por Jay Wilson

ColRich development

The major concern for Del Cerro continues to be the proposed ColRich development that will result in the construction of 24 homes east of College Avenue and just below the Chevron Station. Navajo Community Planners, Inc. (NCPI) voted 6–4 to oppose the project at its May 10 meeting.

The next opportunity to support or oppose the project is to submit comments to the City of San Diego Development Services Department in response to the Mitigated Negative Declaration Report recently issued. The following information is from the CEQA document and provides information on how to access the report and submit comments which are due by June 23:

“The City of San Diego Development Services Department has prepared a draft Mitigated Negative Declaration Report for the following project and is inviting your comments regarding the adequacy of the document. The draft Mitigated Negative Declaration has been placed on the City of San Diego website at bit.ly/2s39ZIC under the “California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Notices & Documents” section. Your comments must be received by June 23, 2017, to be included in the final document considered by the decision-making authorities. Please send your written comments to the following address:

Courtney Holowach, Environmental Planner, City of San Diego Development Services Center

1222 First Ave., MS 501

San Diego, CA 92101;

or e-mail your comments to [email protected] with the project name and number in the subject line.”

City staff will respond to concerns outlined in the comments they receive via phone, email, or letters. The concerns, and city staff responses, will be included in the final CEQA document. Your input counts, but only if legitimate concerns are brought to city staff’s attention.

Several Del Cerro residents opposed to the project recently met at Temple Emanu-El to discuss their concerns with the project. They discussed several matters that could present opportunities to raise concerns when the project comes before the City of San Diego Planning Commission, including the following:

• The community has requested the property remain undeveloped for several decades, which the city has actively supported until now.
• The environmental study submitted by ColRich is three years old and may require an update.

Are there funds available for the city to purchase the property and have it become dedicated open space?

• The traffic study contracted by ColRich needs to be evaluated by a third party.
• Traffic on College Avenue has dramatically increased over the past 30 years.
  • What changed the city’s stance on allowing development with ingress and egress limited to a single driveway on College Avenue when it has been previously denied?
• Does anyone know of a traffic engineer in Del Cerro, or anywhere, who would be willing to review the traffic study on behalf of the Del Cerro community?

Everyone is encouraged to thoroughly read the CEQA document referenced above. When the project is docketed on the agenda of the Planning Commission, direct any concerns in a letter to the commission. The CEQA document is posted on the city website, and the CEQA document has been posted on the delcerroactioncouncil.org website for your reference and referral.

The ColRich project will need to be heard by the City Council if and when it passes the Planning Commission. If it is docketed for the City Council, letters, phone calls, and/or emails should be directed to Councilmember Scott Sherman. Note that members of the City Council cannot comment or make a decision on a project until the item is presented to the council at an official council meeting.

Consejo de Acción del Cerro

The next meeting of the Del Cerro Action Council will be held on Thursday, July 28, at 7 p.m. at Temple Emanu-El. Our website is delcerroactioncouncil.org.

—Jay Wilson is secretary of the Del Cerro Action Council. Reach him at [email protected].