San Diego City Council Infrastructure Committee Meeting - October 27, 2016
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San Diego City Council Infrastructure Committee Meeting - October 27, 2016
The Infrastructure Committee met on October 27, 2016, chaired by Councilmember Kersey. The meeting covered non-agenda public comments, approval of consent items, a report on the Uptown impact fee study, and extensive discussion and public testimony on the Balboa Park Plaza de Panama project and its proposed financing. Key votes included unanimous support to forward the Uptown impact fee study, the Plaza de Panama project, and the related bond financing plan to the full City Council.
Consent Calendar
- Items 1–4: Approved unanimously and forwarded to full Council.
- Item 5: Returned to staff at the request of staff.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Kevin Swanson (resident since 1958) called for a functional transportation plan linking Balboa Park to downtown, including automated electric shuttles, and criticized the current ACE parking tram system for failing to serve bus riders.
- Martha Welch expressed concerns about water usage for proposed reflecting pools, noting the drought and maintenance challenges.
- Matt Adams (Building Industry Association) opposed the park component of the Uptown impact fee, stating 62% of the fee ($254 million) is for speculative parks without identified projects. He argued San Diego already ranks #1 in parkland per capita and that a 40% fee increase coupled with a 2,000-unit downzone would harm housing investment. He requested the fee remain unchanged or be delayed by a year.
- Matthew Adams (same as above) emphasized that the Uptown plan includes a 2,000-unit reduction and the fee increase would further discourage development.
- Leo Wilson (Uptown Planners) complimented staff, noted unanimous community plan support, and stressed the need for local park space, as Balboa Park is a regional facility used mostly by non-residents.
- Organized presentations in favor of Plaza de Panama:
- Dr. Erwin Jacobs (Chair, Plaza de Panama Committee) described the project as a public-private partnership restoring pedestrian plazas, with the committee having already spent $14 million and committed to raising the remaining ~$30 million.
- Jim Kidrick (President/CEO, San Diego Air & Space Museum; Chair, Balboa Park United) urged approval, calling the plan the "most superb public-private partnership."
- Michael Seidel (Metro CDC) expressed strong support.
- Peter Komisky (Balboa Park Cultural Partnership) cited reduced pedestrian-vehicle conflicts (from 2,500 to 700 interactions per peak day) and logical parking access.
- Leo Wilson (Metro CDC/Bankers Hill) emphasized neighborhood support and danger from current car-pedestrian mix.
- David Marshall (preservation architect) refuted claims that the project threatens Balboa Park's National Historic Landmark status, arguing that minor impacts (70 ft of Cabrillo Bridge railing) would not cause delisting.
- Sharon Gill (resident) highlighted increased handicapped parking and removal of cars from plazas.
- Organized presentations in opposition:
- Bruce Coons (preservation advocate) argued the bypass bridge would compromise the iconic view from Cabrillo Bridge, cited a National Park Service letter warning of potential landmark status jeopardy, and noted the project adds only ~260 net parking spaces (at $300,000 per space) while reducing ADA access and violating Climate Action Plan goals. He proposed instead the already-permitted Zoo Promenade project with 1,850 net spaces at similar cost.
- David London (Balboa Park Heritage Association) claimed no pedestrian-vehicle accidents in 20 years (per SDPD records), said paid parking projections are unrealistic, and that the project diverts funds from pressing maintenance needs.
- Individual speakers in opposition:
- Howard Blackson urged a design competition for the bypass bridge due to its iconic importance.
- David Goldbrook warned of lost landmark status and urged focus on deferred maintenance.
- Bernadine King said previous court challenges denied the plan and preservationists would sue again.
- Brian Curry (Pacific Beach Planning Group) argued the parking garage may become obsolete with changing transportation trends.
- Deirdre Lee called for a public vote, citing underutilized parking at City College and park maintenance needs.
- Individual speakers in favor:
- Gordon Cofton (program manager for Plaza de Panama Committee) noted the project reclaims 6.3 acres of parkland, reduces vehicle-pedestrian conflicts from 2,400 to 750 per peak hour, and that the Oregon Pavilion lot is now full by 11 a.m.
- Sharon Gale pointed out that City Hall parking at $18/day is nearly full, making $8/day a bargain, and the project enables future removal of the Air and Space Museum surface lot.
Discussion Items
- Uptown Impact Fee Study (Item 6): Planning staff proposed increasing the fee from $8,755 to $11,863 per residential unit. The park component (62% of fee) would fund 22 identified projects and parkland acquisition. Uptown has 15 acres of neighborhood parks versus a General Plan requirement of 156 acres; staff identified 10.85 acres for acquisition. Committee members raised concerns about maintenance costs and the need for a Citywide Parks Master Plan. Staff noted the fee can only be used for capital improvements, not operations.
- Plaza de Panama Project (Item 8): Staff presented a public-private partnership to remove cars from the Central Mesa, build a three-story parking structure, a bypass road/bridge, and 6.3 acres of pedestrian plazas. Total cost $79 million, with city contributing $49 million ($45M hard costs + $4M soft costs) and the Plaza de Panama Committee raising the balance. Construction phased over ~22 months. The committee voted unanimously to forward all seven requested actions to full Council.
- Financing Plan (Item 7): Debt management proposed issuing $39 million in lease revenue bonds (tax-exempt) backed by parking garage revenues, with city general fund as backstop. Parking rates: $8 weekday/$12 weekend for >2 hours, $125/month for permits, $150/month for valet. Projected net revenue $3.3–4M annually. Committee discussed a one-year review of parking rates and impact on other capital projects.
Key Outcomes
- Uptown Impact Fee Study: Motion by Councilmember Zap, seconded by Vice Chair Cole, to forward to full Council with recommendation for approval. Carried unanimously (Councilmember Emerald absent).
- Plaza de Panama Project: Motion by Councilmember Zap to approve all seven staff recommendations and forward to full Council. Seconded by Vice Chair Cole. Carried unanimously.
- Financing Plan (Item 7): Motion by Councilmember Zap to approve staff recommendations and forward to full Council. Seconded by Vice Chair Cole. Carried unanimously.
- Next Meeting: No meeting in November; next meeting scheduled for December 7, 2016.
Meeting Transcript
Good afternoon, everybody. We're gonna go ahead and get started here. We have uh a few things to get through. Today is October 27, 2016. It's my kid's birthday. I've got a party to get to. I would encourage you to think about that when you're deciding how long you're gonna speak. Let the record reflect that we are joined by our Vice Chair Myrtle Cole as well as Councilmember Zaf. Uh Councilmember Emerald is absent. We also have our City Attorney Representative Tom Zelney, our IBA represent our IBA actually, not a representative, our actual IBA, Andrea Tevlin, as well as our mayoral representative Catherine Johnson, and of course our committee consultant Lee Friedman. Like to thank the members of the public who are here today. I think this is probably more people in person than we've had for every one of our committee meetings combined this year. So uh it's good to see everybody. Uh so we'll as always get started with non-agenda public comment. We have two speakers, uh Kevin Swanson and Martha Welch. You have two minutes each. Kevin Swanson here, yes. Good afternoon, Mr. Chair, members of the committee, members of the public. My name is Kevin Swanson. I've lived in San Diego since 1958. And presently live in Paradise Hills. One of the things that I have not seen come out of the infrastructure committee yet is a transportation plan that actually works. Especially surrounding and accessing Balboa Park. And a shuttle system within Balboa Park that actually works. Now that is within your jurisdiction, I think, as part of the infrastructure planning that you're doing. In order to meet the community goals in terms of the climate action plan. And that links Balboa Park to downtown and to the other communities surrounding it. It makes it easier for people without automobiles to access the park and looking at things such as automated electric shuttles that run on a continuous basis and provide access on an infrastructure basis to the public. So T doesn't go to the uh fun. Why? Ten million or more. We have all the money. I talked to two workers one time and they told that what we do is of solid waste, we drive. Where's it? Where's the where why? That's a very bad system. Who who did that? I don't know. It's gone for years and years. I know what used to be Fester um Island before, but I don't know where it is now. Now all the workers you can uh on this, all these projects are gonna pay 1050 to all the people that works there. I don't think so. I don't think that's fair, but that I other people on this in the city get out at the pay all the time only. And the tram in in Bal Bowl. It's ace parking. So don't scroll, if you're not if you don't have a car, it's easy. It goes to parking, parking, parking, parking. But if you want uh uh the tram that used to be there would go go but it's pick you all over the park, but that's not that's gone. ACE parking does that tram right now in Balboa, and it goes for to the parking.
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