The Official Town Council and Planning Group of Tierrasanta

Tierrasanta community leader voices objections

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(Article from San Diego Union Tribune June 27, 2003)

By Jeanette Steele  STAFF WRITER

The Navy yesterday identified 300 acres at Miramar Marine Corps Air Station just north of state Route 52 as the best site for a controversial 1,600 unit complex to ease the housing crunch for the county's service members.

The site, which would connect to highway 52 at Santo Road, was chosen over two others on the base's north side because it would create the least impact on surrounding neighborhoods and it has room for the most units, a draft environ­mental impact statement said. The project has been planned since 1998.

To the south, Tierrasanta probably would feel the greatest effects, and community leader Deanna Spehn said yesterday that residents have "strong and over­whelming concerns" about the development's burden on local roads, schools and parks.

Spehn, president of the Tierrasanta Community Council, said it's wrong for the Navy to construct such a large complex in one location. Instead, she said, it should build smaller units on several sites to spread out the impact.

Tierrasanta "is built out now. To have 1,600 additional units essentially added to our community is a travesty," Spehn said.

San Diego City Councilman Jim Madaffer, whose district includes Tierrasanta, was out of town yesterday and had not seen the environmental report, a spokeswoman said.

Scripps Ranch residents happy with choice

Meanwhile, Scripps Ranch Civic Association president Marc Sorensen said that neighborhood "dodged a bullet" because building on either of the two other sites would have worsened Scripps Ranch's already congested roads and schools.

"At this point, it's good for the regional issues we are facing," he said.

"We do accommodate a lot of our own needs on site, so we won't be taxing the community … We try to minimize that as much as possible."

SHEILA DONOVAN, a Navy regional planner

A Navy regional planner said yesterday the housing project would take care of some of its own needs because land would be set aside for two elementary schools and a community center or park.

"We do provide a lot of ame­nities. If you look at NTC (the former Naval Training Center) or other complexes, we've been building community centers," said Sheila Donovan, "We do accommodate a lot of our own needs on site, so we won't be taxing the community ... We try to minimize that as much as possible."

The proposal calls for a com­bination of duplex and apart­ment buildings. Units would be built through a Navy partnership with the private sector, in which the Navy leases the land to a developer to build on, and military members pay their housing allowances to the developer.

Military leaders say the com­plex would help fill the need for more base housing.

Now, roughly 3,000 military members are on waiting lists for the 15,700 family housing units on Navy and Marine bases in San Diego County, officials said.

The Navy will hold two community forums in July for comment on the draft impact statement -- in Tierrasanta on July 22 and in Scripps Ranch on July 24.

The public has 45 days to comment on the draft. Donovan said it's too soon to say when construction might begin because there are several more procedural steps before work can start.

Jeanette Steele: (760) 476-8244; jen.steele@uniontrib.com