shared that discussed at the October CPC meeting that the City is still working on their parks master plan. They are still receiving input from the public through a website established for the project (www.cityofsandiegoparksplan.com) to update the current plan from 1955. Chair met with Matt Yagyagan from Councilmember Gomez’s office because they have started to take priority lists for what projects to include in the fiscal year 2020 budget. The priorities for budget items will be discussed at the November mid-month meeting so that we can approve the letter at the December meeting and send it to the Councilmember's office. Chair stressed that committee members should read the research materials he sends out before the meetings. Mentioned there might be a new location for our monthly meetings potentially at 43rd Street beginning January 2019.

8. Brenda Diaz, Randy Van Vleck, Maria Cortez, Aracely Lara, David Bowen offered committee comment.

9. The meeting adjourned at 8:13pm.