The Uptown Planners held their monthly meeting on Tuesday evening in the Joyce Beers Community Center. The first item for a new Shiraz Medical Center, at 101 Dickinson Street, was rejected as well as a street vacation for West Quince at Front Street. A variance for the residence at 3919 Pringle Street was approved. Two of the most contentious items were issues regarding the makeup of the Uptown Community Plan stakeholders group and a motion to dissolve the Uptown Partnership, this community’s parking management group since 1997.
The Planners Advisory Committee recommended that the Uptown Planners be considered “committee as a whole” to act as the Uptown Community Plan Update Advisory Committee. William Anderson, Director of Planning for the city suggested that the stakeholders group be made up of the Uptown Planners board and another diverse group that represents other factions of the community such as environmental, historic, community organizations, business districts and the medical community. Anderson expressed concerned that the group would get “bogged down” in the selection proces, putting the Interim Height deadline in jeopardy. He also shared that the state’s economic troubles were filtering down to the city level, and that projects like this may be subject to losing funding. The Planners approved the proposal 14-2-1.
In a separate issue, a motion was made to have San Diego City Council Districts 2 and 3 appoint a new board to the Uptown Partnership, not renew their contract, distribute meter revenues proportionately in each community and keep overhead at approximately 10%. There was much discussion with motions made to remove the item from consideration (which failed 11-2-4) another motion to table the item (failed 11-3-3). The motion was ultimately approved 8-6-3. Bob Grinchuk who’s on the board of both organizations submitted that the motion was outside the purview of the planners and also criticized chair Leo Wilson for conducting the discussion in a biased manner.
