The Peninsula Community Planning Board (PCPB) heard updates from interim Mayor Todd Gloria this month, postponed reconsidering a street vacation on Plum Street and approved two of three airport noise-monitoring poles.
Charged with making land-use recommendations to the city, the advisory group also authorized sending a letter expressing concerns about the Navy’s plans to repair and relocate Miramar jet-fuel pipeline down Rosecrans Street.
The pipeline would link the Navy’s fuel farm in Point Loma to the Marine Corps Air Station at Miramar. Gloria began the evening by talking to planners about the transition to newly elected mayor Kevin Faulconer, who is rounding out his service as representative for City Council District 2, which includes Point Loma.
Noting Faulconer would likely be sworn in March 3, Gloria said Faulconer’s seat will be filled by an interim appointee. The appointee will not be allowed to run in this year’s election for a full term. He or she would only serve until December.
Gloria also discussed upcoming City Council issues before fielding questions.
He said hot-button items like regulatng medical marijuana dispensaries, food trucks and building remodels would soon come before the City Council.
On the dispensaries, Gloria said the likely end result will be “30 or less dispensaries in the city,” which he said is “more than all the Walmarts, Kmarts and Targets taken together.” Gloria said future legal marijuana dispensaries will likely only be allowed in industrial zones at least 1,000 feet from “sensitive receptors” like churches, schools and daycare centers.”
Stepping down as interim mayor to become City Council president in March, Gloria said the city is also being asked to approve “sensible regulations” governing operating conditions for mobile food trucks, as well as sanctioning more “specific conditions” for business remodels. He said it is hoped the remodel rules will close loopholes allowing complete tear-downs rather than true remodels.
Gloria was asked by PCPB secretary and bicycling enthusiast Nicole Burgess if the city is becoming more bike friendly. Gloria, who sits on the board of San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), the region’s transportation planning agency, answered, “Absolutely. Five years ago there used to be a bias toward cars, but we’ve seen a sea change in attitude moving away from the love affair with the car.”
Queried about regional water policies given the drought, Gloria replied, “besides continuing to conserve water, we need to aggressively pursue water reuse by filtering it and doing other things like reclaiming gray water, which will require some adjustments and some behavioral changes.”
IN OTHER ACTION
• A request by applicants for PCPB to reconsider a proposed road vacation of an unimproved portion of Plum Street at 3344 Cañon St. was at first denied by the board befor it voted to rehear “new information” in March.
• After hearing testimony from the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority on the need to approve three 5-foot-by-5-foot solar-powered noise-monitoring poles to ensure airplane noise is not exceeding legally prescribed limits, the board approved two at 1944 Plum St. and 1625 Froude St., but delayed approval for a third proposed at 3412 Browning St. after neighbors complained it would obstruct public views. The authority asked for more time to address neighbors’ concerns on the Browning site.
• The PCPB approved sending a letter to government officials expressing community concerns about the potential for traffic congestion and other impacts which could be caused by the Navy’s plans to repair and relocate a 3.5-mile portion of the Miramar fuel pipeline from the La Playa waterfront through the right-of-way along Rosecrans Street. “Their (Navy’s) environmental document should address how they’re going to make sure that the transportation network in this community is not going to be disrupted — and that’s going to be a real tall order,” said PCPB chairwoman Julia Quinn.