By Mickey Zeichick
Our next San Carlos Area Council (SCAC) meeting will be Wednesday, May 6 at 6 p.m. in the San Carlos Branch Library, 7265 Jackson Drive. We will have our annual election of directors and officers, and (hopefully) have members from the City of San Diego Public Works Department (PWD) to present upcoming projects in our San Carlos-Lake Murray area.
Councilmember Scott Sherman was our March guest speaker. He provided an update from City Hall and then entertained questions and gave answers. I asked him to “name three positive projects that he (or his staff) were responsible for bringing to his District 7, that would not have been done if not for his office.” This councilman and his staff have enhanced our lives in ways folks may not be aware of because, frankly, he just doesn’t pat himself on the back!
His office has made improvements to existing parks and applied to obtain grants for new parks — skate parks — in areas where they are needed. If you take care of kids and older folks, you have won half the battle. We all have these two things in common, 1) we were kids, and 2) we want to grow (gracefully and healthy) into “old” age. With parks and benches, we can enjoy nature; the outdoors is vital to our well being. Councilmember Sherman knows the importance of construction to the economy. We live in a desert, and we are going through water restrictions — but we have the promise of the desalination plant coming on-line later this year and after looking at the San Diego County Water Authority future planning, there are more ways to “harness” the water we do get.
The PWD notified me the afternoon of our meeting they were not going to attend; however, they asked me to make copies of the maps and their proposed letter that they would be sending to the “affected” residents of the Pipeline Rehabilitation (AH-1) Project. Since I do not have the resources the City has, I made a few copies of the letter and announced that it would be forthcoming to the residents. And, I handed a copy to Sherman. While the work is being done in the City’s right of way, it impacts ingress/egress to homes and businesses, schools and parks and our way of living — and not just to the immediate residents. I have urged the PWD to hold a public forum (SCAC meeting) so the citizens are given advance notice and understand the “pain” but the necessity of the projects. The work hours along Jackson Drive will be 7 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Maybe at our May meeting we will have a representative from the PWD to address the following:
1) Laurel Ridge Court Storm Drain: Installation of new storm drain pipeline and stabilize an existing eroded gully in the canyon between Laurel Ridge Court and Deer Field Street.
2) Mid-City Pipeline Update: This phase will install a parallel and redundant pipeline adjacent to the City of San Diego’s Trojan Potable Water Transmission Pipeline (El Cajon Boulevard to the Alvarado Water Treatment Plant).
3) Sewer work that will happen along Lake Murray Boulevard from Navajo Road to … ?
Navajo Community Planning Inc. (NCPI): The Elections were held; the incumbents won. We can make a difference by bringing land use items to our community action boards, and then SCAC input is provided to the NCPI Board via a couple of SCAC directors on the NCPI board. Members, plus John Pilch and I attend the meetings. The special permits requested for a 30-foot faux pine tree (monopine) Wireless Communication Facility at 7849 Tommy Drive were tabled to the April 8 meeting.
San Carlos Branch Library will open April 2 with a “facelift.”
San Carlos Community Garden: We need help with our plot. Let me know when you can turn some dirt and I’ll meet you with plants (flowers or vegetable). The garden is open to visitors weekend mornings.
I am looking for simple projects that will enhance our neighborhoods. If you have ideas please contact me.
Prom Dresses are needed at Patrick Henry High School: If you would like to help aor donate, please contact Dawn Marino, counseling secretary at PHHS.
SCAC: We have received a few applications to join our board. But, we still need more “fresh” perspectives on how to make our communities even better. If you are interested, please contact me and I will get an application to you.
To find out what is happening in our San Carlos neighborhood, go to Nextdoor.com. If you would like to discuss a matter, please call me at 619-461-6032 or email me at [email protected].
—Mickey Zeichick is president of the San Carlos Area Council.
