200 words: Community plans

 200 words: Community plans by Loch David Crane, M. Ed.

Question: Many community plans around San Diego are sorely out of date, which costs the developers more as they try to build housing projects and are forced to access special permits. How would you expedite planning efforts?

    Overdevelopers have always had the upper hand and seem unwilling to do their fair share of infrastructure repair. When they stuff 200 units or 40 condos into a calm residential area, they increase traffic, sewage, parking, water usage, blight, and overcrowding. For this the city and the citizens have to suffer while they profit. The planning department must make sure the developers pay their fair share.

    Over the last 200 years our infrastructure (affordable housing, sidewalks, streets, parks, bay access, views, etc.) has deteriorated because "special permits" were in fact not properly expected. Overdevelopers need to state the true environmental impact of their development and pay accordingly. If we had done that with the Chargers, the city would've made a profit instead of just the owner.

    San Diego almost abolished its planning department! Were it not for community groups like Save Our Heritage Organization and Citizens Coordinate for Century Three, our “ temporary paradise” would look and feel worse than it does! I would not expedite the city's efforts if the alternative is to give in to the developers. . .again.  In fact the air and water quality boards should be producing city income by fining toxic polluters–they don’t now.