A new councilmember and a more environmentally sustainable approach to community development marked the numerous changes in the make-ups of Pacific and Mission beaches in 2014, and the communities hope for more as they head into the new year.
2015 promises to be a busy one for freshly minted Councilwoman Lorie Zapf, whose District 2 covers the beachfront. Her citywide policy priorities include “finding a solution to our SDPD recruitment and retention problems, increasing the City’s emergency preparedness and resources for our Office of Homeland Security and partnering with MTS to increase transportation options for seniors who can no longer drive.”
The Republican also has a number of district-specific priorities. Among them are a “new policy for vacation rentals to protect neighborhood residents.”
Zapf said she also intends to lead the charge on plans for potential new uses of the De Anza property while assisting with the creation of the new Point Loma Business Improvement District.
She also plans to bring her successful “Pothole Patrol” program to District 2, where her staff proactively reports potholes in the district and gets them in the queue to be fixed. She also will be hosting regular office hours at locations throughout the district to give residents “increased access to their elected official in City Hall.”
Chris Olson, a member of beautiful PB and the Pacific Beach Planning Group, gazed into his crystal ball and saw big things ahead.
“The perfect storm for planning the Pacific Beach EcoDistrict is arriving on our shores this year,” Olson said. “It is my wish that people catch the wave of community involvement by committing to one or more of the following: educate themselves on the opportunities in our community; join, volunteer for and/or support a community group; attend community meetings and workshops; participate in online surveys/forums on community issues; and encourage our students to get involved in planning the future of their community.”
Olson said the top planning opportunities for Pacific Beach community involvement in 2015 include:
• Identifying short- and long-term locations for urban agriculture/community gardens, which are in high demand;
• Beginning plans for the Pacific Beach Mobility Study if the City wins the $500,000 grant submitted for it, in which case planning will begin for the PB Parks project, including boardwalk widening and a mobility hub at Mission Boulevard to improve infrastructure and increase beach access via multi-modal linkages to the Balboa Trolley Station;
• Submitting proposals in February for joint occupancy development at Barnard Asian Pacific Language Academy, plans for which includes a large section along Rose Creek;
• Beginning layout of signage and road markers on selected routes of PB Pathways, a network of safe neighborhood routes for pedestrians, while the planning continues for future routes and related improvements;
• Finalizing PB Planning Group recommendations for short-term vacation rentals in early 2015 (nothing will change unless the community continues to put pressure on the mayor and City Council);
• Taking the finalized joint occupancy agreement between PB Middle School and the YMCA from concept to design;
• Amid the De Anza settlement, begin planning the future of Pacific Beach along the eastern bayfront, with possibilities to include De Anza, Campland, Mission Bay Golf Course and other facilities surrounding Mission Bay High School;
• Recognizing that every community group has a role in the City of San Diego’s Climate Action Plan, expected to be finalized and adopted in 2015 (the Pacific Beach EcoDistrict is expected to be a leader for CAP strategies); and
• Using the $900,000 Sustainable Communities Planning Grant to engage the community in planning transit-oriented development adjacent to the Balboa trolley station, including the eastern portion of Pacific Beach between the I-5 and Rose Creek.
“All of these opportunities can be guided by strong community engagement,” concluded Olson.
Karin Zirk, founder of the nonprofit environmental group Friends of Rose Creek, said there are a couple of “carryover” issues form 2014 to be addressed.
“We’d like to obtain Dedicated Parkland Status for the orphan stretch of Rose Creek,” Zirk said, noting the City of San Diego and the Stormwater and Transportation Department need to survey the land and identify assessor parcel numbers for dedication.
“The roughly $300,000 price tag for this is in the proposed budget for the next fiscal year,” Zirk said, adding that parkland dedication will ensure “Rose Creek can fulfill its promise of functioning as a linear park, with bike trails that connect PB and Mission Bay Park with Clairemont and University City. We feel this fits in perfectly with San Diego Audubon’s grant to look at restoration possibilities for the mouth of Rose Creek, the De Anza Cove and Campland areas.”
Friends also wishes to build its membership base this year and find funding to hire a coordinator for the Rose Creek Watershed. Funding for the existing position ended at the end of 2014.
Friends also announced that it will participate in this year’s Creek to Bay Cleanup, set for Saturday, April 25.