By Shain Haug
At the Jan. 24 Town Hall Meeting of the Allied Gardens/Grantville Community Council (AGGCC), we received reports from Liz Saidkhanian of Councilmember Scott Sherman’s staff, Ashley Campbell of Rep. Susan Davis’ office, San Diego Police Department Liaison Officer John Steffen, and San Diego Fire Department Battalion Chief Glen Holder. Our primary speaker was Jose Reynoso, President of the College Area Community Council (CACC).
CACC has extensive experience in the matter of mini?dorms — residences that have been converted to high-occupancy for college students. Mr. Reynoso spoke to the problems imposed on the community by those residences and how the CACC has dealt with the issue. An ordinance was recently enacted to control this practice but it only applies to the college area. He suggested that we keep our eyes open for the expansion of mini-dorms to Allied Gardens and Grantville. If so, we can ask for extension of the ordinance to our community.
The full details of these presentations will be found in the meeting minutes that will be published in the March 21 newsletter.
The Jan. 24 meeting also welcomed AGGCC’s newest members: Jessica Read, Sophia Frost, Cassie Rivaldi, Teag Carpenter and Barry Price. We welcome their talents and energy.
Our next Town Hall Meeting will be on Tuesday, March 28 at 7 p.m. at the Ascension Lutheran Church. Our speaker will be John Wurster of Affirmed Housing, the organization that is converting the Motel 6 on Alvarado Canyon Road to a residence for homeless military veterans and plans to build a similar residence at the corner of Fairmont Extension and Twain Avenue.
The council feels that these new neighbors; the conditions at the properties; what they may bring to the area; and what we can do to support the goals of these ventures are of critical interest to our community. We are looking into a joint homeless outreach project by which we might support the folks in the Affirmed Housing units and that would let us stay in touch with those developments. More to follow as we progress.
Join your neighbors from the Navajo Community on Saturday, Feb. 25 at 9 a.m. at 5839 Mission Gorge Road where we will begin picking up trash around the intersection of Mission Gorge, Fairmont, Alvarado Canyon Road, and Camino Del Rio North.
Looking ahead, at the May 23 Town Hall Meeting we hope to have a presentation by the city’s Code Compliance Department. At the Sept. 26 meeting, the San Diego Unified School District Enrollment Options Officer will provide details on the district’s School Choice Program, the options available, and the enrollment procedures. This will bring essential information about school choice to our families with school age children.
The board of directors meets on the first Monday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Ascension Lutheran Church. Our next meeting will be on March 6.
For as many years as I can remember, the Ascension Lutheran Church has offered us the use of the church facilities for our monthly Community Council Board meetings and for the bimonthly Town Hall Meetings. I wish I had more to give in recognition of this generosity and of the many other services that the church performs for the community. This comment will have to suffice. It is not near enough, but at least the congregation will know how grateful we are to have the church as a neighbor. Most sincerely, thank you.
—Shain Haug is president of the Allied Gardens/Grantville Community Council. Reach him at [email protected]. Suggestions for Town Hall Meetings and council action will be much appreciated.
