Traffic Improvements in Navajo
April 15, 2008

My office consistently works with the Mayor’s Office to make improvements to our neighborhoods through better traffic engineering. We have completed enhancements in many areas, including speed limit management, new and updated signage, striping and parking management.

Please view the memo (PDF: 25K) outlining the most recent improvements in the Navajo communities.

Del Cerro Action Council Honors Their Citizens of the Year

January 24, 2008
At the January 24th meeting of the Del Cerro Action Council, Michael McSweeney presented Mark Rawlins and Robert Mackey plaques in recognition of both men being selected “2007 Citizens of the Year” in Del Cerro. Mark and Robert continue to work tirelessly to help make the community of Del Cerro an even better place to live.

(l to r) Mark Rawlins, Michael McSweeney and Robert Mackey

The Navajo Community - La Mirage and Rancho Mission Apartment Complexes Note Increase in Car Prowls

April 17, 2006
Car Prowl and Home Burglary issues are on the rise. There has been a noted recent rise in car prowls in the Navajo Community and the La Mirage and Rancho Mission Apartment Complexes located at the south end of Tierrasanta. My officers on Third Watch are aware of this problem and are increasing their patrols as time permits.

We are currently working on the planning and implementation of an Operations Plan to attack this problem using officers and undercover detectives. This proactive project will start soon and will finish when the crime trend decreases. In addition, I recommend that if you currently keep your garage door opener in your car, and it is not in a secured garage take your garage door opener in the house. We have had some recent incidents where the garage door opener has been used to raise the garage door and then entry has been gained into the house through an unlocked door from the garage to the house.

I also urge you to report any suspicious activity to the police department. If it is an emergency situation call 911. If it is not an emergency please notify our non emergency dispatch at (619) 531-2000. Keeping your police department aware of issues/concerns in your community helps us. Do not wait until there is a major incident to let us know.

Some thing is happening in your neighborhood. There is a strong tendency to not report something if it is a small issue. Whenever something is missing, or you believe your car or house was broken into, and even if nothing appears to nothing has been taken, CALL (619) 531-2000. Captain Michael Cash, San Diego Police Department, Eastern Division.

Anne Brunkow Named Del Cerro Citizen of the Year

Community leader Anne Brunkow was honored at the January meeting of the Del Cerro Action Council (DCAC) when she was presented with the Del Cerro Citizen of the Year award by out going president Michele Nash-Hoff. Later in the evening Anne was elected the new president of DCAC.

New Fire Station

With great pomp and ceremony we dedicated the new Fire Station 31 in Del Cerro last month. Nearly 300 community leaders and neighbors were present to hear Mayor Jerry Sanders, Fire Chief Jeff Bowman and former Mayor Dick Murphy.

The Patrick Henry High School pep band performed; two of their students, Brandi Lacy and Amanda Hickman, sang the national anthem; and the PHHS NJROTC Color Guard performed. The San Diego Fire-Rescue Emerald Society played bagpipes and drums as students from Hearst Elementary and St. Therese Academy watched. It was inspiring to have Frederick Floreck of St. Therese Catholic Church give the invocation and Rabbi Martin S. Lawson of Temple Emanu-El give the closing prayer. I had the pleasure of serving as master of ceremonies at this festive community celebration.

The new station, located at 6002 Camino Rico, services Del Cerro, Allied Gardens, Grantville and surrounding areas. It is 8,825 square feet and houses Engine #31 and medic (ambulance) #31 and other reserve apparatus. It has six dorm rooms and three double deep apparatus bays. It replaces a 3,797 square feet facility built in 1960. For the past two years I’ve been calling for the temporary facility atop of Pasatiempo Avenue (that served while the new Fire Station 31 was being built) to be moved to Mission Valley near Qualcomm Stadium and we’re working to make that happen very soon.

San Carlos, Allied Gardens and Del Cerro Undergrounding and other Community News

November 23, 2005
The effort to underground the Navajo community is moving forward on several fronts.

• Cox Communications will complete their work on Park Ridge Boulevard next week and the old utility poles should be removed within 90 days. The trenching on Lake Shore Drive is completed and the lines from the street to the house electrical panels are also complete. The project should be finished next April. Princess View Drive between Mission Gorge Road and Waring Road is scheduled to begin on December 12. Jackson Drive is scheduled to be completed by the end of November. The poles will be topped off and only the SBC telephones lines will remain. The poles will be removed as soon as SBC catches up with their undergrounding effort. Twain Avenue in Allied Gardens is complete. As with Jackson Drive, SBC still has to catch up and place their telephone lines underground and then the poles will be removed. About 80% of the trenching has been completed on Madra Avenue in Del Cerro.
• The first phase of residential undergrounding in Del Cerro is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2007. This includes the residential streets east of College Avenue off Del Cerro Boulevard as well as three other streets: Overlake Avenue, Ridgemoor Drive and Glenlea Lane.

Other Community News

Construction on the irrigation system for the trees in the Mission Gorge Road median between Princess View and Margerum is scheduled to start by the end of year. I asked KD Development, the developer of The Trails Condominiums at Mission Gorge Road and Margerum Avenue, to pay for installing the irrigation system. I thank Mike Turk and his team for their dedication to the community.

We're making progress with the New San Carlos Branch Library. This past Monday, November 21, 2005, the City Council approved my request for an additional $500,000 in funding for the next phase of the new San Carlos Branch Library: design and generate the construction drawings for the new 25,000 square foot library. Upon completion of the construction drawings, the project will be ready to go out to bid. I will be convening another series of design meetings comprised of community leaders, students and interested citizens as we begin the process of finalizing the design of this wonderful branch library. If you are interested in participating in the design of the San Carlos branch library, please call my office at (619) 236-6677.

The Gates Remain Open

A neighborhood issue that has been unresolved for 30 years was finally settled at the November 1st City Council meeting. As part of the approval process for the Del Cerro Heights upper gate, I called for additional traffic calming measures on Del Cerro streets.

Since the 1971, the upper gate at Del Cerro Heights has been an issue of contention for residents both inside and outside of this gated community atop Del Cerro. On November 1, 2005 at the City Council meeting, the decades old battle finally came to an end with the City Council voting unanimously to allow the gate to be usable for residents. Since their project was first built, the Del Cerro Heights home owners association has tried to get approval from the City to have access to their development from the upper gate. In 1976 and 1987 the City denied a request by the Del Cerro Heights HOA to have the upper gate open for use by all residents. The Del Cerro Heights HOA was cited by the City in 1983 for illegally using the gate that had been constructed by a contactor who was completing the build out of Del Cerro Heights. The City barricaded the gate with concrete barriers which remained in place until one day when an ambulance could not get in. After that incident the barriers were removed with the understanding that the gate was to be used for emergency purposes only.

In 2003 the Del Cerro Heights HOA renewed their efforts when, for the first time, they received approval from Navajo Community Planners, Inc. In addition, new Fire Department policy requires that projects with 100 or more units have a second ingress/egress or entrance and exit points. Construction at their main lower gate recently closed the lower gate and the upper gate has been in full use for the past several months.

A recent traffic study did not find any major impacts even with all Del Cerro Heights residents using the upper gate. The study indicated all adjoining and adjacent streets remained at the "A" Level of Service; which indicates the streets are functioning at the best operating condition. The study also said the volume of traffic on Madra Avenue and Crystalaire Drive, Pasatiempo Avenue, and Wandermere Drive is high and the City needs to implement additional traffic calming devices for the area.

I am committed to improving traffic and recently sent out a request to city traffic engineers for an evaluation to look at a variety of things: a new stop sign at Duane and Madra; radar signs; and a more aggressive presence from police. Under the direction of Sgt. Dan Hollister of the Police Department's Traffic Division, his motor officers have increased patrol of the Del Cerro area, with an emphasis on Madra, Crystalaire Drive, Pasatiempo Avenue and Wandermere Drive. Please drive safely and watch your speed!