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Combating Speeders

District 7 is leading the way with a high-tech solution to a persistent problem.  Speeding vehicles are a problem throughout the entire City including in our neighborhoods.

For example, over the past five years we've had serious accidents on Waring Road near Greenbrier Avenue in Allied Gardens.  Sadly, a child died in one of those accidents. Typically they happen because drivers are speeding or running a red light.

I recently initiated a pilot program in several areas of my Council District in order to combat traffic hazards due to speeding.  As part of that effort, we installed two new automated radar speeding signs on Waring Road.  The new signs, called V-Calm signs or Vehicle Calming Speed Limit signs have been installed on each side of the Greenbrier Avenue and Waring Road intersection.  These solar powered signs are traffic calming tools that are used in areas where speeding is a significant problem.  The signs flash the posted speed limit and your actual speed if you are exceeding the speed limit.

The first sign in Allied Gardens was installed in early September when the school session began and the second sign was installed a month later.  Members of the community including several families gathered to celebrate when I climbed the ladder and flipped the switch to activate one of the signs.  The sign had been installed just minutes before.

There are two other locations with V-Calm signs operating in our district: in the Tierrasanta area on Clairemont Mesa Boulevard near I-15 and in the SDSU area on Collwood Drive near Montezuma Road. Starting as a pilot program, these six signs have been widely successful and are permanently installed.  The City will conduct repeated speed surveys and then use the information in evaluating the feasibility of expanding the program throughout the City.

To give you a further idea of how incredible these signs are, in addition to displaying the speed of vehicles, the data is also recorded along with the time and date.


It's downloaded into a Palm Pilot and then transferred to computers. I recently received a spreadsheet from traffic engineering with some of the initial data from the new signs.  Upon analyzing the data using different sorts, I was able to determine when we usually found the highest incidence of speeding.  One such driver apparently travels the area about 6am each day in excess of 78 miles per hour!  Needless to say, I passed this information along to the police department and I can guarantee we will start seeing Waring Road slow down as the habitual speeders are caught in the act.

The Waring Road and Greenbrier Avenue intersection is near a school and has been especially hazardous.

In addition to the V-Calm signs, we have taken additional steps such as increasing visibility by trimming vegetation, installing oversized fluorescent yellow school zone signs, enhancing crosswalks with longitudinal lines to make it more apparent, painting red curbs and installing additional traffic light signal heads.

You can get more information on the V-Calm signs at the manufacturer's website by clicking on this link.

This tool is one of many things I've been looking at in my travels. Another such device being tried in the City as an electronic crosswalk warning system we may try in our neighborhoods as well.  More on that in a future issue.

My office has used another approach in reducing traffic problems you have probably all seen at one time or another.  Five years ago we began the "Slow Down….It's Our Neighborhood" traffic safety campaign.  It was so successful that the signs were used throughout the City.  Last September, members of the Del Cerro Brownie troop helped me re-introduce the District 7 Slow Down campaign in conjunction with children going back to school.

Millions for a new Fox Canyon Park

Following on the heels of the wonderful news that our pools will not close but instead will remain open (see next story), I have more good news to share.  The City of San Diego's Park & Recreation Department is on a roll.  We've recently learned that our grant application to the state for our Fox Canyon Park project in District 7 has been approved for $2,363,000!!

Fulfilling a campaign promise, this is outstanding news for the residents of Fox Canyon who have been waiting for the day when we open a brand new park in their City Heights neighborhood.  The grant from the state, in addition to the $900,000 already provided in park funds earlier this year, moves us closer to acquiring the land and developing a new park for the Fox Canyon neighborhood of Mid City.  The Crossroads Redevelopment area will help with additional required funding as we move forward.

Providing desperately needed park land is a goal that community leaders and I share.  My office has been working with the community and City staff in developing what the park will ultimately look like.  At this very early stage we envision the park to have a children's play area, an outdoor basketball court, picnic area and walking paths.  The park will also have irrigated turf and attractive landscaping as well as security lighting.  In addition, the park will tie into the Chollas Creek master plan incorporating the features of Chollas Creek - changing it from an ugly concrete eyesore to something we can all be proud of.

As I said, we're in the very beginning stages so it is too early to give a time frame.  However, we've taken a giant step forward by receiving this grant. I would expect to schedule a presentation at a Fox Canyon meeting in the near future to unveil the current draft design and seek input from the entire community as we move forward in building this wonderful new park.  I also wish to congratulate our outstanding Park & Recreation Department for their excellent work.  The fact that the City was awarded two grants (the other is in the amount of $2.5 million for the State Route 252 Corridor Park project in Council District 8) out of 453 statewide applications shows how well the City did in competing for precious park funds.

Pools To Remain Open Through Winter

The rules changed and then changed again.  I was all set to tell you that as far as I'm concerned the issue of City pools is unfinished business.  I had spoken out at a recent City Council meeting saying we should not close community pools but instead search for ways to cut/or reduce other services.

I opposed fee increases during the budget process and was able to eliminate the proposed fee increases for youth, senior and disabled programs.  With the City Manager having proposed to close a number of pools for the winter, at the very least I thought there should be an equitable way of rotating which pools are closed.  As you may know, most City pools including the Allied Gardens Community Pool, Colina del Sol Community Pool, and Tierrasanta Community Pool were set to close on November 15th until March 2005 due to budget constraints.  However everything changed on Friday (October 29th) when Mayor Dick Murphy and Park and Recreation Director Ellen Oppenheim announced that the City will use $895,000 in grant money to keep open seven City pools that were scheduled to close for the winter.  I couldn't be happier and I'm sure City Staff is happy that I'm not bugging them anymore on behalf of my constituents.  I know residents will be very pleased since so many constituents let me know how unhappy they were about closing our community pools during the winter.

And with the good news that Allied Gardens, Tierrasanta and Colina del Sol pools will remain open, there are still other fee issues to be resolved so I have added this issue to be discussed at the November 17th Natural Resources & Culture (NR&C) Committee meeting that I chair.  The purpose of the meeting is to take testimony from the public, receive an overview of the current Park and Recreation fee schedule and direct the City Manager to outline expenses and propose solutions to restore pool hours and other Park and Recreation needs for the fiscal year 2006 budget.  I encourage you to attend. The meeting begins at 9:00 a.m. in the 12th floor Committee Room at the City Administration Building located at 202 C Street downtown San Diego. Please call my office at (619) 236-6677 or send an email to dcoffer@sandiego.gov if you have any questions.

Problem Properties

I share College Area residents' concerns over sober living homes and other nuisance properties.  I find it especially challenging since the State of California regulates these facilities and therefore the City does not have jurisdiction.  Despite the fact that the City has limited input on matters such as this, that won't stop me from doing all I can to ensure that the desire of the community is an important factor in this complicated situation.  In fact, I held a community meeting last month and invited Assembly member Shirley Horton to participate.  It was well attended and as a result of that meeting, I started a task force to address these important issues.  We are in the process of implementing several suggestions that were made by the task force.

First, we are working with the City of San Diego's Neighborhood Code Compliance volunteer Fred Zuckerman to assist homeowners who are filing nuisance property law suits against property owners.  We have used the same technique on mini-dorms in the past and it has been extremely effective.

Second, Neighborhood Code Compliance is currently investigating 16 nuisance properties including several sober living homes in the College Area (click here to see memo).  They will be cited if there are any violations of City Municipal Code. In addition, if any of the homes can be declared a public nuisance, we will pursue this in cooperation with the City Attorney's Office.

Finally, we will recommend that several city, state, and federal laws be changed to limit the ease with which these homes have come into our neighborhoods.  The Neighborhood Code Compliance department along with our City's Intergovernmental Affairs department is researching current laws and needed improvements.  They will bring recommendations to the City Council's Rules Committee which will in turn recommend changes to the full City Council.  We're also working with Assemblymember Horton and others to change regulations at the state level.

In the meantime, if you have any questions about these homes, information is available at the Faith House website: http://faithhousesoberliving.org. The website describes the living environment of the homes and gives contact information about the people running them.

I pledge to continue working diligently to resolve this issue and bring satisfactory resolution for the neighborhood.  Look for more updates in future issues of my eNewsletter.

SDSU Expansion

San Diego State University recently announced what they term a bold new expansion plan.  It includes a proposal to build up to 542 housing units for faculty and graduate students on 32 acres that SDSU owns adjacent to Adobe Falls Road and Del Cerro Boulevard in the Navajo area.

When SDSU President Dr. Stephen Weber told me about it, I requested that the university present this plan to the community.  While I certainly appreciated him giving me a heads-up, I wanted to ensure that the community has an opportunity to provide input and that neighborhood issues, such as traffic concerns, are addressed.
 

The proposed project was presented as an information item to the Navajo Community Planners, Inc. (NCPI) at their October meeting. SDSU will be returning to NCPI early next year with a more formal and updated presentation.  They will also make a presentation to the Del Cerro Action Council (DCAC) early next year.  I'll post the DCAC meeting information on my website once it becomes available. In the meantime, SDSU has a news release on their overall expansion plans.  I am including the web site address for your reference and referral. Click this link to see it:

http://advancement.sdsu.edu/marcomm/news/releases/fall2004/pr101104.html.

Update from the Eastern Division of the San Diego Police Department

"While patrol staffing continues to be a challenge, officers and residents are noting a drop in reports of car burglaries and car thefts throughout the division.  This may be due, in part, to the efforts of a four-officer team working from 5:00 p.m. until 3:00 a.m.  This team has focused on the apartment, condominium and commercial areas of the division where these crimes are more common.

We have also seen a Division-wide rise of 6% in our active Neighborhood Watch streets, which includes an 18% increase in the community of Tierrasanta.

From June to September 2004, there has been a 13% decrease in car thefts and car burglaries.  In the Navajo Area alone, there has been a 27% decrease in these crimes.  In this same time period, officers have arrested over 20 suspects, recovered weapons and 39 grams of methamphetamine.

For additional crime fighting information, please subscribe to the City of San Diego E-Watch service and become an active member in Neighborhood Watch."

Mission Trails Regional Park News

The bridge at the Tierrasanta entrance to Mission Trails Regional Park at the end of Clairemont Mesa Boulevard was damaged in last year's fire and had been closed for repairs.  The wooden bridge was originally installed to provide access for construction vehicles for a County Water Authority project.  Now, it is a memorable walkway entrance to the park that is very popular with visitors.  Earlier this year I allocated $50,000 for repairs and I am pleased to announce the bridge has been reopened.  I also want to thank the Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation for raising approximately $15,000 to finish the repair work.

More news about the park - the annual Arbor Day activities will take place on Saturday, December 4th.  I always look forward to this event when volunteers help plant trees, shrubs and other vegetation.  This year's event will have another highlight.  We'll celebrate the dedication of the first phase of the equestrian area and parking lot located at Mast Blvd & Hwy 52.  The activities will take place at 9am at the park entrance off Mast Boulevard.  More details later, but in the meantime, please join us as Mayor Dick Murphy and I join park enthusiasts for this long awaited event.

New Wendy's Coming to Grantville/Allied Gardens

It had been a guessing game as to what would happen to the corner of Mission Gorge Road and Zion Avenue once the Shell gas station closed in the Vons shopping center.  Well now the wait is over.   It's been confirmed that Wendy's Hamburgers is building a restaurant at that location.  The lot is empty and they haven't begun building yet, however, word is that they hope to open early next year.

Tip of the Hat

Don Green, a long time resident of Rolando, was honored for his 12 years of volunteering for the non-profit organization ElderHelp.  In the photo at left he is standing next to Leane Marchese, the Executive Director of ElderHelp at their annual ElderHelp Volunteer Recognition Luncheon on October 23rd.  It was an honor to present him with a Council District 7 Proclamation.  Don is a "shopper" for seniors who are no longer able to shop for themselves and so many grateful seniors depend on him.  Thank you, Don, for all that you do in helping others.  If you want to find out more about the services that ElderHelp offers, you may visit their web site by clicking here http://www.elderhelpofsandiego.org or visit their satellite office in the District 7 Navajo Community Service Center located at 7381 Jackson Drive in San Carlos.

From time to time I include a few community events taking place throughout the District. Here are a few you may be interested in:

November 14 -  Four-person best ball golf tournament to benefit Patrick Henry High School "Grad Night." It takes place Sunday morning with a shotgun start at 7:30 a.m. at Mission Trails Golf Course located at 7380 Golfcrest Place. The registration fee includes green fees, cart, practice balls, dinner and raffle prizes.  For more information or to register, the email address is docmmm@cox.net and the phone number is (619) 265-1469.

November 16 - A free public forum on how climate change affects the San Diego region.  The City of San Diego is co-hosting a reception from 5:30 p.m. until 6:15 p.m.  The presentation begins at 6:15 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. in the grand auditorium of the San Diego Natural History Museum in Balboa Park. National experts will be speaking at the presentation titled "Impacts of Climate Change on Southern California: The Next Thirty Years." RSVP by November 12th by calling (858) 627-3340 or by emailing to sustainability@sandiego.gov.

November 20 - The 28th Annual Lake Murray Kiwanis Turkey Trot will be held at Lake Murray. It features a 3K Fun Run/Walk at 7:30 a.m. and a 10K Fun Run/Walk at 8:30 a.m.  All participants will receive a souvenir T-shirt. Refreshments, including a pancake breakfast, are provided after each race. Turkey certificates from Windmill Farms will be awarded to Men's, Women's, Boys and Girls winners with additional turkey certificates awarded in a drawing for all participants.  Proceeds from this event help fund the Lake Murray Street Fair, July 4th MusicFest and the annual underprivileged children's Christmas party for more than 150 deserving children & their mothers.  Entries mailed or day of the race, Adults: $25; Kids $12. Both races begin and end at the same location - Lake Murray Community Park (on the north side of Lake Murray on Murray Park Drive west of Golfcrest and Jackson Drive - (Thomas Brothers pg. 1250 section E-6) Information: (619) 462-1408.  Visit the Lake Murray Kiwanis website at: http://lakemurraykiwanis.com to download application.

November 30 - The College Area Business Improvement District will have a tree lighting ceremony in the SDSU area. It will begin at 7:00 p.m. and take place in the southwest corner of College Avenue and El Cajon Boulevard. For more information call Christina Kish of the BID at (619) 582-0193.

Best regards,

Jim.

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