Lansdowne resigns, Faulconer names new police chief

On Tuesday, Feb. 25, San Diego Police Chief William Lansdowne announced his retirement, effective on Monday, March 3, which is the same day Kevin Faulconer will be sworn in as mayor. The announcement comes amid allegations of sexual misconduct among multiple San Diego police officers.

The following day, Faulconer announced that Assistant Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman would be San Diego’s next police chief. Zimmerman joined SDPD in 1982. She is a graduate of Ohio Sate University and the FBI National Academy. She will be San Diego’s first female police chief.

SDPD released a statement on Tuesday stating Lansdowne’s decision to retire was entirely his own.

The 69-year-old police chief has served in this position for more than 10 years, which is considerably longer than the average three-year term for big city police chiefs, he said in an interview. San Diego had its lowest crime rate since the 1960s under Lansdowne’s tenure.

Uptown Planners candidates announced

The Uptown Community Planning Group will hold an election to fill three vacated seats at its March 4 meeting. The window for applications closed on Feb. 25, and seven candidates will be listed on the ballot.

Of the seven candidates, four are Hillcrest residents, two are from Mission Hills or Western Slopes and one is from Bankers Hill/Park West. The board holds elections each March to elect members to four-year terms. It provides input to city planners on land use and community planning issues. Currently, it is providing input on the Uptown Community Plan Update, which is expected to be finished by 2015.

The candidates are Garry Bonner (Bankers Hill/ Park West), Walt Chambers (Hillcrest), Roy Dahl (Hillcrest), Bob Daniel (Mission Hills/Western Slopes), Sharon Gehl (Mission Hills), Tom Mullaney (Hillcrest) and Matt Wahlstrom (Hillcrest).

Uptown residents, as well as those who own business or property in Uptown, are eligible to vote in the election, given they bring proof of residency or business or property ownership to the meeting. Photocopies are acceptable. One may vote for up to three candidates on the ballot. For more information, email Election Chair Joe Naskar at [email protected]. The election will take place from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Joyce Beers Community Center, 4100 Vermont St.

Ayuntamiento aprueba ordenanza de dispensarios

On Tuesday, Feb. 25, the City Council approved new regulations of medical marijuana dispensaries, or “cooperatives,” operating in San Diego. The vote was nearly unanimous, with Councilmember Mark Kersey casting the only vote against the measure, citing contradictory rulings on the federal level.

The ordinance that appeared before the City Council on Tuesday was a revised version of one that failed to be adopted last year. The revisions provided stricter guidelines for San Diego cooperatives.

Along with several other new requirements, they must be located 1,000 feet from public parks, churches, child-care centers, playgrounds, residential care facilities, schools and other cooperatives.

Councilmember Lorie Zapf successfully motioned to limit the number of cooperatives per council district to four. An analysis by SANDAG found that this would limit the maximum number of dispensaries in San Diego to 30.

The ordinance also requires approval by the California Coastal Commission, which according to city staff, is expected to adopt the measure within 90 days.

Local law firm offers free rides home from Mardi Gras celebrations

The Law Offices of Howard Alan Kitay will provide 125 $20 credits through the rideshare app Lyft as part of the firm’s Sober Lift Home Program for Mardi Gras goers. Lyft users may claim the $20 credit by entering the promo code “KITAY” into the app under the “payments” section. The code will go live on March 4. The firm hopes to curb drunk driving with the offer. In 2012, more than 10,000 people died in DUI-related crashes in the United States.

For more information regarding the Sober Lift Home Program, visit kitaylaw.com.

Mission Hills home earns national recognition

The century-old “American Craftsman” house was recently awarded “Home of the Year” at the Best in American Living Awards (BALA) by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). The award comes after it was given a significant architectural makeover by IS Architecture of La Jolla and Hill Construction Company of San Diego.

The American Craftsman was built in 1910 in Mission Hills, which is one of San Diego’s oldest and most historically preserved neighborhoods. The house also received the regional Gold Nugget award in 2013 for its design and build.

Old Globe to hold auditions for Summer Shakespeare Intensive

On March 15 and 16, The Old Globe will hold auditions for its 2014 Summer Shakespeare Intensive, which offers San Diego County high school students the opportunity to refine their acting skills in a professional setting. The four-week program will begin on Saturday, July 19 then run on weekdays from July 21 through Aug. 18. The program costs $700 with a limited number of need-based scholarships available. Auditions will take place on the Globe campus by appointment only. For more information, visit theoldglobe.org/summerintensive or email [email protected].

End date for Cabrillo Bridge construction pushed back

Caltrans announced that the completion date for the Cabrillo Bridge Retrofit and Rehabilitation Project — specifically the Laurel Street Overcrossing — will be pushed back from spring 2014 to an unspecified date in the summer. The project team expects to have a more specific deadline before the end of March, according to a press release. The project began in early January.

The delay is primarily due to the removal of more debris and water from the workspace than originally anticipated. The press release stated the project would still be completed prior to the 2015 Balboa Park Centennial Celebration. For more information about the project, visit dot.ca.gov/dist11/Cabrillo/.

Alcalde electo anuncia equipo de liderazgo

Kevin Faulconer has announced his top-level staff. The mayor-elect is putting a diverse team consisting of three deputy chiefs of staff into place to run his administration; a Spanish-speaking Latino, a respected policy expert and a San Diego native who is also a long-time advisor to the mayor-elect. The three areas the deputies will focus on are as follows: Matt Awbrey, communications; Jaymie Bradford, policy; and Felipe Monroig, community engagement. In a release, the choice of three deputy chiefs of staff is meant to “provide additional focus on the areas of community inclusion, fiscal reform and government transparency, all of which are top priorities for [Faulconer].”

Bradford most recently served as deputy chief of staff and chief of policy for Interim Mayor Todd Gloria. Monroig served as president and CEO of the San Diego County Taxpayers Association and also as a city council chief of staff. Awbrey served as Faulconer’s communications director since he was first elected to City Council. Faulconer will be sworn in as mayor on March 3, at which point Todd Gloria will return to serving as the council president and council representative for district three.

Volunteers Needed for Balboa Park Rose Garden

The Inez Grant Parker Rose Garden in Balboa Park is accepting volunteers, novice or experienced, to join the Rose Garden Corps. Volunteers work in the garden trimming off dead blooms, weeding, raking, fertilizing, pruning and planting new varieties. Volunteer days are Tuesday and/or Thursday mornings, preferably weekly, for 2 to 3 hours. A monthly meeting in the Rose Garden the third Tuesday of each month at 9:15 a.m. is used to share information and direct needed work. Volunteers learn about roses, and also act as goodwill ambassadors to tourists frequenting the garden.

Rose Garden Corps volunteers receive excellent rose care training from experienced volunteers. Those interested in volunteering may contact Mary Rose at [email protected].