Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Not done with Clairemont and strong mayor

Letter writers don't forget – thank God

Chris Cate recommended the low-income housing project to the mayor in 2017.
Chris Cate recommended the low-income housing project to the mayor in 2017.

Welcome to south L.A

Dense, crowded, gridlock, haphazard - all these things describe how Los Angeles has chosen to develop their city. This is the result of decades of a spoils system style of development where developers cut deals with local politicians cutting the local community out of the picture. However San Diego’s tradition of strong neighborhood identity has historically kept this power dynamic in check (“Cate to Clairemont: Drop dead,” Neighborhood News, July 23).

The homeless housing development on Mt. Alifan is within walking distance of the affordable housing project on Mt. Etna.

Local planning groups give the neighborhood residents a seat at the table with developers and politicians and our city’s 30 foot height limit has put a cap on excessive density and preserved our city’s neighborhood feel. Sadly things are changing. Because of the current housing crises and state strong-arm tactics that can override local rules local politicians are scrambling to build as much affordable housing as possible. The Mount Etna project brings an extremely dense, 100% low income ‘projects’ style housing development to Clairemont in a way that fundamentally changes the character of our neighborhood. It violates zoning intensity, the zoning type, our community plan, the 30 foot height limit and removes a key piece of public property from the community core placing it in private hands for 99 years.

Sponsored
Sponsored

This public property was supposed to be a strategically located place for the county to provide services to residents of Clairemont. Instead the county is building project housing for residents that will need more services. This is a short sighted overreaction that threatens what we love most about San Diego, our neighborhoods. Rather than concentrating low income units into an overly dense project that doesn’t fit zoning or neighborhood character policy makers should instead enforce or expand already existing inclusive housing rules. Inclusive housing means developers set aside a certain percentage of new units as low income units. Currently the city requires new development set aside 10% of new units for affordable housing however most developers pay an ‘in-lieu of’ fee to waive this requirement. This fee waiver should not be allowed. It has caused untold thousands of affordable units to have never made it to the market and has significantly contributed to the housing crisis. Enforced inclusive housing is the most viable policy compromise which requires all stakeholders to sacrifice a little. All neighborhoods will have some low income housing, developers will be have to offer up some of their units and politicians will have to due without the fees. However overall this approach is a more thoughtful way to preserve our neighborhoods while putting low income residents in an environment that maximizes their chance for success.

  • Clairemont Cares
  • Clairemont

Strongly unmanageable

How much longer are the tax payers of San Diego going to put up with the present strong mayor form of government? (“Did Irwin Jacobs just seal Kevin Faulconer’s fate?” News Ticker, January 15, 2016) We taxpayers have watched as the present mayor and council have mismanaged the rent-a-scooter problem; gave away millions on the called low cost housing and homeless programs; ordered the police department to ignore and not enforce the municipal codes; ignored the city attorney’s warning that allowing the short term rentals in areas zoned for residential use is illegal; ignored the undocked rental bike problem; wasted millions and created traffic problems creating unnecessary bicycle paths in order to placate a tiny, but vociferous, group of bicycle activists; spent valuable time becoming involved with federal legislation instead of concentrating on local problems and more.

Nathan Fletcher (and political backer Irwin Jacobs)...setting up for a political office comeback?

A little background: By 1940 there were small cities with city managers that grew enormously by the end of the century; San Diego among them. The city manager form of city management was created in part to remove city government from the power of the political parties, and place management of the city into the hands of an outside expert, with the expectation that the city manager would remain neutral to city politics. In November 2004, voters approved Proposition F, returning San Diego to the strong mayor form of government on a five-year trial basis. This was made permanent in June 2010 with the passage of Proposition D. In June 8, the strong mayor form was made permanent. Given the problems caused by the parade of notorious, scandalous, some dishonest, former mayors that have included, but not limited to, Maureen O,Connor, Bob Filner, Roger Hedgecock, Frank Curran, Dick Murphy and Michael Zuchet ( all of the above resigned), it is evident the strong mayor form of government does not work in San Diego. Our city is rapidly being destroyed by the present mayor, Kevin Faulconer, with the help of city council members, each pushing their own agendas with no regard for the city or the districts they represent. With Faulconer’s term set to expire in June of 2020 it is time we start the process to restore the city manager form of government in San Diego!

  • Richard E Bruce
  • Kensington
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

March is typically windy, Sage scents in the foothills

Butterflies may cross the county
Next Article

Reader Music Issue short takes

Obervatory's mosh pit, frenetic Rafael Payare, Lemonhead chaos, bleedforthescene, Coronado Tasting Room
Chris Cate recommended the low-income housing project to the mayor in 2017.
Chris Cate recommended the low-income housing project to the mayor in 2017.

Welcome to south L.A

Dense, crowded, gridlock, haphazard - all these things describe how Los Angeles has chosen to develop their city. This is the result of decades of a spoils system style of development where developers cut deals with local politicians cutting the local community out of the picture. However San Diego’s tradition of strong neighborhood identity has historically kept this power dynamic in check (“Cate to Clairemont: Drop dead,” Neighborhood News, July 23).

The homeless housing development on Mt. Alifan is within walking distance of the affordable housing project on Mt. Etna.

Local planning groups give the neighborhood residents a seat at the table with developers and politicians and our city’s 30 foot height limit has put a cap on excessive density and preserved our city’s neighborhood feel. Sadly things are changing. Because of the current housing crises and state strong-arm tactics that can override local rules local politicians are scrambling to build as much affordable housing as possible. The Mount Etna project brings an extremely dense, 100% low income ‘projects’ style housing development to Clairemont in a way that fundamentally changes the character of our neighborhood. It violates zoning intensity, the zoning type, our community plan, the 30 foot height limit and removes a key piece of public property from the community core placing it in private hands for 99 years.

Sponsored
Sponsored

This public property was supposed to be a strategically located place for the county to provide services to residents of Clairemont. Instead the county is building project housing for residents that will need more services. This is a short sighted overreaction that threatens what we love most about San Diego, our neighborhoods. Rather than concentrating low income units into an overly dense project that doesn’t fit zoning or neighborhood character policy makers should instead enforce or expand already existing inclusive housing rules. Inclusive housing means developers set aside a certain percentage of new units as low income units. Currently the city requires new development set aside 10% of new units for affordable housing however most developers pay an ‘in-lieu of’ fee to waive this requirement. This fee waiver should not be allowed. It has caused untold thousands of affordable units to have never made it to the market and has significantly contributed to the housing crisis. Enforced inclusive housing is the most viable policy compromise which requires all stakeholders to sacrifice a little. All neighborhoods will have some low income housing, developers will be have to offer up some of their units and politicians will have to due without the fees. However overall this approach is a more thoughtful way to preserve our neighborhoods while putting low income residents in an environment that maximizes their chance for success.

  • Clairemont Cares
  • Clairemont

Strongly unmanageable

How much longer are the tax payers of San Diego going to put up with the present strong mayor form of government? (“Did Irwin Jacobs just seal Kevin Faulconer’s fate?” News Ticker, January 15, 2016) We taxpayers have watched as the present mayor and council have mismanaged the rent-a-scooter problem; gave away millions on the called low cost housing and homeless programs; ordered the police department to ignore and not enforce the municipal codes; ignored the city attorney’s warning that allowing the short term rentals in areas zoned for residential use is illegal; ignored the undocked rental bike problem; wasted millions and created traffic problems creating unnecessary bicycle paths in order to placate a tiny, but vociferous, group of bicycle activists; spent valuable time becoming involved with federal legislation instead of concentrating on local problems and more.

Nathan Fletcher (and political backer Irwin Jacobs)...setting up for a political office comeback?

A little background: By 1940 there were small cities with city managers that grew enormously by the end of the century; San Diego among them. The city manager form of city management was created in part to remove city government from the power of the political parties, and place management of the city into the hands of an outside expert, with the expectation that the city manager would remain neutral to city politics. In November 2004, voters approved Proposition F, returning San Diego to the strong mayor form of government on a five-year trial basis. This was made permanent in June 2010 with the passage of Proposition D. In June 8, the strong mayor form was made permanent. Given the problems caused by the parade of notorious, scandalous, some dishonest, former mayors that have included, but not limited to, Maureen O,Connor, Bob Filner, Roger Hedgecock, Frank Curran, Dick Murphy and Michael Zuchet ( all of the above resigned), it is evident the strong mayor form of government does not work in San Diego. Our city is rapidly being destroyed by the present mayor, Kevin Faulconer, with the help of city council members, each pushing their own agendas with no regard for the city or the districts they represent. With Faulconer’s term set to expire in June of 2020 it is time we start the process to restore the city manager form of government in San Diego!

  • Richard E Bruce
  • Kensington
Comments
Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

SDSU pres gets highest pay raise in state over last 15 years

Union-Tribune still stiffing downtown San Diego landlord?
Next Article

Centennial Salute to San Diego’s Military, East Village Block Party, Birding Basics Class

Events March 29-March 30, 2024
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.