No, they haven’t picked up Balboa Park’s 1,172 acres and moved them to the Peninsula. But with all the buzz about bypass bridges, two-story parking garages, first-time-ever parking fees and other potentially radical changes, folks here seem keen to keep up on the redevelopment proposals being discussed as the venerable park’s centennial in 2015 approaches. And that’s why the Peninsula Community Planning Board (PCPB) has called on all interested citizens to attend a forum tonight, Nov. 17, at its regular monthly meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the Hervey/Point Loma Branch Library, located at 3701 Voltaire St. The debate was sparked by a proposal unveiled in August 2010 by San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders and Qualcomm co-founder Irwin Jacobs. The vision called for the removal of cars from the Plaza de Panama, the park’s main square. To divert traffic, a new 265-foot-high, 30-foot-wide ramp off the bridge would sprout off the south side of the Cabrillo Bridge and eventually lead to a new 785-space underground structure that would be built in the existing Organ Pavilion parking lot. Presenting the Jacobs plan will be David Marshall, president of Heritage Architecture and Planning; and Gordon Kovtun, principal of KCM Group. Bruce Coons, the PCPB’s newest member and executive director of Save Our Heritage Organisation, will present the leading alternative backed by SOHO. Jay Schumaker, an architect and PCPB board member, will also present. Each of the three presenters has been allotted 15 minutes to speak and five minutes for questions and answers. In other planning board news: • Helen Kinnaird is now board chairwoman. Kinnaird, the only candidate nominated at last month’s meeting, had been acting chair since August, following the resignation of Suhail Kahlil. • Jarvis Ross was selected first vice chairman. • Coons was selected to serve out the remaining portion of Kahlil’s term as board member, which expires in March. Coons was the only announced candidate.








