Regarding the Dec. 6 guest commentary “Born from the Winds of Change” by Suhail Kahlil, initially one makes allowances because he is a relative newcomer to San Diego. When know him, you realize he is more like a blustering Santa Ana, full of itself and hot air.
Mr. Kahlil claims 400 constituents but fails to identify that they were more of a coalition of resident realtors and developer’s employees.
He is unaware that it was Peninsula residents that grew weary of Realtors, developers and architects that dominated the Peninsula Community Planning Board in the 1990s.
The public was angry at their disregarding neighborhood values and rubberstamping undesirable projects, as has happened to numerous planning boards around the city. The most recent was in La Jolla.
Anyone familiar with City Hall is aware the developers own this city, from the conflicted Development Services Department up through the pro-developer Planning Commission to a City Council majority favoring developers and our mayor who is backed by them. Sunroad [Enterprises] was a good example of developer influence out of control. Permitting FAA safety violations of on-the-ground uses at NTC/Liberty Station to McMillin [Cos.] is yet another example.
Contrary to Mr. Kahlil’s assertions, the community planning boards must represent the people of the community and their neighborhood values over the developer interests.
Often, this places them at odds with the special business influence at City Hall. When Mr. Kahlil criticizes the recent past boards, he is criticizing them because they tried to protect neighborhood values and safety against inappropriate projects.
He then lists alleged complaints but fails to note his own uncivil behavior at a meeting with City Planning Department representatives.
He was late arriving at the meeting and in a rude, shouting voice immediately tried to seize control of the meeting in an attempt to shut it down.
Recently, he opposed allowing more time to review the airport’s EIR and expansion impacts upon the residents of the Peninsula.
Mr. Kahlil does serve as a wake-up call to residents to beware the repeated takeovers by special interests that do occur on community planning boards.