San Diego O.K.s Mission Valley for 50,000 additional residents
Mission Valley OK’d for massive overhaul
https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/d...an-jbg-001.JPG[This is a view looking northwest. The west end of Mission Valley and the San Diego River will be populated with pedestrian and bicycle paths among all of the other improvements planned in the Mission Valley Community Plan.
(John Gibbins/The San Diego Union-Tribune)
San Diego City Council adopts new community plan that rezones the entire region, and allows for more housing and commercial development near transit
By JENNIFER VAN GROVE
SEP. 10, 2019 7:09 PM
City leaders have set in motion a 30-year plan for Mission Valley that flips the region’s focus from its roads to the San Diego River and the trolley system. It simultaneously creates room for 50,000 additional residents and 7 million more square feet of commercial development.
Tuesday, the City Council voted unanimously to adopt the Mission Valley Community Plan Update and certify the associated environmental impact report. The approval is the last needed in a process that dates to 2015, when city planners first teamed with community members to come up with a new framework for Mission Valley. The land-use and policy document also cleared without a hiccup the city’s Land Use & Housing Committee and the Planning Commission earlier in the summer.
The updated document replaces a plan that was adopted in 1985 and contributed to the town’s highly commercial, auto-centric character. The overhauled version organizes the region around the San Diego River, which flows horizontally through Mission Valley. The plan also divides the town into four so-called “urban villages,” with residential and commercial activity at its peak in the central and eastern areas.
Council members applauded the plan for its approach to housing and commercial space alongside mass transit.
“I’m a big believer in local planning, that San Diego should control what happens in our neighborhoods, not Sacramento. I think today is a poster child for why San Diego should be in charge of what happens in our city,” said Councilwoman Barbara Bry, who is also running for mayor. “This (plan) will probably used in city planning classes around the country. It’s really terrific.”
The approach accommodates as many as 28,000 additional housing units by 2050 through a comprehensive rezoning process that will see much of the area designated as “mixed use.” The designation is an all-new, citywide zone that local planners say will make projects easier to build, increase housing near jobs and transit, and promote alternative modes of transportation. The zone type, for instance, requires developers to incorporate pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly amenities, such as pathways to transit and park spaces.
The community’s residential population is anticipated to balloon by 248 percent from 20,800 people in 2012 to 72,400 people in 2050, according to the plan.
“We want to make sure that the development that comes forward is very thoughtfully designed,” said Nancy Graham, who led the city’s planning effort.
Graham spoke of the city’s desire to break up large blocks with pedestrian walkways, and highlighted the plan’s attention to bicycle infrastructure.
In addition, the plan identifies new parks, a couple of roads, more than a handful of bridges, two recreation centers and an aquatics center, although financing remains to be determined.
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[GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT
Can Mission Valley handle 50,000 more residents?
Sep. 8, 2019
Parts of the policy document received pushback from community members and businesses, but they were ultimately overruled.
Mission Valley property owners south of Interstate 8, for instance, were unable to persuade the council to reconsider the zoning of that region, which is designated as entirely commercial because of its limited access to transit. John Hine of John Hine Mazda and Jim Brown of Marvin K. Brown Auto Center said they want to redevelop their parcels with some housing. The newly adopted plan, however, will require the dealership owners to pursue a plan amendment for residential use.
In addition, the San Diego River Park Foundation objected to two new streets in the western portion of town that would cross or follow the river. The roads are called for in the plan and included in the proposed redevelopment of the Riverwalk golf course. That project, which is currently going through its environmental review process, proposes 4,300 residential units, 152,000 square feet of retail, 1 million square feet of office space and 106 acres of open space.
Meanwhile, an expected 43 percent jump in total vehicle miles traveled per day in the area by 2050 — from 1.65 million miles per day to 2.36 million miles per day — did not appear to be a roadblock for community members, nor was it of concern to council members. That’s in part because city planners believe the plan can create a balance between the number of people who live and work in the area, which should reduce the number of miles traveled per person.
The plan also lays the framework for new two north-south bridges over the river, one through the Riverwalk project and the other at Fenton Parkway.
“The bridges are extremely important,” said Councilman Scott Sherman, whose district includes Mission Valley. “Going north and south, that’s what causes a lot of the gridlock because there’s not a lot of places to do that across the river. ... I need those connectors. The valley needs those connectors.”
The Mission Valley Community Plan Update also makes room for the redevelopment of the SDCCU Stadium site, which is currently owned by the city.
San Diego State University is negotiating with the city to acquire 132 acres of the property and is in the midst of a separate planning process for the site.
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com...ssive-overhaul
