CACC Annual Review

Most of the work that gets done by any board takes place at the committee level. At our April meeting, we reviewed the Annual Reports from our four standing committees for the fiscal year ending March 2014.  The hard working people on these committees are not all board members.  Most committees consist of board members plus caring community members who have a special interest in a particular issue in the College Area.  Here are some of the major activities undertaken by these committees in FY 2013-14:

Beautification: Members of the committee took the design for Tubman Charter School Joint Use Park at 68th and Mohawk from an artist's rendering to a City approved design.  The approval process involved countless meetings with City and School District staff and boards, and a few hard fought battles. The result is a design that residents can be proud of, with real grass (as opposed to artificial turf), benches, a running trail, and attractive landscaping. 

The efforts of the Beautification Committee were instrumental in the widening of the westbound bike path on Montezuma Road from 55th to Fairmont, making that road safer for cyclists. The committee also submitted a proposal for design work on a sidewalk along the north side of Montezuma.

Committee members worked to improve maintenance of the landscaping on the median island at the intersection of Fairmount and Montezuma, just south of I- 8. The median, which had been maintained by Caltrans for years, was turned over to the City in 2013.  Navigating City departments to find the right one to take responsibility for the maintenance proved daunting, but not insurmountable.  A landscape contract is now in process for this western entry point to the College Area.

The group is also pursuing beautification of an unattractive concrete retaining wall on the south side of Montezuma eastbound approaching 55th Street. Working with the SDSU Art Department, we hope to see improvements to this area in the coming year. Finally, several committee members are investigating the possibility of signage on El Cajon Blvd. to welcome travelers to the College Area communities of East College and El Cerrito.

Code Enforcement and Nuisance Rental Properties: This busy committee has coordinated implementation this year of the College Area Volunteer Code Enforcement program.  This program was revived by the City to assist the short-staffed Code Enforcement Division in documenting minor code violations visible from the street, and making initial contact with property owners to urge voluntary compliance.  After two letters from the group, cases that have not been resolved are turned over to the City for enforcement. The program has so far proved effective in decreasing problems such as parking on lawns, outdoor storage, and poor maintenance, and has resulted in substantial improvements in the appearance of some streets in the College Area. Further improvements are expected.

The committee also continues to work with the City towards effective implementation of the Residential High Occupancy Permit ordinance, which regulates the occupancy of houses with more than 5 adults, and the Rooming House ordinance, which regulates rental properties in single family zones with more than two leases in one house. A report on the status of High Turnover High Occupancy rentals in the College Area documented the need for such regulations. 

Project Review: In 2013, this committee reviewed and recommended approval of a Planned Development Permit to construct a 17 unit, 4-story student apartment building over 2 stories of underground parking at 5716 Hardy Avenue. 

In February 2014, the committee conducted a preliminary review of a proposal for a Planned Development Permit to construct two 5-story buildings with 102 student apartments over two stories of underground parking at 5030 College Avenue.  The committee had a number of concerns regarding this proposal, and drafted a letter to the City voicing these concerns, requesting that the issues raised be considered during the City's regular cycle review process. 

It was followed up in March with a letter to the City advocating modification to the City's municipal code to apply the same parking standards to certain off-campus student apartments as apply to dormitories, to insure adequate parking for students living in these facilities.

Outreach: This hard working group produces the monthly newsletter for CACC, and sends out e-blasts between newsletters to publicize information important to the community.  It also oversees maintenance of the CACC website, www.collegearea.org. In 2013 the group designed banners to advertise upcoming CACC meetings, and decals for local business members of CACC to display in their windows. Members mailed out letters inviting new residents of the College Area to join CACC, and oversaw the annual renewal process for existing members.

In summary, the CACC and CACPB could not function without the work of its standing committees.  Please consider joining one of them to make a real difference in your community.