por Jay Wilson

It has been an active month in Del Cerro. The possible construction of 26 homes in the canyon below the Chevron Station on College Avenue is still viable, SDG&E installed new utility pipes across College Avenue, the canyon below the Lake Murray Dam still remains an active place for transients, and negative activity in and around Adobe Falls continues to concern residents.

As you are most likely aware, the proposal by ColRich to construct 26 homes south of the Chevron Station remains open. Tony Pauker, Vice President of Acquisitions for ColRich, made a presentation of the project at the July meetings of the Navajo Community Planners and the Del Cerro Action Council (DCAC). Pauker showed initial concept drawings of the homes that would be between 1,800 and 2,200 square feet on lots with a minimum of 5,000 square feet. The property is zoned “R-1,” or residential.

The ColRich proposal includes ingress and egress from a new driveway at College Avenue just below the Chevron Station. The initial traffic study indicates traffic would be increased by only 1 percent. Pauker said ColRich has commissioned a second traffic study even though it is not required by the city because of the size of the project. Traffic is a concern because of the speed on College Avenue. As one resident pointed out, if you would live in the new development and take a child to Hearst Elementary, it would be difficult to get back home. After turning right on College Avenue from Del Cerro Boulevard, you would have to drive south all the way to Montezuma Road before you could make a legal U-turn to return to the entrance of the new neighborhood.

Pauker will keep us informed as the project moves forward. Check our website for updated information at delcerroactioncouncil.org. The proposed project is a year away and we will have plenty of time for input to the city.

SDG&E has installed a new underground utility line through the intersection of Del Cerro Boulevard and College Avenue. The initial plan by SDG&E was to have construction and traffic delays during the day on seven consecutive Saturdays. Fortunately, Liz Saidkhanian of Councilmember Scott Sherman’s office negotiated to have the work done on consecutive nights to avoid daytime traffic congestion.

Considerable effort has been made by city departments to curtail the transient encampments in the canyon below the Lake Murray Dam, including by the city’s Code Enforcement Division, Public Utilities Department, Real Estate Assets Department and the Police Department. Numerous arrests have been made, and crime has decreased in our neighborhoods. There have been seven arrests and at least seven illegal encampments eliminated. However, the transients have returned on several occasions. The law requires that before an encampment can be removed, Code Enforcement employees must post a notice at the site giving the occupants a specific number of days to vacate the premises. If the transients move their encampment a certain distance, it is considered a new encampment and the process must start over. It is also expensive to remove the encampments at approximately $1,100 each time.

Since the area involves the cities of San Diego and La Mesa, both police departments are working together on crime-related incidents. If you have a crime-related concern, report it to the Police Department. Call 9-1-1 if it is an emergency, or call the non-emergency line at 619-531-2000. You can also contact Sherman’s office — ask for Liz — at 619-236-6677.

The trespassing, littering and vandalism at Adobe Falls is an ongoing concern for residents living in the area. The property is owned by San Diego State University.

“Our department defers to the SDSU Police Department for issues at Adobe Falls,” San Diego Police Lt. Mike Swanson said. “It is their jurisdiction. If the issue is not on SDSU property, call us.”

I contacted SDSU President Elliot Hirshman. He is aware of the problem and his staff will be working more closely with Councilmember Sherman’s office and SDPD. On behalf of the DCAC, I requested a meeting with SDSU staff to include Councilmember Sherman, Eastern Division Police Captain Bernie Colon, Adobe Falls residents and members of the DCAC board.

DCAC Chair Mark Rawlins announced the next DCAC meeting will be Thursday, Oct. 22 at 7 p.m. at Temple Emanu-El, 6299 Capri Drive. Please note we will be meeting in the library, which will accommodate up to 40 people. Beginning in September, the Senior Center run by Jewish Family Services that has been at Temple Beth Israel in the College area, is moving to Temple Emanu-El. They have an extensive program and it is open to the public.

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