Editor’s note: This open letter was written by Danna Givot of San Diego.
Mayor Gloria and Council President Elo-Rivera:
I have listened to the two of you preach equity for all San Diegans in your campaigns and since you took office. Yet when it comes to the College-Rolando Library, equity is noticeably absent. You both appear to be looking the other way while the developers of 6650 Montezuma Road are getting zoning concessions (residential units) to which they are not legally entitled (the CPIOZ allows only hotel rooms) and you appear to be asking nothing for the Library in return.
The C-R Library has the 6th largest patron population in the City and the fourth lowest household median income. Sixty-two percent of its patrons are minorities. Other libraries our size have 80 library-exclusive parking spaces, but we have only 28 – 35% of what we should have! Yes, it was poor planning by your predecessors, but pointing fingers doesn’t solve the problem.
You have the opportunity to give the C-R Library fair and equitable treatment NOW by getting the owners/developers of 6650 Montezuma Road to grant an easement for at least 32 permanent, exclusive library parking spaces. (That would only get us to 60 spaces or 75% of what we should have!)
Scripps Ranch is currently getting 80 additional parking spaces. Mission Hills has 80 underground spaces. Where is the equity in treating the College-Rolando Library like an unwanted stepchild? How is this consistent with your campaign promises and regular pronouncements to treat all San Diegans equitably? Why do these communities deserve dedicated parking for their libraries when the College-Rolando Library does not? Is it because its patrons are 62% minorities or have among the lowest household incomes in the City? How do you justify leaving this particular library with 35% of the dedicated parking spaces it should have based on its size? This neither looks nor feels like equity to the College-Rolando community.
Sean, your idea to create timed parking on Reservoir Drive and Mohawk Street is not a solution and it definitely does not represent equity versus all the other libraries that have exclusive, on-site parking. Those spaces are essentially always in use by the community because they are needed. Further, Reservoir Drive is on a steep grade and Si the spaces were available, getting to the library from there would be challenging for the handicapped, elderly and families with young children. Just getting out of a car on that slope can be challenging.
What the College-Rolando Library needs and deserves is 80 parking spaces for the exclusive use of library patrons. It has survived with about 60 spaces and that is what the community is asking for. This is despite the fact that equity would prescribe the C-R Library have the 80 spaces it deserves based on its size.
Please consider using the zoning leverage you have with the developers at 6650 Montezuma Road to get the College-Rolando Library the easement for permanent, exclusive parking spaces that equity demands. The City has something the developers want, perhaps an easement for access as well as zoning concessions. Please use this to correct the mistakes of past administrations and provide permanent, dedicated parking to the C-R Library.
Thank you for your consideration.
Danna Givot
San Diego
