At our November meeting, the CACC allocated $2,000 from budget reserves to purchase and equip a bicycle for the C-Squad of the Eastern Division of San Diego Police Department. The C-Squad needs five bikes in all, in order to enhance its public safety mission here in the College Area and other parts of the Eastern Division.
The scheduled presentation by Timothy Quinnan, Associate Vice President of SDSU for Campus Life, did not take place due to a last minute scheduling conflict on Mr. Quinnan's part. He will be re-scheduled to discuss activities at the new SDSU Student Union at a later date.
A proposal to send a letter of support in favor of a lawsuit filed by Rolandans for Quality Infill Development against the Centerpoint project (now BLVD63) at 63rd and El Cajon Blvd. was continued until the January meeting, in order to obtain more information regarding the lawsuit.
The CACC board did, however, endorse measures proposed by the Rolando Community Council to prevent a recurrence of the situation that resulted in the BLVD 63 multifamily housing complex being approved by City staff with no community input.
Specifically, the board supported the idea that the City should seek community review for any proposed multifamily residential project that would contain 30 or more units within 1,000 feet of a single family residential neighborhood, even if allowed by right in the zone, and even if reviewed previously (in the event of a design change).
The board also agreed that alternate preventive measures proposed by the Rolando Community Council, such as more accurate descriptions of student housing within the City zoning code, merit further investigation.
The CACC Board shares with the Rolando Community Council and other neighborhood groups a strong interest in implementing improvements to El Cajon Boulevard.
A mobility study to define needed improvements to this long neglected corridor, especially between 54th Street and 73rd, was the top priority of the College Area Community Planning Board during the City's annual Capital Improvement Program budget process.
In other actions at the November 13 meeting, the board voted to file a protest against an application for an alcohol license at a hookah lounge on El Cajon Blvd.
The board also declined to approve a request from SDSU to fund traffic control measures for certain community events scheduled to take place at SDSU next year. For the past several years, money from the Dollar per Ticket fund has been used to pay for traffic control for these events, on an emergency basis.
However, the fund has always been intended for capital improvements to mitigate the impact of SDSU Arena events. With the recovering economy, it was felt that these community groups should be able to raise sufficient funds on their own to cover the cost of their events.
Also at the meeting, a representative and two alternates were chosen to represent the CACC at monthly meetings set up by the Police Department's Eastern Division to engage in problem solving with the College Area community. Because of its unique situation within the Eastern Division, wherein two Police Departments operate side by side in one community, the College Area has been fortunate to have been selected for concentrated attention.
The purpose of the monthly meetings, which are being held in collaboration with the SDSU Police Department, is to help coordinate enforcement between the two entities, and to address public safety issues unique to the College Area. Each neighborhood within the College Area has appointed representatives to this group, dubbed CARPUS for College Area Public Safety.
The meetings are held monthly at 6:30 p.m. on the third Tuesday of the month, at the College Avenue Baptist Church, 4747 College Avenue. Residents and/or property owners in the College Area are urged to attend if they have issues or questions relating to law enforcement activities in this community, either concerning City or SDSU police practices. This is an outstanding opportunity to interact with our Police Department personnel on a one to one basis, and get problems solved in real time.
The College Area Community Council and Community Planning Board do not meet in December. Our next meeting will be January 8, 2014.
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