Don,
Kathryn Rhodes did a lot of work on this issue, but the old laplayaheritage website seems to be gone.
Pat Flannery had a mention here: http://www.blogofsandiego.com/BlogArchives/2008-2…
"Everybody at DSD knows that the entire Sunroad project is subject to a CC zoning Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 0.50%."
If my memory serves, the FAR of the actual building is well over 4.0, which wildly exceeds the allowable FAR. The city played games with two planning zone docs. The first had a height limit but no FAR, while the second had a FAR but removed the height limit. In approving the Sunroad building the city's Development Services Department infamously ruled that there was no height limit based on the later planning doc and ruled there was no FAR based on the earlier planning doc. That zoning gift was worth a lot of money to Sunroad.
Sunroad was attempting to build several more buildings of similar size on the site. Based on the FAR they should not be able to build anything further, because the FAR is already exceeded for the entire site. So far the additional buildings have not been built, but I assume they will some day.
— February 21, 2012 9:55 a.m.
Controversial Bridgepoint, Sunroad End Lease
Don, Kathryn Rhodes did a lot of work on this issue, but the old laplayaheritage website seems to be gone. Pat Flannery had a mention here: http://www.blogofsandiego.com/BlogArchives/2008-2… "Everybody at DSD knows that the entire Sunroad project is subject to a CC zoning Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 0.50%." If my memory serves, the FAR of the actual building is well over 4.0, which wildly exceeds the allowable FAR. The city played games with two planning zone docs. The first had a height limit but no FAR, while the second had a FAR but removed the height limit. In approving the Sunroad building the city's Development Services Department infamously ruled that there was no height limit based on the later planning doc and ruled there was no FAR based on the earlier planning doc. That zoning gift was worth a lot of money to Sunroad. Sunroad was attempting to build several more buildings of similar size on the site. Based on the FAR they should not be able to build anything further, because the FAR is already exceeded for the entire site. So far the additional buildings have not been built, but I assume they will some day.— February 21, 2012 9:55 a.m.
Controversial Bridgepoint, Sunroad End Lease
Don, Reporting that this building was 20 feet too high for the FAA is itself a white-wash of the issue. The land was zoned for 3-4 stories. Whether this building was reduced from 12 to 10 stories isn't the issue, the real issue is how the city permitted it to go from 4 to 12 stories in the first place.— February 21, 2012 12:16 a.m.
City Council Unanimously in Favor of Urban Agriculture Amendments
Unfortunately I don't believe the city easing the restrictions on keeping chickens, goats, and bees does any good for the huge number of residents stuck in HOAs, most of which still legally ban all of the above.— February 1, 2012 7:04 p.m.
Supreme Court Knocks Out Redevelopment Agencies
Don, "elderly gentleman" was a reference from mudvillemike, and should have been quoted in my post.— January 1, 2012 1:34 a.m.
Supreme Court Knocks Out Redevelopment Agencies
That was my said with tongue very firmly planted in cheek. I don't think they care what it costs (the rest of us), as long as they can't see them! ;)— December 31, 2011 10:25 a.m.
Supreme Court Knocks Out Redevelopment Agencies
mudvillemike said: "My original point is that taking all that money from San Diego and throwing it into the California general fund is not a win for the city." ======================================================== Property taxes don't go to the state general fund. I am pretty sure the elderly gentleman in Colorado knows that, but you apparently don't. Property taxes are divvied up locally by the counties to help fund such wasteful endeavors as schools, water districts, fire districts, libraries as well as the local cities and the county. THAT is who CCDC took the funds from, not the state. It's all worth it, though, because while the city goes bankrupt you have a nice place to live with shops, restaurants and clubs in what should be a working blue-collar warehouse district. While they are at it, can't they relocate all those smelly fishing boats, cargo piers and unsightly marine repair docks someplace out of your sight, like maybe Santee? There is no reason why they should be allowed to spoil your views while attracting unsavory blue-collar types to your neighborhood.— December 31, 2011 1:08 a.m.
Supreme Court Knocks Out Redevelopment Agencies
By population, 11-1 doesn't begin to tell the tale of the tape. He ought to be outnumbered closer to 46-1 based on overall city population. Funny how much attention and money is lavished on the 2% of San Diegans that live in Centre City. Somehow I don't think he has lost at all...— December 30, 2011 4:10 p.m.
Supreme Court Knocks Out Redevelopment Agencies
"I have lived in the East Village for 15 years and in 1997 it was a like a Darfur refugee camp. Literally 100's and 100's of homeless people living on the street ,bed role after bed roll lined the streets like a giant outdoor boarding house. Blight was every where. The area where Petco now exists looked like a post-apocalyptic landscape." Ridiculous hyperbole doesn't make your case. Why would you have moved to "Darfur" 15 years ago? Maybe because the area was already rapidly improving (without the ballpark), and maybe because you were speculating on redevelopment dollars increasing your investment. The biggest problem you site is the homeless. News flash: They haven't disappeared. Many are still downtown while many more have been displaced into the surrounding communities. Moving services to try and relocate the homeless away from your neighborhood to improve your property values has been a substantial net drain on the city.— December 30, 2011 1:18 a.m.
Supreme Court Knocks Out Redevelopment Agencies
"Then-Padres owner John Moores said the team could not be economically successful if it had to stay at Qualcomm. A committee appointed by the mayor -- almost entirely downtown overlords -- agreed with Moores. Moores had promised San Diegans that if he got a new stadium, he would spend money to make the Padres competitive." Moores rented a good team to rally support for a stadium. 2010 Opening day payroll: $37,799,300 $1,453,819/per player 1998 Opening day payroll: 53,066,166 - 1,894,863/per player In 1998 (at Qualcomm) the payroll was 9th out of 31 teams, 80% of the Yankees payroll. In 2010 (at Petco) the payroll was 29th out of 31 teams, 18.3% of the Yankees payroll. Moores should be in jail.— December 30, 2011 12:54 a.m.
UCSD Program Turns Pond Scum To Gasoline
You have to look at the big picture. If we start farming this stuff now, then after several million years of accumulation there will be enough fuel to sustain our ape overlords.— December 5, 2011 1:48 p.m.