By Benny Cartwright
The Hillcrest Town Council kicked off the new year with a lively set of discussions at the Jan. 12 meeting. There were several interesting updates from our community representatives, a discussion about a controversial project slated for Mission Valley, and an open forum on what community members would like to see from the town council in 2016.
Our next meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 9 at 6:30 p.m., also promises to be another packed agenda, full of great community information and discussion. The meeting will include a presentation by Elizabeth Hannon of the Uptown Community Parking District, who will make a few announcements about some projects her organization is working on.
Representatives from several community organizations and elected officials will give updates on neighborhood issues and answering questions. We encourage all Hillcrest residents — whether renters or owners — to attend meetings, ask questions, and most importantly, let us know what issues are important to you so we can continue to make Hillcrest be the best it can be.
We also invite everyone to help us make Hillcrest shine a little brighter at our next Clean T.E.A.M. event, scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 27. We need lots of volunteers to help us pick up trash and debris around the neighborhood, starting at Park Boulevard and Upas Street. We’ll provide all the supplies, and ask that volunteers wear an orange shirt if possible.
Our community cleanup events are always a lot of fun, and will be followed by a “Talking Trash” celebration at a local pub. For more information or to sign up, contact David Coben at [email protected].
Also, if you’re looking to get more involved in the neighborhood, the Hillcrest Town Council will have two board seats open during elections in March. I can say from experience that serving on the HTC board is a lot of fun and is a way to engage in the community in ways you may have not imagined before. If you want more information about the election process, open seats or just have questions, contact HTC chair Luke Terpstra at [email protected].
Finally, the Hillcrest Town Council voted to send a letter of opposition to the Morris Cerullo International Legacy Center project being proposed for Mission Valley. Cerullo’s ministry hopes to build the massive project along Hotel Circle, right at the bottom of Bachman Street (a major access point into Uptown and the Hospital District). Not only do we believe the project will generate a considerable amount of traffic and environmental impact on the valley and surrounding areas, the ministry’s anti-LGBT stances do not line up with the values of the HTC and San Diego. We’ll be sending the letter to the Mission Valley Planning Group, which is scheduled to vote on the project on Wednesday, Feb. 3, as well as Mayor Kevin Faulconer and the full City Council. Read more about the proposed project here: sduptownnews.com/?s=CERULLO.
We look forward to seeing you on Tuesday, Feb. 9, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., at the Joyce Beers Community Center, located at 3900 Vermont St. in the HUB Shopping Center. More information about HTC is online at hillcrestowncouncil.com.
—Benny Cartwright is secretary of the Hillcrest Town Council.
