{"id":223533,"date":"2016-02-26T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-02-26T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sdnews.com\/la-mesa-is-looking-ahead\/"},"modified":"2016-02-26T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2016-02-26T08:00:00","slug":"la-mesa-is-looking-ahead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/la-mesa-is-looking-ahead\/","title":{"rendered":"La Mesa is looking ahead"},"content":{"rendered":"

Por Jeff Clemetson | Editor<\/p>\n

City Council, local civics group ponder city\u2019s future<\/strong><\/p>\n

The future is on the minds of La Mesa\u2019s residents. At two town hall meetings held by the City Council and one event held by a local civics group, officials and citizens looked ahead to how future and current development will affect the city and their neighborhoods.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The Park Station development plan was opposed by many residents for its excessive size.
(Courtesy of stop-park-station-la-mesa.com)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A downtown conversation<\/strong><\/p>\n

On Jan. 27, La Mesa Conversations, a group that promotes discussion on local issues, held a forum on \u201cThe Future of Downtown.\u201d<\/p>\n

Over 100 people showed up to the Masonic Lodge to hear a panel talk about potential growth in housing and business around the downtown area of the city.<\/p>\n

The panelists for the evening included La Mesa City Manager David Witt; local developer Christopher D\u2019Avignon, CEO of Land & Design; and Mary England, president of the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce. Real estate developer Shon Finch was scheduled to speak but was not able to attend. CEO of Grossmont Healthcare District and former La Mesa City Council member Barry Jantz moderated the discussion.<\/p>\n

Witt said people are passionate about downtowns, citing the reverence Disneyland\u2019s Main Street is given as \u201cpart of the American culture.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are very, very lucky to have a piece of that here,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Despite the nostalgia associated with downtowns, Witt said they are always modernizing and La Mesa\u2019s is no exception.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt isn\u2019t static. It\u2019s not Disneyland,\u201d he said. \u201cThe paradox is that the downtown has always been about what\u2019s new, what\u2019s happening \u2026 about showing off that this is the place to be and that means it\u2019s all about development.\u201d<\/p>\n

Witt said it is a challenge to new development to balance what the community wants to preserve while still keeping downtown La Mesa\u201cvibrant and active.\u201d The biggest challenge, however, is funding new projects after the state\u2019s redevelopment program was ended by Gov. Brown, he said.<\/p>\n

Witt summarized his vision of La Mesa\u2019s downtown as a place that is walkable; is connected to the trolley and bus systems; and has activity day and night.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
An artist rendering of the future Depot Springs brewery on Fletcher Parkway (Courtesy of Depot Spring Beer Co. Facebook page)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI think it has a lot of potential for that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

D\u2019Avignon, whose company built The Quarry Apartments on Palm Avenue, highlighted the process developers face when starting new projects \u2013\u2013 the cost; the design considerations involved; overcoming lawsuits; and getting approval from city governments. He also stressed why it is important to get started on new developments.<\/p>\n

\u201cLa Mesa is going to need something like 8,000 units over the next 20 years just to match population growth, and that\u2019s a lot,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

For downtown La Mesa\u2019s future, D\u2019Avignon sees potential smart growth in ideal locations.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou got a lot of great spaces here by the trolley that make a lot of sense for transit-oriented development,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

England praised business owners, like Pierre\u2019s Jewelers, who invest in the purchasing and rehabbing of retail space downtown.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we see a building and a business that is sold, there is a lot of investment from that businessman,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Although La Mesa has \u201ca good mix\u201d of businesses downtown, the city and the chamber have little influence on what kinds of businesses end up there.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hear all the time \u2018we want more this, we want more that,\u2019\u201d England said. \u201cSometimes, as much as we\u2019d like to change what we see downtown, the owners of the buildings really make that determination.\u201d<\/p>\n

The panel also discussed the proposed high-rise Park Station development project that faced fierce opposition by residents and was eventually shelved by the property owners.<\/p>\n

Witt said La Mesa is accepting of some types of large-scale development, citing La Mesa Village Plaza as an example.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis town built a mixed-use project with multi-story residential on top of retail with structured parking, incorporating a light-rail station in 1989,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

What the community won\u2019t accept is a project that is \u201cjust an idea\u201d and Park Station developers did not offer enough details.<\/p>\n

\u201c[The community] wants to know what it\u2019s going to look like, how big it\u2019s going to be and is it actually going to get built,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"(l<\/a>
(l to r) Barry Jantz, David Witt and Christopher D’Avignon at La Mesa Conversations on Jan. 27 (Photo by Jeff Clemetson)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

D\u2019Avignon said Park Station\u2019s proposed 18 stories and its density were outside the city zoning by \u201cquite a bit\u201d and as such, was \u201cdestined for disaster.\u201d<\/p>\n

D\u2019Avignon also said an ideal density for housing developments in La Mesa is 40 units per acre because it is a manageable number to match with available parking. He said the city should encourage building the maximum units to help downtown La Mesa\u2019s vibrancy by having more people to shop and dine there.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn La Mesa, it\u2019s all about fit,\u201d added Witt. \u201cThat\u2019s what I think we\u2019ve done a good job of \u2013\u2013 making sure that what does come in the future is a good fit for the community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Town halls offer feedback on future <\/strong><\/p>\n

The La Mesa City Council held two town hall-style meetings \u2013\u2013\u00a0Feb. 16 at Parkway Middle School and Feb. 18 at Maryland Avenue Elementary \u2013\u2013 to get input from residents about issues they feel the city needs to address.<\/p>\n

The agendas described the events as \u201can opportunity for the public to speak in an open forum to the City Council on issues and concerns pertaining to La Mesa and its future.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the Parkway Middle School meeting, several local residents voiced concern over the future Depot Springs brewery that is currently under construction at 9176 Fletcher Parkway.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love rock and roll \u2026 and I love beer \u2026 but I am concerned about the noise in our neighborhood because this outdoor amphitheater overlooks my neighbors\u2019 backyards. It\u2019s very close,\u201d said Doug Tower.<\/p>\n

When completed, the Depot Springs Beer Company facility will house a brewery, distillery, restaurant, full bar and an outdoor space for live music. The project was not appealed when it went before the city planning department, so it was approved without requiring a vote by City Council. However, council leaders will still have a say on whether the brewery is allowed to continue operating with permits for live music, Mayor Arapostathis said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a process that if they don\u2019t meet the terms, that it can come before the City Council and it can be revoked,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Other residents concerned about Depot Springs wanted changes to the city\u2019s process of notifying neighbors of future building projects. Currently, the city notifies residents within 300 feet of a proposed construction project. One resident who spoke suggested the boundary be stretched to 500 feet to include more people\u2019s input.<\/p>\n

Depot Springs wasn\u2019t the only development project discussed at the town hall.<\/p>\n

\u201c[When are we going to know] about the Civic Center Master Plan and potential opportunities to improve our library?\u201d said La Mesa Friends of the Library president John Schmitz.<\/p>\n

The La Mesa Library is currently in an interim location after the city tore down the old library to make space for the new police station. If the city doesn\u2019t build a new library, it will have to pay for the county land the police station was built on. Schmitz and other residents that spoke at the town hall are hoping the awaited master plan for the civic center will include plans to build a larger library.<\/p>\n

City Manager David Witt said La Mesa is \u201cin the process of developing a feasibility plan\u201d for the civic center that will look at a variety of possibilities for the old post office site, old chamber of commerce building, old police station site, among others.<\/p>\n

The city will be discussing the plan with property owners and the City Council at an all-day workshop March 24 to examine different ideas. No decisions will be made at the workshop, Witt said.<\/p>\n

\u201cKeep in mind, that\u2019s a first glance at some ideas that are very, very preliminary and [we\u2019re] really talking about what are the possibilities, what could fit there and what those types of things cost,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The civic center and library issue came up again at the Feb. 18 town hall and Witt revealed a few more details about the city\u2019s plan for the site, which may include affordable housing in a mixed-use format.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that in any case it will be a wonderful addition to the civic center concept,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Witt also shared how the city is partnering with La Mesa\/Spring Valley School District to build a Boys & Girls Club at the \u201cpartially utilized\u201d property attached to La Mesa Middle School. The city will develop the sidewalks and areas around the new building as part of the project and construction will begin in the next two years, Witt said.<\/p>\n

Pete Cecherini told the council that excessive fees were keeping investors away from redeveloping the city\u2019s \u201cold housing stock\u201d and suggested the process be streamlined. He said La Mesa\u2019s high cost for fees associated with remodeling are keeping owners from doing needed repairs and that is keeping home prices lower than they should be and attracting unwanted elements to neighborhoods. City Attorney Glenn Sabine said La Mesa hires a consultant to do a fee study every two years and the fees are in line with comparable cities.<\/p>\n

Kathleen Brand wondered about the plans for the Little Flower Haven building at 8585 La Mesa Blvd., which is up for sale. Brand wants the historic fa\u00e7ade of the building to remain intact and urged the city to order any potential buyers to keep the building\u2019s iconic look.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want to see things that are unique to be taken away or torn down because it\u2019s just not efficient anymore,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Brand also voiced her concern that any plans for the civic center include an aesthetically pleasing design.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to make sure La Mesa stays the \u2018Jewel of the Hills\u2019 and not the rhinestone or the polished rock,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u2013\u2013Write to Jeff Clemetson at jeff@sdcnn.com<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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