Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Some will lose Sunroad’s parking game in Kearny Mesa

Musical cars

“I’m tired of driving around at midnight for 45 minutes trying to find parking,” says a resident of the Spectrum Center community.  - Image by Howie Rosen
“I’m tired of driving around at midnight for 45 minutes trying to find parking,” says a resident of the Spectrum Center community.

Residents of Kearny Mesa refer to it as “musical cars,” the nightly race against hundreds of neighbors for a parking spot. If unsuccessful, the loser must decide between parking as far as five blocks away or risk getting towed from the nearby hotel parking lot or permit-only parking zone.

The parking plight of residents living off of Highway 163 in Kearny Mesa is different than those who live in older areas of San Diego. Unlike older communities where space is limited and populations continue to grow, these residential developments are all less than ten years old; it should have been safe for the new residents to assume that the issue of adequate parking was addressed before construction was allowed to proceed.

But problems will only worsen for residents living along Spectrum Center Boulevard. Developer Sunroad Spectrum’s massive development is unfinished, which means more people will move to the area and make parking spaces more scarce. The issue has resulted in residents wondering whether they should sell their homes and leave the area.

John Forouzandeh’s two-car garage can’t accommodate his three-car household.
Over 1000 residential units (shaded area) fronting Spectrum Center Blvd have street parking for only 68 spaces. Evenings and weekends, many guests and residents have to park up to one mile away on Ruffin Road.

“I like living here, but I’ve been thinking about putting my house up for sale just because of parking, and it’s ridiculous for me to have to say that,” John Forouzandeh, a resident of Tribeca, one of the five developments inside the Spectrum Center, says while standing in front of his building.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Forouzandeh, 29, says he’s had a difficult time finding and, more importantly, keeping roommates because of a lack of parking.

“I bought my place in 2010. And, I’ve been thinking about moving after construction on Ariva completed almost a year ago.... Another building [turned the public parking spaces in front of their buildings to private, residents-only parking zones] and began towing. Once we couldn’t access that anymore, I found myself constantly having to illegally park my truck at Marriot and walk home because coming home after 6:30 p.m. or on weekends and finding a spot is like hitting the lotto. Also, I rent out a room in my house and have had two people move out in the last year. They told me that they love the location but the parking is just impossible.”

Making matters worse, after construction was complete on a new residential building on Spectrum Way, developer Sunroad Centrum painted a long stretch of curb red, most likely to help curb-appeal and entice apartment hunters to sign a lease. The city is currently fighting a lawsuit for allowing a major redesign of Sunroad’s development, including removal of a number of parking spaces, without providing the opportunity for public input.

If given the chance, plenty of residents would have been willing to speak on the matter.

Instead, Forouzandeh and dozens of neighbors have turned to an online petition in hopes of convincing the city and Sunroad to address the problem.

Video:

Musical cars

John Forouzandeh speaks about his experience when parking in his Kearny Mesa neighborhood..

John Forouzandeh speaks about his experience when parking in his Kearny Mesa neighborhood..

“The communities of Spectrum Center: Boardwalk, Tribeca, Esplande, and Promenade. Residents and guests of these communities have virtually no access after 6 p.m. to street parking,” reads the group’s online petition. “Thousands of new residents who have now moved to this community due to the massive apartment developments have increased the population by a drastic amount. However, no additional parking has been provided, in fact, 15 percent of our public parking has been taken away due to a large reduction of street parking due to a massive curb being painted red for a fire lane the length of 20-to-25 cars.”

Calls to councilmembers and city traffic engineers, as well as the hundreds of people who signed the petition, did have some impact.

“The red curb was installed by the developer based on an interpretation of local fire codes,” writes supervising public information officer for the city’s transportation department Bill Harris. “We received a request for review from the community and our Traffic Engineering Operations team coordinated that effort with the team from the City’s Fire & Rescue Department. Both teams have determined that the red curb is not a requirement and is not necessary for this area.”

City crews have since repainted the curb. It is a victory for residents, albeit a small one. The 20 to 25 parking spaces freed up are nowhere near enough for the hundreds of residents and hundreds of future residents.

Standing on the sidewalk along Spectrum Center Way, Forouzandeh points at the line of cars on both sides of the narrow two-lane road.

“The residents of this neighborhood are outraged, and rightly so,” Forouzandeh says. “We want accountability and an explanation from city planners on why and how they allowed such massive developments without letting this neighborhood have a place to park.

“City planners should never allow such a large development without thinking of all the homeowners that reside in the area and how they will be horrendously impacted.”

The online petition has over 250 signatures. Many supporters have left similar comments.

“We are several large complexes that barely have enough parking for the residents, much less for our guests. The parking situation needs to be taken care of now so that our guests will not be towed and have to pay extra money just to see their friends and relatives.”

Adds another nearby resident, “This is important to me because we have four people in our household with cars and only a two car garage. I’m tired of driving around at midnight for 45 minutes trying to find parking and having the fear my car will be missing the next day due to towing companies hungry for money.”

While walking the short length of Spectrum Center Boulevard, Forouzandeh points to two cars backing in to tight parking spots. He estimates that in 15 minutes, by 5 p.m. on a Thursday evening, there won’t be a space remaining on the street.

“The city might look at this as a parking problem; me and many other neighbors look at this as a life problem. It’s one thing to want to go to a restaurant downtown and not finding parking and have to pay five or ten dollars for parking, but it’s another to come home at night and not have any option other than illegally parking at nearby businesses hoping you don’t get towed.”

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Scott Peters aide gets free travel and hotel from Big Pharma

Todd Gloria sucks up money from Big Billboards
Next Article

Jacobs Music Center Grand Opening

The concert did what it was designed to do
“I’m tired of driving around at midnight for 45 minutes trying to find parking,” says a resident of the Spectrum Center community.  - Image by Howie Rosen
“I’m tired of driving around at midnight for 45 minutes trying to find parking,” says a resident of the Spectrum Center community.

Residents of Kearny Mesa refer to it as “musical cars,” the nightly race against hundreds of neighbors for a parking spot. If unsuccessful, the loser must decide between parking as far as five blocks away or risk getting towed from the nearby hotel parking lot or permit-only parking zone.

The parking plight of residents living off of Highway 163 in Kearny Mesa is different than those who live in older areas of San Diego. Unlike older communities where space is limited and populations continue to grow, these residential developments are all less than ten years old; it should have been safe for the new residents to assume that the issue of adequate parking was addressed before construction was allowed to proceed.

But problems will only worsen for residents living along Spectrum Center Boulevard. Developer Sunroad Spectrum’s massive development is unfinished, which means more people will move to the area and make parking spaces more scarce. The issue has resulted in residents wondering whether they should sell their homes and leave the area.

John Forouzandeh’s two-car garage can’t accommodate his three-car household.
Over 1000 residential units (shaded area) fronting Spectrum Center Blvd have street parking for only 68 spaces. Evenings and weekends, many guests and residents have to park up to one mile away on Ruffin Road.

“I like living here, but I’ve been thinking about putting my house up for sale just because of parking, and it’s ridiculous for me to have to say that,” John Forouzandeh, a resident of Tribeca, one of the five developments inside the Spectrum Center, says while standing in front of his building.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Forouzandeh, 29, says he’s had a difficult time finding and, more importantly, keeping roommates because of a lack of parking.

“I bought my place in 2010. And, I’ve been thinking about moving after construction on Ariva completed almost a year ago.... Another building [turned the public parking spaces in front of their buildings to private, residents-only parking zones] and began towing. Once we couldn’t access that anymore, I found myself constantly having to illegally park my truck at Marriot and walk home because coming home after 6:30 p.m. or on weekends and finding a spot is like hitting the lotto. Also, I rent out a room in my house and have had two people move out in the last year. They told me that they love the location but the parking is just impossible.”

Making matters worse, after construction was complete on a new residential building on Spectrum Way, developer Sunroad Centrum painted a long stretch of curb red, most likely to help curb-appeal and entice apartment hunters to sign a lease. The city is currently fighting a lawsuit for allowing a major redesign of Sunroad’s development, including removal of a number of parking spaces, without providing the opportunity for public input.

If given the chance, plenty of residents would have been willing to speak on the matter.

Instead, Forouzandeh and dozens of neighbors have turned to an online petition in hopes of convincing the city and Sunroad to address the problem.

Video:

Musical cars

John Forouzandeh speaks about his experience when parking in his Kearny Mesa neighborhood..

John Forouzandeh speaks about his experience when parking in his Kearny Mesa neighborhood..

“The communities of Spectrum Center: Boardwalk, Tribeca, Esplande, and Promenade. Residents and guests of these communities have virtually no access after 6 p.m. to street parking,” reads the group’s online petition. “Thousands of new residents who have now moved to this community due to the massive apartment developments have increased the population by a drastic amount. However, no additional parking has been provided, in fact, 15 percent of our public parking has been taken away due to a large reduction of street parking due to a massive curb being painted red for a fire lane the length of 20-to-25 cars.”

Calls to councilmembers and city traffic engineers, as well as the hundreds of people who signed the petition, did have some impact.

“The red curb was installed by the developer based on an interpretation of local fire codes,” writes supervising public information officer for the city’s transportation department Bill Harris. “We received a request for review from the community and our Traffic Engineering Operations team coordinated that effort with the team from the City’s Fire & Rescue Department. Both teams have determined that the red curb is not a requirement and is not necessary for this area.”

City crews have since repainted the curb. It is a victory for residents, albeit a small one. The 20 to 25 parking spaces freed up are nowhere near enough for the hundreds of residents and hundreds of future residents.

Standing on the sidewalk along Spectrum Center Way, Forouzandeh points at the line of cars on both sides of the narrow two-lane road.

“The residents of this neighborhood are outraged, and rightly so,” Forouzandeh says. “We want accountability and an explanation from city planners on why and how they allowed such massive developments without letting this neighborhood have a place to park.

“City planners should never allow such a large development without thinking of all the homeowners that reside in the area and how they will be horrendously impacted.”

The online petition has over 250 signatures. Many supporters have left similar comments.

“We are several large complexes that barely have enough parking for the residents, much less for our guests. The parking situation needs to be taken care of now so that our guests will not be towed and have to pay extra money just to see their friends and relatives.”

Adds another nearby resident, “This is important to me because we have four people in our household with cars and only a two car garage. I’m tired of driving around at midnight for 45 minutes trying to find parking and having the fear my car will be missing the next day due to towing companies hungry for money.”

While walking the short length of Spectrum Center Boulevard, Forouzandeh points to two cars backing in to tight parking spots. He estimates that in 15 minutes, by 5 p.m. on a Thursday evening, there won’t be a space remaining on the street.

“The city might look at this as a parking problem; me and many other neighbors look at this as a life problem. It’s one thing to want to go to a restaurant downtown and not finding parking and have to pay five or ten dollars for parking, but it’s another to come home at night and not have any option other than illegally parking at nearby businesses hoping you don’t get towed.”

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

San Diego Reader Best of 2024

A world-class museum, best drinking, best eating, best shops, ups and downs of Del Cerro, parent-friendly playgrounds, peaceful, eaze-y feeling
Next Article

Air toxins plague Escondido, Imperial Beach, Chula Vista, Tijuana

"The smell has improved since Mexico turned their pumps on"
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader