FRANKLIN ROAD CONNECTION APPROVED

In an 8-1 vote on Oct. 30, the City Council approved the long-contested Franklin Ridge Road connector.

The approved roadway will connect Mission Valley and Serra Mesa through a 460-foot-long connector. This roadway will be placed between Phyllis Place in Serra Mesa and the intersection of Via Alta and Franklin Ridge Road in the Civita development in Mission Valley.

Those in favor of the project said the connector will mitigate traffic and provide better access to Interstate 805. Additionally, they claim that a more direct route in and out of Mission Valley will also help emergency responders.

“Mission Valley has traffic problems and it’s going to continue to have traffic problems,” Councilman Scott Sherman said. “There’s a lot of development coming to Mission Valley because of the trolley, and the transit and the connectivity. We need more connectivity to make this thing work.”

The vote certifies an environmental review of the project and amends the Serra Mesa Community Plan. Mission Valley’s community plan will not be affected, as the connector was already included prior to the City Council decision.

VISTA INVESTMENT GROUP ACQUIRES LOCAL TOWER

Plaza 2020, a 105,796-square-foot office building, is now under the ownership of Vista Investment Group.

The Mission Valley tower is located on a 3.16-acre site at Camino del Rio North. It was built is 1970, with renovations done in 2000. Additional improvements are planned for the building.

Currently, America Preferred Lending and the recently opened University of Redlands call the building home.

“Mission Valley should see strong office demand in the coming years as a surge of residential and retail development is delivered into the sub-market,” Vista president Jonathan Barach said.

“Plaza 2020 fits well within Vista’s strategy of owning well-located middle market assets, below replacement cost, with strong upside potential.”

LEGACY CENTER PROJECT COMING TO HOTEL CIRCLE

Morris Cerullo’s proposed $160 million Legacy International Center was approved by the San Diego City Council in a 7-2 vote on Oct. 16.

Cerullo, an 85-year-old televangelist, bought the Mission Valley Resort six years ago with plans to develop the land into a religious-themed resort and conference center.

Many residents have voiced concern over the proposal, including members of the local LGBT community. Others, including local religious figures, have expressed support of the project.

Despite the ongoing debate over the religious nature of the Legacy Center, the City Council was advised to only consider the traffic impact the project may have on Mission Valley when casting their votes. The warnings from the City Attorney’s office were sent in a letter prior to the vote, and made multiple times during the hearing.

“We are not allowed to address what we like or do not like on this site,” Councilwoman Barbara Bry said. “I know it will upset many people close to me in the past, but my job is to look at what we are allowed to decide on.”

To address traffic concerns, the developers agreed to adding two lanes on Hotel Circle South, orchestrating recurrent traffic counts and not scheduling large events at times that coincide with peak commute hours.

With the City Council approval, the Legacy Center will now move forward with development. A few of the projected amenities will include a corporate meeting space, 127-room hotel and a religious museum space. Some community members see parallels of the site’s plan with an amusement park; several of the designers have previously worked with Disney.

The project, which is a downsized version of the original proposal, is projected to open its doors in 2019.

MISSION VALLEY RESIDENT NAMED TEACHER OF THE YEAR

Mission Valley computer science teacher Mark Lantsberger was recently among the five educators honored at “Cox Presents: A Salute to Teachers.”

Lantsberger shares the honor with local teachers Jaime Brown, Camden Flores, Ben Swearington and Kathy Worley.

Lantsberger began his career 19 years ago at Del Norte High after teaching in Italy for two years. He is known for his love of music, his advanced computer science program and his Mohawk haircut.

The event, sponsored by San Diego Credit Union and San Diego County Office of Education, was held on Sept. 14. KUSI will re-air the show in November.

Visit salutetoteachers.com for a complete listing of replay dates and times.