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GREATER GOLDEN HILL PLANNING COMMITTEE MINUTES
March 14, 2012

Meeting Agenda is found in Attachment 1 at the end of these minutes.
Meeting was held at Balboa Park Golf Course Clubhouse – Golf Course Drive.
Chair Pat Shields called the meeting to order at 6:35 pm. Agenda had been posted in accordance with Brown Act. A quorum of members was present.

Members present: Ruchell Alvarez, Richard Baldwin, Cheryl Brierton, Susan Bugbee. Maureen Burke, Carole Caffey, John Kroll, Richard Santini, Pat Shields, David Skillman, Marie Skillman, David Strickland, David Swarens, Matt Thomas, Angela Vasconcellos. Members absent: Jessica Wolf
Addition/deletions to Agenda – Kroll asked volunteers organizing to do some of the work done by the GGH Maintenance Assessment District, which will be ceasing operation. D Skillman said he had heard several ideas but none had been implemented yet.
Approval of Minutes – Minutes of 2/8/12 meeting were approved. (motion D Skillman, second Caffey) 13 in favor, Thomas and Santini abstained.
Treasurer’s Report: – nothing to report.

GOVERNMENTAL REPORTS.
53rd Congressional District ,76th Assembly District, City Council District 8,Mayors office – not present.

Community Police Officer Suzy de a Pena. Described suspects in two sexual assaults that have occurred: (1) 2800 Grape Street (2) Downtown (bus driver scared away) De la Pena to forward sketches to Shields for posting. Introduced her associate Kevin Vasquez, who will be attending community meetings, etc.

City Council District 3 – Courtney Thomson. Distributed copies of District 3 Dialogue. Highlighted: $34,000 savings in office expense applied to projects in the district; specific information on agricultural regulations; sewer project at 28th & Hawthorne; 36-gal trees put back on 28th Street.

Kroll asked when the GGH Maintenance Assessment District (GGHMAD) would be vacated. Thomson said the City Attorney was working on this and it would be completed within 90 days of the judge’s mandate. Kroll asked why the City was continuing to be billed for services, when the GGHMAD is known to be ending. Thomson said the City was honoring $125,000 in contracts that had been approved for GGHMAD services.

Caffey, who is on the GGHMAD Operating Committee, explained that the City received property tax dollars for the MAD and fronted some of that to the Greater Golden Hill CDC (GGHCDC) to pay for GGHMAD operations. Those “fronted” funds have now dwindled. Not all of the property tax dollars collected have been sent to GGHCDC. Caffey said Ben Verdugo, the GGHMAD project manager, had received a “Cease and Desist” notice, that contracts would end 3/20/12.

Shields said she would like update at GGHPC meeting in April, when all should be wrapped up. She asked that any presentation given be provided in writing as well. Brierton asked about refunds to property owners. Swarrens said a claim form might be required. Thomson said she would address that procedure at the next meeting.

Thomas asked why there was no public notice about Walmart leasing property in Barrio Logan. Thomson said GGHPC was not noticed since the property is not within our community plan boundaries.

Shields noted that undergrounding is occurring near 30th & Beech, along with some street repaving. Work in the area of Cedar, Grove and Edgemont streets is not a good job. Swarrens asked if there was a sequence to these projects. Thomson asked anyone with complaints to direct them to her office.

PUBLIC COMMENT.
David Skillman, regarding CPUAC. Lack of a quorum prevented the 3/7 meeting from being held. The City has a sent out a new timeline the CP and our meetings need to be held. He is the facilitator for the 4/4 meeting and asked that everyone who cannot attend let him know.

ELECTIONS. Vasconcellos announced 8 candidates for 8 2-year terms on GGHPC: Baldwin, Bugbee. Burke, Shields, D Skillman, Strickland, Janice Davis and Octavio Gonzalez. Ballots were distributed; Jerry Ray collected them for counting.

CHAIR’S REPORT. VICE CHAIR REPORT – no report
CONSENT AGENDA – none
INFORMATION ITEMS - none

ACTION ITEMS:
Project #269250 – 30th and Broadway Extension of Time – Randy Farrar. The project is for 16 apartment units in 2 buildings, over parking. It was approved years ago; he is asking for extension of time on the permit.

The current entrance to the property is off Broadway. New entrance would be off 30th St. on the north edge of the property. The plan is to funnel traffic North on 30th. Traffic headed to Hwy 94 would go west on C Street and access Hwy 94 off 28th Street. Farrar noted that the project meets all PDO and CP guidelines with no variances.

Discussion:
- Safety concerns at the busy intersection. Questions were raised about a traffic study, whether the City plans street repairs in the area, and about parking. (Neighboring residents) Farrar said a traffic study was not done and did not think the project would create a traffic problem. He said the street repairs are strictly up to the City. He said that 30 parking spaces would be included in the project.
- The Hwy 94/HOV project might include a traffic of that intersection. (Shields)
- Does the 50 ft/4-story height met the PDO. (Thomas) Farrar said it does.
- Request for clarification of the plan for cars exiting the parking being routed to the north (M Skillman)
- A better presentation should be made if there are major impacts (Swarens)
- Does GGHPC actually has a say on permit renewals, or if this was a courtesy request? (D Skillman)
- The plans had been approved; this is not the time for arguing the merits of the project. (Baldwin)
- If a safety issue is involved, a review of the plans is in order (Shields)
- Times have changed since the project was approved 4 years ago (Swarens, Burke)
- We should withhold approval until the HOV traffic study was done (Brierton) Several members commented that this would take too long. Burke agreed with Swarrens.
- What is the time frame of the permits? (Kroll) Original permit 3 years, 1 yr automatic extension, this extension would be for 3 more years.
- This project creates safety issues (Shields)
- Major engineering issues exist (Swarens)

Farrar said the project going forward must be substantially similar to the one originally approved or they would need to start over with the permit process. Baldwin said the Land Use Subcommittee had voted to approve the extension – 4 voted yes, 1 abstained.

Brierton made a motion that “GGHPC not approve the extension of the project, due to traffic issues”. Caffey seconded. The motion passed: 8 yes, 2 no, 5 abstaining.

32nd & Broadway Monitoring Well. Greg Cross from the City of San Diego Public Utilities Long Range Planning department explained that as part of their focus is keeping San Diego supplied with water they are exploring local sources of water. A test well is to be drilled in the vacated portion of 32nd Street between C and Broadway. URS Corporation is the hydro service consultant on the project, and they will go through the CEQA analysis after the test is completed. Field work is scheduled to begin in May 2012. Cross’ presentation about the project is Attachment 3 at the end of the minutes.

Questions and answers:
- What will happen after the well test is completed? (Thomas) If results are positive, property will be purchased and a pumping station about the size of a house will be constructed.
- A river running through 32nd St. Canyon keeps those canyons green - did this process link up with water field studies of the area? Without this water, will the area have a greater fire risk? (Brierton) The City is working with USGS – shallow water will not be drawn down. This well is only an investigation: City is proceeding slowly and carefully.
- The test well is quite near homes – have residents been notified? What is the time line for the test? (Marc Kratzschmar) Residents have not been notified yet. The test will take 4-6 weeks, followed by a 6-12 month feasibility study.
- How was the property selected? (A Citizen) They needed a place with a 100-ft buffer from sewer or other contamination possibilities.
- If the results are positive and a permanent well is to be drilled, would the City purchase the entire parcel of land? If so, joint use as park space might be possible. (Strickland) Many factors would affect that decision.
- Is the 6,000 year-old water being tapped in this well a fixed amount of water, or is it being constantly renewed? (Santini) Sweetwater Water District is using wells 500-800 ft deep, not sure if that aquifer is being recharged.
- What % of imported water does the City hope to replace with wells? (Santini). Maybe 5%
- What is the sound level of the drilling? (Swarens) Like a diesel truck idling. Drilling would occur 24/7.
- Would the pump station constructed be similar to the one at 65th & Imperial? (Swarens) There would be plantings around the station, and consideration for aesthetics.

Shields asked Cross to come back to the April meeting, after giving notice to nearby residents. Items to be covered should include noise concerns and reports relating to water in the canyon.

Project # 233958 Plaza de Panama. M Skillman reported that the comment period on the Draft EIR was extended by 15 days as a result of our request.

Strickland, GGHPC’s representative on the Balboa Park Committee, said that he, M Skillman and D Skillman attended the meeting he set up to review the various alternatives presented in the draft EIR, which GGHPC had heard and commented on at the February meeting. He distributed copies of the motion they proposed (Attachment 2) which modified the original 7-point project proposal and Alt 3c. Strickland and D Skillman explained what was being proposed – basically accepting the proposed project without the Centennial Bridge and Road, prohibiting vehicular traffic over the Cabrillo Bridge, and adding a second parking structure on the West Mesa.

Questions and comments:
- Whose idea was the PDP plan? (A. Israel) Strickland said that a Precise Plan for Balboa Park was put forth in 1997. The current (Jacobs) plan implements some of the Precise Plan, changes some parts, and adds new ideas, including the Centennial Bridge.
- This plan is fully different from the Precise Plan (Swarens). He likes Alt. 4Biii which does modify the Precise Plan, and he also likes the West Mesa Parking idea. He said putting vehicle traffic into a trench in the midst of the park would change the character of the park dramatically, whereas the modified Precise Plan moves the parking at minimal cost.
- The plan Strickland proposes would change his community very much. He does not want the Cabrillo Bridge closed (Leo Wilson, chair of the Uptown Planners) Wilson noted that the Precise Plan had been approved after 8 years of discussions and compromises. He said the Uptown Planners had voted 9-5-1 to support the Jacobs Plan, and are pushing for improved mass transit options to Balboa Park.

Brierton proposed Motion #1 from the agenda “Additional parking to be constructed on the periphery of the Park.” There was no second. Shields polled the GGHPC for their comments on the project:

Santini – does not like paid parking, or alternative funding through bonds.
Baldwin – Cabrillo Bridge needs to remain open.
Thomas – Not comfortably informed. Returning PDP to original state sounds good, leaving bridge open reasonable. Burke – no paid parking, some traffic in PDP might be required. Caffey, Alvarez – same as Burke
Shields – paid parking, bond measure not popular.
Strickland – at least occasional closing of Cabrillo Bridge. Sympathetic to Wilson’s comments
Bugbee – does not see how closing the Cabrillo Bridge would wreak havoc. Does not like paid parking
Swarens – SOHO supports Alt. 4Biii.
M Skillman –we need to address proposal point by point
Kroll, Brierton, D Skillman, Vasconcellos – no comment

Shields asked how we should proceed with a vote. Swarens said he did not want to vote on the Jacobs language. He noted that most visitors enter the park from the East side already. Shields suggested we vote the project up or down. Strickland reminded GGHPC that a vote that modified the Jacobs Plan had been taken in July 2011.

M Skillman read Alternative 4biii from the Draft EIR:
Modified Precise Plan without Parking Structure Alternative (Alt 4Biii)
The Modified Precise Plan without Parking Structure Alternative would route two-way vehicular traffic along El Prado to the southwest corner of the Plaza de Panama, adjacent to the Mingei International Museum. Valet and passenger drop-offs and tram stop would be provided within the Plaza. Most of the Plaza de Panama and the eastern half of the Mall would be pedestrianized with this alternative. To replace the parking removed from the Plaza de Panama, an equal number of new parking spaces would be created in existing parking lots behind Park institutions and along existing interior streets. The Organ Pavilion parking lot would remain in its existing condition. The ADA parking spaces removed from the Plaza de Panama would be recovered through minor regrading and restriping the Alcazar parking lot (along with the removal of two maintenance sheds at the western edge of the lot); and the creation of additional spaces within the Organ Pavilion parking lot, the areas behind the Museum of Photographic Arts and the Model Railroad Museum, adjacent the southern border of the San Diego Zoo and Old Globe Way. The existing one-way access drives into the Alcazar parking lot would be retained.

Brierton made a motion “to support Alternative 4Biii from the Draft Environmental Report”. Kroll seconded. The motion passed. (8 yes, 5 no, 2 abstaining)

Strickland said he would take this position when the matter comes before the Balboa Park Committee.

ELECTION RESULTS.
Shields announced that all candidates had been elected. Burke asked for a round of applause for Carole Caffey, for her faithful service for 8 years. M Skillman suggested that Caffey replace Janice Davis on the CPUAC. Shields said that matter and other committee assignments would be taken up when new members are seated, at the April meeting.

The next meeting will be April 11, 2012. Shields said the majority of the meeting would be devoted to the Community Plan Update. D Skillman reminded everyone that the next CPUAC is scheduled for 4/4/12, and that a quorum (12 CPUAC members in attendance) is required for the meeting to be held.

SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS: none

Meeting was adjourned at 8:35 pm.

Marie Skillman.
Secretary




ATTACHMENT 1. AGENDA

GREATER GOLDEN HILL PLANNING COMMITTEE
March 14, 2012, 6:30 PM
Balboa Park Golf Course Clubhouse, 2600 Golf Course Drive
www.sandiego.gov/planning/community/cpg
Agenda
Call to Order **6:30
Additions and/or Deletions to Agenda
Approval of Minutes
Governmental Reports **6:35
Community Police Officer – Suzy de la Pena {619.744.9514 or sdelapena@pd.sandiego.gov}
53rd Congressional District – Katherine Fortner {619.280.5353 or katherine.fortner@mail.house.gov}
76th Assembly District – Lindsey Masukawa {619.645.3090 or lindsey.masukawa@asm.ca.gov}
Council District 3 – Courtney Thomson {619.236.6633 or cthomson@sandiego.gov}
Council District 8 – Melina Meza {619.236.6688 or melinam@sandiego.gov}
City Planner – Bernard Turgeon {619.533.6575 or bturgeon@sandiego.gov}

Non Agenda Public Comment **6:50
Chair Report, Vice Chair Report **7:00
Information Items **7:05
Balboa Park & Transportation – David Strickland
Airport Noise & Treasurers Report – Carole Caffey
Historic* – Susan Bugbee {bugbee@sandiego.edu}
Land-Use* – Richard Baldwin {kimorb_1999@yahoo.com}
Consent Agenda **7:25
Action Items **7:30
*Elections
*Project # 233958 Plaza de Panama. Review of proposed project & GGHPCposition.
Plan available at http://www.balboapark.org/plazde-panama/project
Proposed motions:
a. Additional parking to be constructed on the periphery of the Park.
b. Closures of Cabrillo Bridge to temporary for bicentennial celebration/special events.
c. Remove parking from Plaza de Panama
d. Redesign Alcazar parking lot/ada, valet parking, drop off.
e. Reroute vehicle car west of Pan American Rd to Alcazar Parking lot
f. Construct parking structure/roof top garden on Organ Pavilion parking lot
g. Centennial Bridge/Road not be constructed
*Project #269250 30th & Broadway EOT Randy Farrar
*32nd & Broadway Monitoring Well, Blessie Prudente SD Asst. Civil Engineer
Adjournment **8:30

*If you are interested in attending the Historic or Land Use meeting please email the appropriate committee to confirm meeting and agenda.
**All times are estimated – Action Items may also be taken before Information Items.
The City of San Diego distributes agendas via email and can also provide agendas in alternative formats as well as a sign language or oral interpreter for the meeting with advance notice. To request these services, please contact the City at 619.236.6479 or sdplanninggroups@sandiego.gov


ATTACHMENT 2. PROPOSED MOTION BY STRICKLAND’S COMMITTEE


Plaza de Panama
Proposed Project Elements
EIR Alternatives

Balboa Park Plaza de Panama: Balboa Park Master Plan Amendment; Central Mesa Precise Plan Amendment and a Site Development Permit to rehabilitate the Plaza de Panama consistent with the original vision of a ceremonial plaza and gathering space by eliminating vehicle traffic from Plaza de California, El Prado, Plaza de Panama, and the Mall.

The project components include:

1. Plaza de Panama. Eliminate automobile traffic from the Plaza de Panama
and adjacent promenades and remove parking from the Plaza.
2. El Prado and Plaza de California. Allow for pedestrian use of El Prado
and Plaza de California. by rerouting traffic to a bypass road and bridge.
3. Centennial Bridge and Road. Construction of a new two-way
bridge/road starting at the east end of the Cabrillo Bridge and continuing
through the eucalyptus grove around the southwest corner of the
Museum of Man.
4. Alcazar Parking Lot and Walkway. Redesign the Alcazar parking lot to
provide additional accessible parking as well as passenger drop-off,
museum loading, and valet.
5. The Mall and Pan American Promenade. Reclaim both the Mall and Pan
American Road for pedestrian only access by rerouting vehicle traffic
west of Pan American Road to the Alcazar Parking lot,
6. Organ Pavilion Parking Structure, Roof-top Park, Tram and Arizona
Street Landfill. Construct a new parking structure with a roof-top park
and garden at the location of an existing Organ Pavilion surface parking
lot. The new multi-level underground structure would consist of
798 parking spaces on three levels and is 265,242 square feet. The new
rooftop park would be 2.2 acres. A tram shuttle would link parking in
the new structure with the Plaza de Panama. Excess soils from
excavation of the parking structure would be exported to the nearby
Arizona Street Landfill. (along with Alternative 3C below).

PEDESTRIANIZE CABRILLO BRIDGE ALTERNATIVE
This EIR addresses four alternatives that focus specifically on prohibiting vehicles on the
Cabrillo Bridge, El Prado, the Plaza de California, the Plaza de Panama, and the Mall. The four
alternatives in this category include the No New Parking Structure Alternative, Organ Pavilion
Parking Structure Alternative, West Mesa Parking Structure Alternative, and Inspiration Point
Parking Structure Alternative. These alternatives do not include the Centennial Bridge
component of the project.

West Mesa Parking Structure Alternative (Alt 3C)
The West Mesa Parking Structure Alternative would prohibit vehicular traffic along El Prado,
east of Balboa Drive and over the Cabrillo Bridge. There would be no public vehicular access to
the Park from the West Mesa, and areas reclaimed for pedestrian use would include the Cabrillo
Bridge, Plaza de California, El Prado, the Plaza de Panama, and the Mall, A new subterranean
paid parking structure would be located on the West Mesa. Excess soil from excavation of the
parking structure would be disposed of at the Arizona Street Landfill. The existing lawn bowling
greens would be replaced atop the parking structure. The Organ Pavilion parking lot would be
maintained in its current condition. Park visitors entering from the west would park in the new
parking structure and either walk across Cabrillo Bridge or take the new tram system. Vehicular
access to the project area from the east would be from the Park Boulevard/the Presidents Way
entrance.


ATTACHMENT 3. 32ND ST TEST WELL PRESENTATION

/iframe>">32ND ST TEST WELL MAR 12 on Google Docs

February 8, 2012 Minutes

GREATER GOLDEN HILL PLANNING COMMITTEE MINUTES

February 8, 2012

Meeting Agenda is found in Attachment 1 at the end of these minutes.

Meeting was held at Balboa Park Golf Course Clubhouse – Golf Course Drive.

Chair Pat Shields called the meeting to order at 6:34 pm. Agenda had been posted in accordance with Brown Act. A quorum of members was present.

Members present: Ruchell Alvarez, Richard Baldwin, Cheryl Brierton, Susan Bugbee. Maureen Burke, Carole Caffey, John Kroll, Pat Shields, David Skillman, Marie Skillman, David Strickland, David Swarens, Angela Vasconcellos, Jessica Wolf. Members absent: Richard Santini, Matt Thomas

Addition/deletions to Agenda - Brierton asked to speak about the Urban Agriculture Amendment during Public Comment.

Approval of Minutes – Minutes of 1/11/12 meeting were approved (motion Brierton, second Caffey) 13 in favor, Strickland abstained.

Treasurer’s Report: – Shields presented a bill for $24.00 for making copies.

SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS.

Membership and Elections. Vasconcellos introduced two candidates for the Committee election next month. Octavio Gonzalez was raised in GGH, has moved back and wants to get involved. Janice Davis has lived in GGH for some time and served on the committee in prior years. Jinna Albright, who is also running, was not present. Current members not running for re-election are Caffey (termed out), Wolf and Bugbee.

GOVERNMENTAL REPORTS.

76^th Assembly District, City Council District 3 & 8,Mayors office – not present.

53^rd Congressional District – Katherine Fortner: Distributed copies of Davis Dispatch. Asked for signups for telephone town hall. Highlighted: Payroll tax cut, unemployment benefits.

Caffey said Einstein school is doing a street sweep around the school and wanted to paint driveway curb cuts – she wondered if they need permission and what color paint is allowed. Turgeon will look into. Swarens said residents should be contacted; D Skillman said parking in driveways is a problem on Elm Street, too.

Community Police Officer Louis Cologne. Within the past 14 days, there were 3 burglaries, 1 car prowl, several auto thefts (majority Honda Civics) no assaults or robberies.

PUBLIC COMMENT.

Cheryl Brierton, re: Urban Agriculture Amendment. Land-Use subcommittee was divided on the issue of “neighborhood chickens” and it was never formally discussed at the full committee. Brierton and 32^nd St. Canyon group made formal comments. Amendment was introduced to City Council on 1/31/12 with no noticing to her or others. Letters attached were note inclusive. 2^nd reading is 2/14/12. Those wishing to comment should appear at City Council 2/14 or comment on website. Brierton does not like the fact that our input is being disregarded. She said Code Compliance considers noise from chickens a low priority.

Kroll agreed that this was a disregard of our input. Alvarez said the item had been discussed at a CPC meeting and CPC turned it down; therefore she did not bring up for discussion at full GGHPC. Baldwin said he thinks chickens and goats should be allowed, just as dogs and cats are. D Skillman said the amendment requires goats in pairs for better behavior, and that he did not think farm families had found raising chickens to be unhealthy. Swarens agreed that our input was ignored and the process was poor. Shields asked Alvarez to forward Brierton’s email on the subject to the CPC chair.

Tershia d’Elgin, in favor of trees. Carole Caffey read a statement from d’Elgin (See Attachment 2) 2 trees were removed in front of Apple Dental on 2/3/12. Sidewalk Group 7 is working on trees throughout the city. Swarens asked who hired the workers – City of San Diego. Shields wants GGHPC to talk more about trees at a future meeting.

CHAIR’S REPORT. Shields attended the CPC meeting. Community Planning Groups are under stress from the political establishment and developers. GGH is in the time warp, along with Uptown. We need to be aware and be careful to act in accordance with the Brown Act at all times.

Kroll asked how Shields comments would get to the Mayor’s ears. Planning Committees exist due to Council Policy; we need to talk to our council representatives. D. Skillman said an attempt had been made to abolish Community Planning Groups at the County level.

VICE CHAIR – no report

INFORMATION ITEMS:

WATER GROUP JOB 959 UPDATE – Project Manager Lotous Lenguyen distributed maps showing water mains that have reached the end of their service life and will be replaced in 2013 and 2014. Locations: 25^th St. from E to G, 27^th St. from A to B, Ash St. from 28^th to Fern, B St. from 22^nd to 27^th, and F St. from 24^th to 25^th.

Vasconcellos asked if they would be working around the school calendar for the Ash St. section – they will. Burke asked if they were aware of the 25^th St Renaissance project – they are. Swarens suggested making school impact issues part of the contract to minimize traffic impacts. D Skillman asked if open trenches would be covered with plates to minimize traffic impacts – they will.

FAA NOISE MITIGATION UPDATE. Caffey had nothing new to report – variance request on the West Terminal update is still in process.

CONSENT AGENDA – none

ACTION ITEM:

PLAZA DE PANAMA EIR DISCUSSION.

Strickland, GGHPC representative on the Balboa Park Committee, had prepared a summary of alternatives reviewed in the Draft EIR, which was released on 1/26/12. See Attachment 3.

Kevin Johnson and Rob Fitch, consultants on Dr. Jacob’s proposal, were present. Shields opened the discussion with a reminder that GGHPC voted down the “Centennial Bridge” concept earlier. EIR 45 day comment period ends 3/8/12, our next meeting date, unless the period is extended. This creates a timing issue for approving comments by the deadline.

Strickland asked if members had read the materials and were interested in commenting. Strickland said he represents GGHPC at the Balboa Park Committee and will vote there as directed by us. He noted that 13 alternatives were considered in the EIR; 8 others were not.

Rob Fitch of Rick Engineering spoke. He said 60-day review period is expected but not guaranteed. The Final EIR is due 5/1/12, and will then be sent to Park & Recreation Committee, Historical Review Board, and City Council for approval. Development Services Department will solicit the opinion of GGHPC when they review, and suggested we might defer our recommendations until the Final EIR comes out.

Shields wanted GGHPC to focus on elements that we do not approve of. She suggested we discuss all but Alternatives 1 & 2, which we already voted on. Shields noted that the meeting was being recorded, and wondered if the topic was discussed in subcommittee, would it still be recorded. Turgeon said Brown Act regulations allow recording of all full or subcommittee meetings.

Swarens made a motion, seconded by Caffey “that Greater Golden Hill Planning Committee officially request a 15-day extension of the public comment period on the Plaza de Panama EIR”. All (14) voted in favor. The secretary will send the request.

Strickland offered 3 options on how to approach this material in our 1-hour meeting. (1) Go over each alternative and discuss their efficacy, comment on each one, like or dislike. Vote on each one as a full committee after discussion. (2) Not go over the alternatives and leave comments on EIR to each of the committee members. (3) Set up a subcommittee of those interested and discuss the project EIR, make a suggestion to the full committee for consideration and a vote at next month’s meeting.

Members commented: Kroll said this project is so important that a phased approach is the only way to go. Swarens favors making the Cabrillo Bridge programmable. Brierton asked if Fitch could give us an overview. Shields liked Swarens idea. Burke asked which alternative SOHO favors [Alt 4(b) iii] Kathryn Willetts wants clarification on location of roads. D Skillman said we should remember that this is in preparation for the park centennial; opening the public plaza is key idea.

Members voted on the 3 approaches: #1-12 votes, #2- 0 votes, #3-2 votes.

Rob Fitch was asked to describe the project and the alternatives. He said Dr. Jacob’s project includes 6 parts:

1. Plaza de Panama free of vehicle traffic and parking 2. El Prado and Plaza de California returned to promenade use. 3. Centennial Bridge and Road. 4. Alcazar Parking Lot and Walkway used for accessible parking. 5. Mall and Plan American Promenade reclaimed for pedestrians 6. Organ Pavilion parking structure, rooftop park, tram

Fitch said the EIR analyzed 13 proposed alternatives to Dr. Jacobs project. These can be grouped into 3 major categories, and he described the major negative and positive points of each.

(1) Building the Centennial Bridge. Negative: historic structure issues Positive: reduces 20 crosswalks to 6 and adds 200+ parking spaces and several acres of parkland.

(2) Closing the Cabrillo Bridge. Negative: significant unmitigable traffic impacts exterior to the park. Positive: no bridge, restores more parkland, reduces pedestrian conflicts, gain in amount of parkland

(3) Allowing some traffic to continue through PDP. Negative: significant unmitigable pedestrian issues. Positive: no bridge, 0-6 acres more parkland, net parking gain in some versions

Brierton asked what the difference in impacts were if the bridge were not built. Fitch said the impacts would be outside the park. Swarens said anyone driving through the Park might not be parking in the structure, and funneling this traffic might not be good. Willetts said every current “Map Quest” search routes traffic into the park from Park Blvd, making Cabrillo Bridge traffic unnecessary. Vasconcellos asked if “thru traffic” was part to the exterior impact. Fitch said it was, but makes up a small % - SANDAG and City models were used in traffic study.

Bugbee noted that the East end of the Park was once open and when it was closed to put in the fountain by the Fleet Science Center, people adjusted. She said USD has closed the center of their campus to traffic and it works well. Kroll asked if any of the alternatives change parking in the Palisades area. Fitch said they do not. Eric asked if a cost estimate had been made for mitigating the exterior traffic issue. Fitch said that was not part of the EIR. D Skillman said he understood that the core idea was to clear the Plaza de Panama of cars. Public education would let people know that parking is not available there.

GGHPC was polled about voting on a recommendation at this meeting. Those not ready to vote: Baldwin, Burke, Alvarez, Shields, Wolf, and Vasconcellos. Additional comments: Kroll – phased approach should be taken. Brierton – no bridge, build on West side. Caffey – not ready to vote, favors trams, etc with no parking in the park. D Skillman – research needed, don’t give up our vote. Strickland – no decision tonight, hopes comment period is extended. Bugbee- favors parking outside the park. Swarens – most vehicles should be outside the park. Bridge should be off the table. M Skillman – no vote tonight, is concerned about introduction of paid parking.

No official recommendations were made. Members were urged to get together among themselves (being observant of Brown Act restrictions) and put out ideas for discussion at the next meeting. Proposed motions could be put into the agenda.

Fitch noted that there is discussion of paid vs. free parking structure in the EIR. Swarens said the number of valet spaces vs. regular paid spaces needs to be reviewed.

D Skillman thanked Strickland for his work getting the summary information to the committee. Strickland thanked Fitch and Rick Engineering for their help.

ACTION ITEM – Project#265627. This is a Process I building permit, for garage construction at Baldwin’s residence. This is a ministerial permit, for which GGHPC must receive the plans but it needs no action. Baldwin recused himself from accepting the plans at Land Use Subcommittee, which he chairs. Shields accepted the plans on behalf of GGHPC. No further action is required.

SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS:

LAND USE: Baldwin said some older permits are coming back for extensions. We can make recommendations but extensions are routine. Any major changes should be taken into account. An extension for the 16-unit project at 30^th & Broadway will be on the agenda at Land Use subcommittee on 2/29/12.

Swarens asked that more detail about projects to be discussed at GGHPC be included on the agenda.

COMMUNITY PLAN UPDATE: Turgeon announced that the next CPUAC meeting would be held 3/7/12 at 6:30 at 1504 30^th Street. Agenda will be posted in advance. Turgeon said the Land Use and Housing committee of the City Council wants to discuss the schedule for the 3 Community Plan Updates in the Balboa Park cluster, he will notify us when the meeting will be held.

Meeting was adjourned at 8:36 pm. Meeting was reconvened at 8:37 pm.

Membership and Elections. Vasconcellos said there are 8 vacancies and 8 people running. We will have a balloted election at the March meeting.

Shields said she would like to change the by-laws so that the Committee had 15 members instead of 16, but will bring this up when it is more convenient.

Meeting was adjourned at 8:40 pm.

Marie Skillman.

Secretary

ATTACHMENT 1. AGENDA

GREATER GOLDEN HILL PLANNING COMMITTEE

February 8, 2012

6:30 PM

Balboa Park Golf Course Clubhouse, 2600 Golf Course Drive

www.sandiego.gov/planning/community/cpg

Agenda

Call to Order **6:30

Additions and/or Deletions to Agenda

Approval of Minutes

Governmental Reports **6:35

Community Police Officer – Suzy de la Pena {619.744.9514 or sdelapena@pd.sandiego.gov}

53rd Congressional District – Katherine Fortner {619.280.5353 or katherine.fortner@mail.house.gov}

76th Assembly District – Lindsey Masukawa {619.645.3090 or lindsey.masukawa@asm.ca.gov}

Council District 3 – Courtney Thomson {619.236.6633 or cthomson@sandiego.gov}

Council District 8 – Melina Meza {619.236.6688 or melinam@sandiego.gov}

City Planner – Bernard Turgeon {619.533.6575 or bturgeon@sandiego.gov}

Non Agenda Public Comment **6:50

Chair Report, Vice Chair Report **7:00

Information Items **7:05

Water Group Job 959 Up-date ~ R. Pond Public Information Officer

FAA Noise Mitigation Up-date ~ Carole Caffey

Community Plan Update ~ Next CPUAC Meeting, On March 7, 2012 at 1504 30th Street, 6:30 p.m.

Balboa Park & Transportation – David Strickland

Airport Noise & Treasurers Report – Carole Caffey

Historic* – Susan Bugbee {bugbee@sandiego.edu}

Land-Use* – Richard Baldwin {kimorb_1999@yahoo.com}

Consent Agenda **7:25

Action Items **7:30

>Project 265627 Process 1 Building Permit, Remodel Existing Garage

>Plaza de Panama EIR discussion, comment and take action on the propose project elements and the EIR Alternatives. Please review the project prior to the meeting. http://www.balboapark.org/plaza-de-panama/project

Adjournment **8:30

*If you are interested in attending the Historic or Land Use meeting please email the appropriate committee to confirm meeting and agenda.

**All times are estimated – Action Items may also be taken before Information Items.

The City of San Diego distributes agendas via email and can also provide agendas in alternative formats as well as a sign language or oral interpreter for the meeting with advance notice. To request these services, please contact the City at 619.236.6479 or sdplanninggroups@sandiego.gov

ATTACHMENT 2. STATEMENT FROM TERSHIA D’ELGIN

Trees

Urban forest staffer does not exist on staff at streets division

Meaning, there is no pro-tree voice as a member of the group of people in charge of sidewalks

When trees are identified as the cause of damaging sidewalks,

The pro tree option is to trim back roots and broaden the parkways

Replanting is difficult because of the maintenance required to establish their growth.

How are these two trees going to be replaced?

How/who will maintain them to maturity?

Please explain cost benefit of the replacement vs. accommodating existing growth?

Aesthetics, property values, traffic calming/slowing, air quality, shade, carbon dioxide, walk ability - Eco-system services, all included development-related formulas when determining value.

The group claiming responsibility for this project is sidewalk group #7. Who is this? They have a list of trees city-wide. The long range concern is fern street corridor street trees. What is their fate according to sidewalk group #7?

ATTACHMENT 3. Plaza de Panama Proposed Project Elements EIR Alternatives

Summary prepared by David Strickland.

Balboa Park Plaza de Panama: Balboa Park Master Plan Amendment; Central Mesa Precise Plan Amendment and a Site Development Permit to rehabilitate the Plaza de Panama consistent with the original vision of a ceremonial plaza and gathering space by eliminating

vehicle traffic from Plaza de California, El Prado, Plaza de Panama, and the Mall.

The project components include:

1. Plaza de Panama. Eliminate automobile traffic from the Plaza de Panama

and adjacent promenades and remove parking from the Plaza.

2. El Prado and Plaza de California. Allow for pedestrian use of El Prado

and Plaza de California by rerouting traffic to a bypass road and bridge.

3. Centennial Bridge and Road. Construction of a new two-way

bridge/road starting at the east end of the Cabrillo Bridge and continuing

through the eucalyptus grove around the southwest corner of the

Museum of Man.

4. Alcazar Parking Lot and Walkway. Redesign the Alcazar parking lot to

provide additional accessible parking as well as passenger drop-off,

museum loading, and valet.

5. The Mall and Pan American Promenade. Reclaim both the Mall and Pan

American Road for pedestrian only access by rerouting vehicle traffic

west of Pan American Road

6. Organ Pavilion Parking Structure, Roof-top Park, Tram and Arizona

Street Landfill. Construct a new parking structure with a roof-top park

and garden at the location of an existing Organ Pavilion surface parking

lot. The new multi-level underground structure would consist of

798 parking spaces on three levels and is 265,242 square feet. The new

rooftop park would be 2.2 acres. A tram shuttle would link parking in

the new structure with the Plaza de Panama. Excess soils from

excavation of the parking structure would be exported to the nearby

Arizona Street Landfill.

Plaza de Panama EIR Alternatives

ALTERNATIVES

No Project (No Development/Existing Conditions) Alternative (Alt 1)

The No Project (No Development/Existing Condition) Alternative would maintain Balboa Park

and the existing patterns of vehicle and pedestrian access to the Park in their current conditions.

No Project/Central Mesa Precise Plan Alternative (Alt 2)

Consistent with the adopted Central Mesa Precise Plan (CMPP), the CMPP Alternative would provide one-way eastbound vehicle access from the West Mesa during tram service hours, and two-way vehicular traffic during non-tram service hours. Traffic would be routed to the southwest corner of the Plaza de Panama. Only passenger drop-off would be allowed at the Plaza, and landscape and hardscape improvements would be implemented as outlined in the CMPP.

Under the CMPP Alternative, the circulation plan would route one-way traffic to the Alcazar

parking lot via access drives from the Mall. The Alcazar parking lot would be regraded, similar

to the project, and reconfigured in order to accommodate the majority of ADA (American with

Disabilities Act) parking in proximity to the Prado. The parking lot would include 56 accessible

spaces at a 2 percent slope. Both the intra-park tram and vehicles would use the west side of the Mall while bicycles and pedestrian traffic would flow on the east side. An underground parking structure with a rooftop park would be constructed at the location of the existing Organ Pavilion parking lot. This lot would hold 1,000 to 1,500 spaces, thus resulting in a net gain in parking, compared to the existing condition, of approximately 568 to 1,068 spaces. Export soil generated from the parking structure excavation would be disposed of at the Arizona Street Landfill, similar to the project. The portion of Pan American Road East, adjacent to the new parking structure, would be converted to a narrow pedestrian promenade. The Pan American Promenade would connect the rooftop park to the Organ Pavilion.

PEDESTRIANIZE CABRILLO BRIDGE ALTERNATIVES

This EIR addresses four alternatives that focus specifically on prohibiting vehicles on the

Cabrillo Bridge, El Prado, the Plaza de California, the Plaza de Panama, and the Mall. The four

alternatives in this category include the No New Parking Structure Alternative, Organ Pavilion

Parking Structure Alternative, West Mesa Parking Structure Alternative, and Inspiration Point

Parking Structure Alternative. These alternatives do not include the Centennial Bridge

component of the project.

No New Parking Structure Alternative (Alt 3A)

The No New Parking Structure Alternative would close El Prado, the Cabrillo Bridge, the Plaza

de California, the Plaza de Panama and the Mall to vehicles. The ADA parking removed from

the Plaza de Panama would be accommodated in a regraded and reconfigured Alcazar parking

lot. All other existing parking lots would be retained. The El Prado, Plaza de California, Plaza de

Panama, and the Mall would be repaved for pedestrian use. The existing driveway connecting

Pan American Road and the Alcazar parking lot would be widened to accommodate two-way

traffic adjacent to the Mall.

Organ Pavilion Parking Structure Alternative (Alt 3B)

The Organ Pavilion Parking Structure Alternative would prohibit vehicle traffic along El Prado,

east of Balboa Drive and over the Cabrillo Bridge. There would be no public vehicular access to

the Park from the West Mesa, and areas reclaimed for pedestrian use would include the Cabrillo

Bridge, Plaza de California, El Prado, the Plaza de Panama, the Mall, and Pan American Road.

Park Boulevard, via Presidents Way, would provide vehicular access to the project area. A

subterranean parking structure/roof top park would be located at the site of the existing Organ

Pavilion parking lot, and excess export soil would be disposed of at the Arizona Street Landfill.

Central Mesa (Objective 3) by precluding vehicle access from the West Mesa. This alternative

also would provide fewer benefits than the project through resolving fewer pedestrian/vehicular

conflicts; and providing no improvements to access and circulation.

West Mesa Parking Structure Alternative (Alt 3C)

The West Mesa Parking Structure Alternative would prohibit vehicular traffic along El Prado,

east of Balboa Drive and over the Cabrillo Bridge. There would be no public vehicular access to

the Park from the West Mesa, and areas reclaimed for pedestrian use would include the Cabrillo

Bridge, Plaza de California, El Prado, the Plaza de Panama, and the Mall,. A new subterranean

paid parking structure would be located on the West Mesa. Excess soil from excavation of the

parking structure would be disposed of at the Arizona Street Landfill. The existing lawn bowling

greens would be replaced atop the parking structure. The Organ Pavilion parking lot would be

maintained in its current condition. Park visitors entering from the west would park in the new

parking structure and either walk across Cabrillo Bridge or take the new tram system. Vehicular

access to the project area from the east would be from the Park Boulevard/the Presidents Way

entrance.

Inspiration Point Parking Structure Alternative (Alt 3D)

The Inspiration Point Parking Structure Alternative would prohibit vehicle traffic along El Prado,

east of Balboa Drive and over the Cabrillo Bridge. There would be no public vehicular access to

the Park from the West Mesa, and areas reclaimed for pedestrian use would include the Cabrillo

Bridge, Plaza de California, El Prado, the Plaza de Panama, the Organ Pavilion parking lot, and

the Mall. Under this alternative, the existing Organ Pavilion parking lot would be converted to

parkland. A new above-ground parking structure, which would be free to the public, would be

located southeast of the intersection of Presidents Way and Park Boulevard, an area known as

Inspiration Point. Vehicular traffic would access the project area from the east via Presidents

Way and travel north to the Alcazar parking lot for ADA parking, valet services, or passenger

drop-off only. The Alcazar parking lot would be re-graded and reconfigured to accommodate

the ADA spaces lost from restoration of the Plaza de Panama.

OPEN CABRILLO BRIDGE ALTERNATIVES

This EIR addresses six alternatives which focus on continuing to allow vehicles on the Cabrillo

Bridge both with and without the Centennial Bridge. Two of the open Cabrillo Bridge

alternatives include the Centennial Bridge—Gold Gulch Parking Structure Alternative and the

No Paid Parking Alternative. Four of the open Cabrillo Bridge alternatives do not include the

Centennial Bridge—Tunnel Alternative, Stop Light (One-Way) Alternative, the Modified

Precise Plan without Parking Structure Alternative, and the Half-Plaza Alternative.

Gold Gulch Parking Structure Alternative (Alt 4Ai)

Development under the Gold Gulch Parking Structure Alternative would be similar to the project

in that it would: maintain vehicular traffic over the Cabrillo Bridge; construct the Centennial

Bridge, along with a new road, “Park Road”, that traverses the edge of Palm Canyon, similar to

Centennial Road, under the project; pedestrianize the Plaza de California, El Prado, the Plaza de Panama, the Mall and Pan American Road East and regrade the Alcazar parking lot to replace the loss of ADA parking, valet and passenger drop off operations from the Plaza de Panama.

This alternative would place a new parking structure within Gold Gulch, the canyon located east

of the existing Organ Pavilion parking lot. Construction of the parking structure and

improvements would require approximately 51,500 cy of export soil, which would be disposed at

the Arizona Street Landfill. The parking structure would be a five-level, structure, resulting in

the same net increase in parking spaces as the project. The Organ Pavilion parking lot would be

converted to parkland, and green space would be added behind the Organ Pavilion. The Gold

Gulch Parking Structure Alternative would substantially alter the existing circulation patterns

within the project area and vicinity. A new access road (“Park Road”) would be constructed

from the east between the World Beat Center and the Cultural de la Raza, connecting to Park

Boulevard at a new intersection. This road would connect to the top level of the parking structure and would include a bridge over the Tram Way. Road Z would also provide access to the parking structure via Presidents Way. Tram service to and from the Plaza de Panama would be provided.

No Paid Parking Alternative (Alt 4Aii)

This alternative would contain all of the same features as the project except that parking in the

Organ Pavilion parking structure would be free of charge in perpetuity.

All environmental impacts would be similar to the project, with one exception. The lack of

parking fees under this alternative would result in two significant but mitigable impacts to

internal Park circulation that would not occur with the project. This impact would occur at the

intersection of Centennial Road and Presidents Way, because the lack of a parking fee would

result in a greater concentration of Park visitors seeking to park at the Organ Pavilion structure.

Tunnel Alternative (Alt 4Bi)

The Tunnel Alternative would pedestrianize the entire Plaza de Panama and the eastern portion

of the Mall by undergrounding a section of the El Prado roadway. The roadway would go

underground approximately 150 feet east of the Plaza de California, and circulate below the

Plaza de Panama via a 275-foot-long tunnel that would outlet along the western half of the Mall.

Vehicles would then use the newly constructed Centennial Road to access a new underground

pay parking structure south of the Organ Pavilion. Export soil generated from the parking

structure excavation would be disposed of at the Arizona Street Landfill, similar to the project.

Like the project, the new parking structure would be covered with a rooftop park, and the Pan

American Promenade would connect the rooftop park to the Organ Pavilion and Mall. Also

similar to the project, the Alcazar parking lot would be regraded and reconfigured to

accommodate ADA parking, valet services and passenger drop-off. Special construction considerations would be necessitated by this alternative. The tunnel would

require an approximately 20-foot-deep underground structure, with 1:1 excavation slopes. Based on the location of the tunnel relative to the arcades, existing pedestrian and historic areas, vertical shoring of the excavated tunnel walls would be necessary in order to prevent impacts to these areas. A drill rig would be required to auger the holes for soldier piles. Potential utility (gas, water, sewer, and electric) relocation may also be required.

.

Stop Light (One-Way) Alternative (Alt 4Bii)

Development under the Stop Light (One-Way) Alternative would pedestrianize three-fourths of

the Plaza de Panama and the eastern half of the Mall in a plan similar to the Central Mesa Precise Plan Alternative, with one-way eastbound vehicle traffic routed through the southwest corner of the Plaza. Vehicles would continue on a one-way basis through the Plaza de Panama, following the road’s present alignment, toward the Organ Pavilion and past the Organ Pavilion parking lot. This alternative would include the installation of a traffic signal in the archway on the west side of the Plaza de California outside the Museum of Man. This alternative would not construct the Centennial Bridge, Centennial Road or the Organ Pavilion parking structure. The ADA parking spaces removed from the Plaza de Panama would be recovered through regrading and reconfiguring of the Alcazar parking lot, similar to the project.

Modified Precise Plan without Parking Structure Alternative (Alt 4Biii)

The Modified Precise Plan without Parking Structure Alternative would route two-way vehicular

traffic along El Prado to the southwest corner of the Plaza de Panama, adjacent to the Mingei

International Museum. Valet and passenger drop-offs and tram stop would be provided within

the Plaza. Most of the Plaza de Panama and the eastern half of the Mall would be pedestrianized with this alternative. To replace the parking removed from the Plaza de Panama, an equal number of new parking spaces would be created in existing parking lots behind Park institutions and along existing interior streets. The Organ Pavilion parking lot would remain in its existing condition. The ADA parking spaces removed from the Plaza de Panama would be recovered through minor regrading and restriping the Alcazar parking lot (along with the removal of two maintenance sheds at the western edge of the lot); and the creation of additional spaces within the Organ Pavilion parking lot, the areas behind the Museum of Photographic Arts and the Model Railroad Museum, adjacent the southern border of the San Diego Zoo and Old Globe

Way. The existing one-way access drives into the Alcazar parking lot would be retained.

Half-Plaza Alternative (Alt 4Biv)

With implementation of the Half-Plaza Alternative, two-way vehicular traffic would circulate

along El Prado. A one-way loop around the Mall and southern half of the Plaza de Panama

would be constructed and referred to as “El Cid Island.” The loop would consist of a landscaped

median/garden area with street trees lining both sides of the roadway. Drop-off and valet zones

would be located at the Mingei International Museum and House of Hospitality. The Half-Plaza

Alternative would remove parking from the Plaza de Panama and the Alcazar parking lot. The

Alcazar parking lot would be converted to green space and reclaimed as parkland; the northern

half of the Plaza de Panama and Pan American Road East would be reclaimed for pedestrian use. Parking removed from the Plaza de Panama and Alcazar parking lot would be offset in a new subterranean paid parking structure south of the Organ Pavilion. Export soil generated from the parking structure excavation would be disposed of at the Arizona Street Landfill, similar to the project. Also similar to the project, a rooftop park would be constructed on top of the structure. An at-grade access road would be placed along the structure’s northern and eastern perimeters, connecting to Pan American Road East north of the structure and to Presidents Way southeast of the structure. (No grade-separated pedestrian overpass is included in this alterative).

PHASED ALTERNATIVE (ALT 5)

Under the Phased Alternative, construction would proceed in four phases on an “as needed”

basis. Each subsequent phase would not occur, unless and until, there was a need due to

insufficient parking, traffic/pedestrian conflicts, or impacts on overall park use.

· Phase1: In Phase 1, the landscape and hardscape improvements identified for the project

(with the exception of the reflecting pools) would be implemented for most of Plaza and

the eastern portion of the Mall. Phase 1 would include the elimination of parking and

valet operations within Plaza de Panama, but would continue to allow through traffic

within the southwest corner. The Alcazar parking lot would be regraded and

reconfigured to accommodate ADA parking and valet services at this phase.

Based on the parking demand studies, elimination of parking and valet operations within the Plaza de Panama, indicate parking occupancies at/or over capacity (85%) in the core area. If

Park core area parking would exceed (85%), then Phase 2 would be initiated.

·

Phase 2: Phase 2 would add the parking structure at the Organ Pavilion parking lot and

rooftop park, accessed by a portion of the Centennial Road. Export soil generated from

the parking structure excavation would be disposed of at the Arizona Street Landfill,

similar to the project. The tram loop from the parking structure to Plaza de Panama

would be activated. Adding the Organ Pavilion structure would increase parking supply

within the core area, however, pedestrian/vehicular conflicts at the Plaza de Panama

would still remain. For Phase 2, if pedestrian/vehicular conflicts are not reduced by at

least 50%, then Phase 3 would be initiated.

·Phase 3: Phase 3 would close the Cabrillo Bridge to vehicular traffic and include the

pedestrianization and restoration of El Prado, the western portion of the Mall, and the

remainder of the Plaza de Panama, including the addition of the two shallow reflecting

pools. The remainder of Centennial Road also would be completed in this phase and

connect the Organ Pavilion parking structure to the Alcazar parking lot. Closing the

Cabrillo Bridge is anticipated to reroute Park-destined trips to the Park

Boulevard/Presidents Way intersection, as access to the project area would be limited to

this location. For Phase 3, if internal roadways and intersections are calculated to

operate poorly (LOS E and LOS F), then Phase 4 would be initiated.

Phase 4: Phase 4 would be the construction of the Centennial Bridge, as defined in the

project.

ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED BUT REJECTED

In addition to the 13 alternatives fully analyzed, the EIR also considered the following eight

alternatives. These alternatives were rejected for the reasons stated.

2004 Jones and Jones Land Use, Circulation and Parking Study Alternative

The 2004 Concept Plan, prepared by Jones & Jones and Civitas, is a comprehensive plan for

Balboa Park and recommends relocating parking to periphery locations. Three underground

parking structures are recommended: (1) at the Zoo Promenade, (2) near the existing Archery

Range below and just north of the Cabrillo Bridge, and (3) an employee parking structure located at the southern portion of Inspiration Point. This Plan would reclaim a total of 115 acres of parkland by rehabilitating several areas for public park use including: the Arizona Landfill; the

Archery Range; the Alcazar parking lot; Pan American Plaza; Plaza de Panama, and the Organ

Pavilion parking lot.

This alternative was not considered for further analysis for the following reasons:

·In its entirety, this Plan is much larger in scope than the project and would likely be

infeasible to implement from an economic standpoint.

Due to the substantially larger scope, this alternative also would result in greater impacts

to a number of resources, likely to include traffic, air quality, noise, greenhouse gases,

and cultural (archaeological) resources.

· This alterative would not meet several of the project objectives. By placing parking at

periphery locations, this alternative would not meet Objective 1 – “maintaining proximate

vehicular access to the Park’s institutions”. Objective 6, complete implementation by

2015, would be difficult to attain, due to the substantial scope of improvements included

under this alternative.

Increased Surface Parking on West Side Alternative

The Increased Surface Parking on West Side Alternative would close the Cabrillo Bridge to

vehicular traffic and remove parking from the Plaza de Panama. Vehicular access to the Central

Mesa portion of Balboa Park would only occur from the east, via Park Boulevard. Rather than

adding a new parking structure, this alternative would reconfigure both Sixth Avenue and Balboa Drive to accommodate additional on-street parking through realignment, roadway widening, and restriping for angled parking along both roadways.

This alternative was not considered for further analysis for the following reasons:

It is similar to another alternative with parking on the west side of the Park (3C West

Mesa Parking Structure Alternative) which is analyzed in detail.

Zoo Parking Alternative

The Zoo Parking Alternative is based on joint use of the parking structure component of the Park Boulevard Promenade project. An EIR for this project was certified (SCH #2001121107) and the project approved in 2003; however, no portion of the project has been constructed to date. Implementation of this alternative would close Cabrillo Bridge and El Prado to vehicular traffic and vehicular access to the Central Mesa would be solely from the east via Park Boulevard. As approved, a new subterranean parking structure would be located along Park Boulevard, just north of Zoo Place, south to the Natural History Museum. The existing asphalt parking lots near Spanish Village and Natural History Museum would be converted to a public promenade connecting the new Zoo entry to El Prado. Additional parking would also be provided in a new parking lot located to the south of the War Memorial Building and a 4.5-acre employee parking lot would be added within the existing Zoo leasehold.

Managed Cabrillo Bridge Closure Alternative

The Managed Cabrillo Bridge Closure Alternative includes the managed closure of Cabrillo

Bridge to vehicles at/during peak Park hours/days (i.e., 9:30 A.M. to 5:30 P.M.). Outside of peak

times, cars would be allowed to travel across the bridge, on El Prado, and through the southwest corner of Plaza de Panama to the Mall, consistent with the existing condition. Additionally, under this alternative, parking would be permanently removed from the Plaza de Panama, resulting in a net loss of 54 parking spaces. This alternative does not include any other

modifications to existing facilities, parking or circulation/transit.

Quince Street Access Alternative

The Quince Street Access Alternative would construct a new western access to Balboa Park from SR-163, which would require Quince Street and the associated bridge to be converted into a twoway road. The existing northbound SR-163 off ramp at Quince Street would be abandoned, and the existing overpass modified to create a two-way at grade road parallel to northbound SR-163. The new north/southbound road would cross under Cabrillo Bridge and connect to a parking structure, which would be constructed at the existing Organ Pavilion parking lot. The Quince Street access road under this alternative would serve as the new vehicular access to the Central Mesa from the west, allowing the Cabrillo Bridge to be closed to traffic and pedestrianized.

Old Globe Way Access Alternative

The Old Globe Way Parking Structure Alternative would be similar to the Quince Street

Alternative, discussed above. Under this alternative, the existing Quince Drive off-ramp from

north-bound SR-163 would be used to transform Quince Street and the existing bridge into a

two-way road. Instead of going under the Cabrillo Bridge, however, the roadway would climb

the canyon behind the Old Globe Theatre to a new parking structure. The “Old Globe Structure”

would be several levels high, with an entry from the Quince Street Bridge on the lower level to

the west and a top-level entry on the east attaching to Old Globe Way. The Quince Street access road under this alternative would serve as the new vehicular access to the Central Mesa from the west, allowing the Cabrillo Bridge to be closed to traffic and pedestrianized.

Green Entry/Periphery Parking Alternative

This specific alternative suggested in the public process includes several components. The

Cabrillo Bridge, the California Building (Museum of Man) archway into the Plaza de California,

and El Prado would become a “green entry” allowing only pedestrians, pedicabs, bicycles, and

other non-fossil fuel vehicles (and emergency vehicles) to enter. This would allow El Prado and

the Plaza de Panama to be reclaimed for primarily pedestrian-only use. The Mall and Pan

American Road would remain open to vehicular traffic. Most public parking would be eliminated from the heart of the Central Mesa. Two periphery parking structures would be constructed: one at Nate’s Point Dog Park with grass to support a rooftop dog park; and another at the existing Federal Building surface parking lot.

This alternative would include the widening of Presidents Way between Park Boulevard and Pan American Plaza to four lanes in order to accommodate additional traffic in this area, and would be accomplished through the elimination of existing parallel parking. The existing Palisades parking lot would then be reclaimed as a pedestrian plaza. Angled parking also would be provided along Balboa Drive from El Prado to Marston Point. Accessible parking would be

retained in limited designated areas in the Central Mesa. The Alcazar parking lot would be

retained for accessible and special permit parking only and the Organ Pavilion parking lot would

remain in its current condition. All valet service would be eliminated from the Park.

This alternative would include a one-dollar per day fee to be implemented for all parking spaces

in the Park using new ticket machines, similar to those being installed downtown.

Sixth Avenue Bridge Extension

The Sixth Avenue Bridge Extension alternative suggested in the public process includes several

components. The Sixth Avenue Bridge Extension Alternative includes a new one-way (westbound) bridge from near the Automotive Museum at the southern end of Pan American Plaza to Sixth Avenue over SR-163. The roadway could incorporate some of the existing roadway that leads to Sixth Avenue from Balboa Drive. The Cabrillo Bridge and El Prado would be converted to one-lane of east-bound travel, allowing the second lane to be available for pedestrian, tram, or other use. Under this alternative, El Prado, the Plaza de Panama, the Plaza de California, Mall, Pan American Road and the Organ Pavilion parking lot, would all remain open to vehicular use and/or parking. Additional parking would be located in several locations, including a two-three level parking structure at the existing Inspiration Point parking lot; angled parking along Balboa Drive and surface parking on Quince Drive. Accessible parking would be located directly in front of the Art Museum in the Plaza de Panama and all time-restricted spaces would be relocated to the Alcazar parking lot.