San Diego Infrastructure Committee Meeting: June 22, 2018
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San Diego Infrastructure Committee Meeting: June 22, 2018
The San Diego Infrastructure Committee met on June 22, 2018, at 9:15 AM. The committee approved consent items and unanimously recommended approval of an amendment to the Quarry Falls (Civita) reimbursement and park development agreement, despite a cost increase from $36 million to $49.6 million. The meeting also featured public comments on street conditions and a recognition of community contributors.
Consent Calendar
- The meeting minutes from May 23, 2018, were approved as distributed.
- Two consent agenda items were adopted unanimously by a motion from Councilmember Ward, seconded by Vice Chair Alvarez.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Martha Welch addressed the committee, expressing frustration over unpaved roads and cracked sidewalks in San Diego. She claimed that a lack of city contracts and a controlling figure (referring to the mayor) have prevented repairs for years, and that council members have been lied to about fixes. She urged the city to take action on infrastructure maintenance.
Discussion Items
- Recognition of Waldo Waterman Park Contributors: Councilmember Ward took a moment to thank the Bankers Hill Community Group and several public works staff members (Kevin Oliver, Scott Turner, Ricardo Sanchez, E. Corlevin) for their role in completing Waldo Waterman Park—the first neighborhood park in Bankers Hill in nearly 90 years. He presented an award and commendations to UF Tahi and Gilea Michael on behalf of the group.
- Quarry Falls (Civita) Development Project – Amendment No. 1:
- Presented by: Tom Tomlinson, Assistant Director of the Planning Department.
- Request: Approval of amendments to the reimbursement agreement and park development agreement for the Civita project in Mission Valley.
- Cost Details: The original 2012 agreement estimated park costs at $36 million; the amendment proposes $49.6 million (a $13 million increase, or 36%). The cost increase was attributed to moving from concept to detailed construction drawings, prevailing wage requirements, strong construction demand, and rising material/labor costs. The annualized increase of 6% was noted to be below the city’s average 10% per year for park costs.
- Funding: The increased costs will be fully covered by development impact fees from Civita’s residential units (total projected $62 million from fees, exceeding the amendment amount). No other CIP projects are affected.
- Park Details: Central Park (14 of 17 acres) is under construction; three other parks (Creekside, Franklin Ridge Pocket, Phyllis Place) are planned. Three parks will be maintained by the master HOA; Phyllis Place will be city-maintained. Public access is guaranteed via recreation easements. Parking for visitors will be available (60+ spaces initially, with additional spaces planned).
- Questions: No questions from committee members besides those already addressed. The IBA representative asked about maintenance responsibilities, which were clarified.
Key Outcomes
- Motion: Councilmember F moved to approve the staff recommendation on the Civita amendment; seconded by Councilmember Ward. The motion passed unanimously (voice vote).
- Next Step: The item will be forwarded to the full City Council.
- Adjournment: The meeting adjourned. The next meeting is scheduled for July 18, 2018, at 2:00 PM.
Note: The meeting date provided in the instruction (June 22, 2018) conflicts with the chair’s verbal statement in the transcript (“Today is Wednesday, June 10th, 2018”). This summary uses the mandated date of June 22, 2018, per the instruction.
Meeting Transcript
Good afternoon, everybody. Thank you for joining us for this month's meeting of the infrastructure committee. Today is Wednesday, June 10th, 2018. The record reflect that we have a full uh complement of committee members here, including Vice Chair Alvarez, Council members Zeph and Ward. We also have our City Attorney Representative Mark Mercer, our IBA representative Jillian Cassie, our mayoral representative Crickets, and uh our infrastructure committee consultant Justin Garver. Uh I would like to thank everybody who's here in person or watching us live on City TV. So we'll start as always with non-agenda public comment. We have one member of the public requesting to speak on an item and not on this today's agenda, and that is Martha Welch. You have two minutes. Martha Welsh, I'll be from me on 18. We found out on um screen um on some sounds found out um they don't have um not paved and no uh um um watch um sidewalks up there. We found that. Uh what's going on? We have uh on screen it's a very busy up there, and you don't have uh roads that aren't paved and no sidewalks. Everywhere I go on Broadway and 10th and 11th and 5, they're all they're cracks and part of that. You don't fix it because why? You don't have city um people to do that. You have to have a specific um to uh contract, but they're to fix that. That's just go hair because why we have this person who calls you as death threats all the time to the city, but you know, don't do this, don't do all these rules we have. You know, that's what goes on in the city of San Diego. He wants to control you, that's what it does. He doesn't like sidewalks or streets fixed, he wants um he doesn't want them to fix. There's uh now there's so many streets that haven't been fixed. Now I know that we have all this money to put aside, and now they're not fixed, yes. Because why? We don't have uh it's not fixed. There's so many on right how everywhere in the city there's there's there's problems. Um potholes and crack roads and all this stuff, and doesn't get fixed. And it's uh that he's mean and he's hateful, and that's what goes on. He doesn't want to he wants people that ruin their tires or something. I don't know. But it's a it's it's the wrong thing that goes in the city. He's been controlling for years and years, and it's a wrong thing that goes on. And um that's why our city has got all these potholes and and crack roads and is not being fixed, and it's gone for years. We people go to sometimes this councils they've been lied to. They've been to years and years been told to fix it, and it doesn't get fixed. And why? Because there's no specific contract. That's why. So they never get fixed. They say the same way. They they don't get fixed, they don't get fixed, they don't get fixed. They're lied to constantly, and that's another thing you want to do is lie. So that's what goes on. Thank you, Ms. Welch. Um we are now uh joined by Jessica Lawrence from the mayor's office, capably representing the mayor. Uh turning to members of the committee. Do we have any committee members? Mr.
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