July Meeting Report

At our July meeting, City Councilmember Marti Emerald and Fire-Rescue Department Chief Javier Mainar, along with staff from the Public Works Department and the Independent Budget Analyst's office, presented their proposal for funding additional fire stations throughout the city. A total of 19 new fire stations are needed, and a fire station in the College Area, in the general vicinity of 55th and Hardy, is the third priority on the list of 19 stations. The City doesn't have the money to build these stations, and several possible financing mechanisms were discussed, all of them involving borrowing money and paying it back over time. The plan would be to build several fire stations at a time, to take advantage of economies of scale. The board voted unanimously to endorse the effort to build these much needed fire stations, and encouraged Councilmember Emerald to continue in her efforts to explore available financing mechanisms.

We also discussed the recent closing of College Lutheran Church at 6050 Montezuma Road. We were informed that the Lutheran Senate intends to hold onto the property for the time being. The board voted unanimously to ask the Lutheran Senate to appoint College Area resident and board member Robert Montana to the committee studying the future of the property. The board also voted to send a letter to the City asking that, should the property become available for sale, the City acquire the site for use as a park. The College Area is severely deficient in parks, and the site, which has good access and is near to the City library, would be an ideal location for a park. Further, the College Area Facilities Financing Plan calls for a Recreation Center in the College Area, and the City could explore the feasibility of converting the existing structure for that use.

Subsequent to the meeting, the CACPB received notice that Verizon Wireless is proposing a 30 foot high cell phone tower in front of the Lutheran Church, with a 4' diameter microwave dish, and a 184 square foot enclosure on the eastern side of the property for an emergency generator. This proposal may be considered by the board at its September meeting.

The board also voted to cancel the August meeting, and allocated $250 from savings for an Ice Cream Social and community education event on Sunday, September 20 in the courtyard of the SDSU Student Union. Subsequent to the meeting, SDSU offered to donate the funds for the Ice Cream Social, so use of the $250 will not be needed. The purpose of the event, which is from 2 - 4 pm, is for students and community members to get to know each other in a fun and positive setting, and to inform both groups about available resources to combat nuisance behaviors in residential neighborhoods during the school year. Stay tuned for more information.

August Meeting- canceled

The College Area Community Council and College Area Community Planning Board

Meeting of August 12, 2015 is canceled.  

The next meeting will be on September 9, 2015

College/Rolando Branch Library, 6600 Montezuma Road, San Diego, CA 92115

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