As the economy continues to pick up, developers are picking up the pace, submitting proposals to develop large swaths of land in San Diego.

That trend is evident in Allied Gardens and along Mission Gorge Road. Because of its proximity to downtown, freeways, mass transit, and the San Diego River, the area is key, say planners, in absorbing future population increases. In the coming years, between 8,000 and 11,000 residential units are expected to be built in the area.

At a special meeting on Monday, February 6, two developers will present their plans to members of the Allied Gardens Community Council. The projects call for building a 55-60-unit, three-to-five-story senior housing facility on a vacant lot located at the northwest corner of Zion Avenue and Glenroy Street in Grantville, as well as the Shawnee project, a 999-unit mixed-use development on Mission Gorge Road.

And while the two developers will have a chance to present their vision for Grantville and Allied Gardens, some members of the Allied Gardens Community Council will give their own vision for their community. That vision is not a row of mixed-use development projects but a community with ample park space, with single-family residential neighborhoods and well-placed higher-density communities.

"The average resident understands that the community is going to change, but the average resident wants an infrastructure plan that reflects the character of the community, and most residents agree that the plan has to include more park space," says community planner and member of the community council, Anthony Wagner.

To make that vision a reality, Wagner says some community members are requesting developers' fees (paid to the city in lieu of building parks, as some developers prefer to do) be diverted to the citizenry instead of being deposited in the general fund.

Residents in Allied Gardens believe this can happen in the case of Shawnee and the Village of Zion Senior Housing projects. Because the land for the proposed senior housing project is still in escrow, park mitigation dollars can be used to purchase the land and compensate the developer for their time.

"Ultimately, a three-story senior housing project isn't going to be the end of the world for Allied Gardens, but if there is a plan that would compensate the land owner and developers and preserve community character as well as bring more park space, then we should pursue those alternatives," says Wagner.

The community council will discuss the projects and ways to preserve the character of the neighborhoods, bring more park space, while making room for future developments. The meeting will be held at the Ascension Lutheran Church, 5106 Zion Avenue at 7pm.

*Image of Grantville Redevelopment Project Area from City website *