VALLE DE ORO COMMUNITY PLANNING GROUP HOLDS MEETING IN AN ODD LOCATION; SPRING VALLEY CPG CHAIR REVEALS WHY HIS GROUP IS STILL MEETING ON ZOOM
by Jake Christie
At their last fully staffed meeting (date?), the Valle de Oro Community Planning Group had a special meeting at the large but echoey multipurpose room of the Hillsdale Middle School on Brabham St. in the Rancho San Diego community of unincorporated El Cajon. This meeting was held in that location due to a holiday cancellation, thus only the people involved with the various action items on the VDOCPG agenda were present.Too much emphasis on where they meet and you mention this again at the end. This should be discussed later. The lead paragraph on this story should be something like, “At its September ___ meeting, the Valle do Oro Community Planning Group took action on a revitalization plan for Campo Road and proposed changes to a pickleball court and club, also hearing a county presentation on local impacts of SB 9, a new state law that makes it easier for most homeowners to split their lots and build homes to help address the statewide housing shortage.” Change the headline, too.
This is an example of a meeting that shouldn’t be covered in chronological order. Instead, the lead should be whichever was the most controversial item or the one of broadest public interest, probably the Campo Road plan approval. We need much more detail on what this includes. In earlier stories by other writers, there was talk of adding a roundabout, angled street parking, bike lanes, a center median with trees, connections to a nearby park, new building facades and maybe retail with residential above up to 3 stories. I don’t know how much of that made it into the pre-Final draft but to run this story we must have more info.
Then on the SB 9 “change” we need to explain what SB 9 is. When you say change, do you mean SB 9 requirements for communities? I have no idea from your story what changes this planning group area is required to have or what the whole goal is or any issues. Or what’s a covenant and what’s the relevance of that?
Before the action items, the floor was opened to Nathan King from the County, who made a presentation on new guidelines following the Senate Bill 9 change. Explain for those not familiar with SB 9. These concerned lot design and layout and would not involve historic homes. VDOCPG member Baillargeon pointed out that the area lacked a covenant. I don’t understand. What’s relevant about a covenant? After a number of questions and answers, King’s presentation ended and the action items began.
The forthcoming El Pollo Loco at 9714 Campo Road (formerly Gina’s Treasures) requested a minor deviation to the sign rules so they could put up a 41 inch tall sign. The Pollo Loco representative, Tim Seaman, got his approval and left after the papers were stamped.Put this after all the other issues at the meeting, say something like, “In other business, the El Pollo Loco on Campo Road was granted a minor deviation to put up a 41-inch-tall sign.” This should go after all the other more important issues that the public would care about, including after the Hub.
Next was Mike Madrid for the “Pre-Final Draft of Campo Road Corridor Revitalization Specific Plan” concerning the business/rental area of Casa de Oro. VDOCPG member Herron was the lead on this issue, and after a long discussion the item was approved. “People don’t want to go to Casa de Oro,” said VDOCPG member Hermann. Can we please have significantly more details on what the Campo Road Corridor Revitalization plan, as approved, actually includes? We’ve had other reporters do very lengthy stories on the early proposals, but I don’t know what’s changed along the way. People care about this. Shouldn’t this be the lead and title? VALLE DE ORO PLANNING GROUP APPROVES CAMPO ROAD REVITALIZATION PRE-FINAL DRAFT?
The final issue was a change to the still-under-construction “The Hub San Diego” pickleball court and club at 9545 Campo Road, formerly the Helix Tennis Club and a short-lived hemp dispensary. The owners of the all-new site wanted to covert part of it to self-storage or mini storage. According to a letter drafted by VDOCPG Chair Oday Yousif to the County Planning Commission: “….the use under the Specific Plan would allow for the use of as a pickleball club as well as for housing and retail. The Hub seeks the support of the VDOCPG for an alternative use for the parcel (and possibly neighboring parcels): self-storage or mini storage…..the [planning group] appreciates any attempt to improve the parcel, which is an eyesore for the Casa de Oro Community and for all those who can see the property from the westbound side of Highway 94.” The letter was approved by the group on September 13, 2022.
No business was undertaken at the Valle de Oro meeting in October because the group lacked a quorum.
Add a subheader such as “Why is Valle de Oro holding live public meetings, while Spring Valley’s planning group is only on Zoom?”
In related news, the Chairman of the Spring Valley Community Planning Group responded to a question during the meeting? From ECM via email or phone? as to why his group was still meeting on Zoom. He replied that this is mostly due to older members of his CPG being unwilling to meet in person due to COVID-19, also the Helix Water District was still not allowing outsiders to use their facilities.
The Valle de Oro Planners have been meeting in the Community Room of the Rancho San Diego Library,which is open to the public, but as of press time the Spring Valley Community Planning Group iss still meeting by Zoom. I think this paragraph should go above the one above it. I was confused at first and though the Valle de Oro group was still meeting on Zoom.
Finished variant of story: https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/valle-de-oro-community-planning-group-approves-pre-final-campo-road-revitalization-draft
https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/why-spring-valley-community-planning-group-still-meeting-zoom
