Court Decertifies SDSU Master Plan EIR; SDSU Will Appeal

On December 13, the 4^th District Court of Appeal overturned a Superior Court decision and ordered that the certification of the Environmental Impact Report on the SDSU Campus Master Plan Update, approved by the California State University Board of Trustees in November 2007, be voided.

The plan expands of the number of full-time equivalent students at SDSU from 25,000 to 35,000 (current enrollment is about 27,500 FTES). New construction projects in the plan include on-campus housing with 3,000 beds; faculty and staff housing units in Adobe Falls (north of Interstate 8); and office and academic buildings, a parking structure and a six-story hotel on Alvarado Road.

Government agencies including the City of San Diego, Caltrans, MTS and SANDAG filed suit against the CSU contending that the EIR greatly underestimated the additional strains on roads, trolleys, buses and other infrastructure.

During the public review of the EIR, the CACC supported the plan in principle but expressed concerns about the plan's potentially detrimental effect on the community, particularly traffic impacts on major streets and intersections which already exceed capacity during peak periods. The CACC felt that unless the State fully-funded the CSU's fair share of necessary mitigation measures, the FTES should be increased only to 30,000 to keep the growth and accompanying capital projects to a reasonable level. The CACC also recommended that the CSU further explore the long-range feasibility of a campus in South Bay region of San Diego County.

According to Robert Schulz, SDSU Associate Vice President - Operations, "We will be appealing the decision to the [California] Supreme Court because we believe the findings of our Environmental Impact Report appropriately address the immediate and long-term needs of the College Area. SDSU recently received a record 69,225 undergraduate applications for the fall 2012 semester. The SDSU Campus Master Plan serves as a blueprint for the continued growth and development of the university through the 2024-25 academic year so we can continue to serve the region and state."

Redevelopment Funds Much-Needed
Street Lights in College Area   

Construction has begun on the installation of 13 new induction streetlights along Streamview Drive, from 54th Street to College Avenue and 33 additional induction streetlights along El Cajon Boulevard from 54th Street to 73rd Street. The improvement project is being implemented by the city of San Diego with funding provided last year by the city's Redevelopment Agency using Crossroads Redevelopment Project Area funds.

The need for additional streetlights along Streamview Drive was identified by the Redwood Village Community Council (RVCC), while the need for more streetlights along El Cajon Boulevard was identified by the College Area Business District (CABD). The RVCC and CABD presented this need to the Crossroads Redevelopment Project Area Committee, which serves as an advisory committee to the San Diego Redevelopment Agency, and the PAC recommended the funding request.

Agency staff worked closely with the City's Engineering & Capital Projects Department staff to identify the lighting requirement and prepare the construction documents using redevelopment funds. The project objective is to meet city of San Diego streetlight standards and spacing requirements for commercial and transit corridors. Construction should be completed in 100 working days.

"We are delighted with the City's community investment of additional streetlights along Streamview Drive. They will "light up" this major corridor, assist in deterring crime, add to our community health and make our community feel safer." Anna Orzel-Arnita, President of Redwood Village Community Council. "Business and property owners are pleased that after a long process additional streetlights will be installed along El Cajon Boulevard. This is a vital commercial and transit corridor in the College Area," said Jennifer Finnegan, Executive Director of College Area Business District.

Court Splits Decision Over

Redevelopment Funding

Gov. Jerry Brown and state lawmakers have the authority to eliminate community redevelopment agencies but not force them to redirect their taxes to local services, the California Supreme Court ruled December 29 in a decision that will likely send both sides back to negotiations.

The state will be able to save more than $1 billion in this year's budget by eliminating about 400 redevelopment agencies, but it will not get an estimated $400 million a year thereafter from money that would have been set aside by agencies to continue operating. The state, which is heading into the new year with a $13 billion shortfall over the next 18 months, had initially estimated the current-year savings at $1.7 billion.

The justices said because the state Legislature authorized the creation of redevelopment agencies, it has the power to eliminate them and called it "a proper exercise of the legislative power vested in the Legislature by the state constitution." But the court invalidated state legislation that diverts redevelopment funding, calling it "flawed."

"[The] ruling by the California Supreme Court validates a key component of the state budget and guarantees more than a billion dollars of ongoing funding for schools and public safety," Brown said in a statement.

The ruling was highly anticipated because it was a key component of balancing the state budget by eliminating redevelopment agencies, which primarily are controlled by cities and counties to promote construction projects and revitalize blighted districts. While the court allowed the state to dissolve redevelopment agencies, the Legislature had intended to keep redevelopment agencies going by requiring payments to schools and other local services.

San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders called it a "sad day" and hopes local governments will be able to strike a compromise with the Legislature and the governor that would allow redevelopment agencies to continue operating, which will create jobs. The California Redevelopment Association vowed to work with lawmakers to revive redevelopment agencies. The association and cities had argued the move was illegal under Proposition 22 in 2010, which banned the state from raiding local government funding.

Parking Enforcement Officers
to Begin Issuing Citations
for Illegal Parking on Lawns

In October, the CACC wrote to Mayor Jerry Sanders and Councilmember Marti Emerald objecting that Neighborhood Code Compliance has placed violations for parking on lawns [i.e., violations of Municipal Code Section 142.0410 (e)] in the lowest enforcement category of "No Code Compliance Action." While the CACC understands the City's fiscal situation and the need to prioritize limited enforcement resources, we find this decision completely unacceptable. While parking on lawns may not pose imminent risks to health and safety, the practice destroys the appearance of neighborhoods and deteriorates property values.

The CACC suggested that City parking enforcement officers (many of whom regularly patrol the College Area to enforce the Residential Permit Parking District) could be assigned the authority and responsibility for writing administrative citations for parking on lawns. On December 22, Councilmember Emerald's office contacted the CACC to announce that she and the Mayor's office concur with implementing with this enforcement mechanism. If community members are aware of residences with frequent potential violations, please send the information with documentation (photos, etc.) to                 cacc@collegeneighborhoods.com or
CACC, PO Box 15723, San Diego, CA 92175.

Reminder: It's Time to Renew  Your CACC Annual Dues

College Area Community Council membership is on a calendar year basis. Thank you to those of you who have already renewed. If you haven't yet done so, you can save CACC time and money by paying your 2012 dues before January 17 so we won't have to mail you a membership renewal letter.  You can either  pay online via PayPal by clicking one of the membership levels below, or if you prefer you can download the membership renewal form and mail in your check to our PO Box.  Membership dues are our only source of revenue, so your generosity is appreciated.  Membership qualifies you for the Affiliate rate at the Aztec Recreation Center.  Sponsoring members, College Area Angels, and business sponsors will be recognized in a future newsletter.

Mail-In Membership Form

Subscribing Member ($10/household) PayPal Link

Contributing Member ($15/household) PayPal Link

Sponsoring Member ($25/household) PayPal Link

College Area Angel ($50/household) PayPal Link

Business Sponsor ($50/business/organization) PayPal Link

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Nominees Sought for College Area Community Planning Board

Six seats on the College Area Community Planning Board (CACPB) are up for election at the March14 meeting. Those elected serve concurrently as Executive Board members of the College Area Community Council (CACC).

Any registered community member who has attended a minimum of two joint CACPB/CACC meetings between February 2011 and February 2012 is eligible to run. All CACC members and anyone who completes a CACC Membership/CACPB Registration Form by February 15, 2012 is considered a registered community member and eligible to vote at the March 14 election.

Board members are required to attend monthly joint meetings of the CACPB/CACC held on the second Wednesday between 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. at the College-Rolando Library. Additionally each board member is expected to serve on at least one committee. Most committees meet monthly, although some committees meet quarterly or as needed. There are a total of 20 board members, 18 elected (with staggered 3-year terms), one appointed by San Diego State University and one appointed by SDSU Associated Students.

If you are interested, please complete the enclosed nomination form and return it by February 15 so you can be included on the ballot. Nominations will also be accepted from the floor on the night of the elections, provided the nominee meets the eligibility criteria.

Click Here to Download a Nomination Form