ADU's Continue to Thrive in LV
Plus: LV News Briefs, The Joys of Tahini, Bayside Graduation Event, the Complexities of Dealing with Extreme Weather
The Linda Vista Update
It is not every day our quiet, low key community of Linda Vista is noted for becoming a crucial part of a San Diego controversy, but such a thing happened this past week in an article published on the front page of the San Diego Union Tribune. The article addressed another angle of the Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) controversy that has continued to play an active role in City Council proceedings and community protests. In this article, the role of San Diego developer Christian Spicer was explored in terms of the number of ADU bonus incentive projects currently being built in certain parts of the city, especially in Linda Vista! His company’s presence will continue to be felt in this community in the months to come.
Apparently, Spicer and his company –SDRE – are behind many of these projects, with a considerable number of them involving the building of over a dozen units on a single lot home. One of these projects is his company’s 126-ADU Chalcifica complex in eastern Pacific Beach.
As has been already noted in this newsletter, these big ADU projects have been blamed for posing density, parking, sewer and privacy threats and changing the character of the respective neighborhoods. As explained by the SD Union Tribune article, Spicer is “responsible for scores of large-scale projects that defy common understandings of what an accessory dwelling unit, or ADU, is supposed to be.”
Though the ADU bonus incentive program has been recently reined in by the SD City Council (we are happy to report that District 7 Councilmember Raul Campillo voted with the majority for these changes), the article did point out that there are still many ADU permits that have been previously approved, and construction will proceed as planned. In other words, those projects already in the pipeline cannot be halted. As stated by a City attorney at this past Tuesday’s City Council meeting, “it would be a major challenge for the city to block those projects if their development applications are complete.”
Furthermore, the article pointed out the communities with the most Spicer company projects planned are Clairemont and Linda Vista (see photo above). In fact, in order to make its point, the SD Union Tribune included a photo of the multi-unit ADU project on Abbe Street in Linda Vista, which was also highlighted in the June 12 issue of the Linda Vista Update.
Large numbers of ADU’s in Linda Vista are no secret. A long walk or drive through certain neighborhoods of Linda Vista will certainly make it obvious that Linda Vista has become the epicenter of ADU construction in San Diego. There are a number of projects currently under construction and they are a common sight.
It’s too bad that our community has made the news for such a dubious honor as ADU construction. Let us hope the community finds ways of living with this on-going disruptive threat, one that was originally allowed and encouraged by certain City leaders.
LV News Briefs:
——School Backpack Giveaway: Hope Lutheran Church will have a School Backpack Giveaway on Saturday July 26. See the below flyer for details
Linda Vista Community Planning Group: The July meeting of the Linda Vista Community Planning Group will be held this Monday July 28 at 6:00 pm at the American Legion Post 731 (located at 7245 Linda Vista Road). The public is invited to attend. Community planning groups provide community members with an opportunity for involvement in advising the City Council, the Planning Commission, and other decision-makers on development projects, general or community plan amendments, re-zonings, and public facilities.
—Parks After Dark: The popular Parks After Dark Program continues this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at the Linda Vista Recreation Center (7064 Levant Street). Free and fun activities for families from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
Discovering the Joys of Tahini
I mentioned in previous articles that I have explored mid-eastern and Mediterranean food since watching an Ottolenghi (famous chef) master cooking class on a recent flight. One of my favorite things has turned out to be Tahini. What is Tahini, you might ask? It is crushed sesame seeds made into a paste reassembling peanut butter. It is filled with nutrients, and is low in calories, not to mention it is delicious. You have probably had it if you have ever had hummus or baba ghanoush, but it can be used many other ways, both sweet and savory.
I recently discovered a great recipe for sesame tahini shortbread cookies, which can be made with regular flour or almond flour if you can’t do wheat. Tahini also makes a creamy delicious salad dressing. Which leads me to today’s review.
We discovered that a restaurant we had previously reviewed, Urbane Café on Napa Street, had a new item on their menu. It is called Moroccan Jewel Salad with either Tofu or Chicken. But what caught our eye was the ingredients which included mixed greens, cucumbers, red radishes, pickled onions, garbanzo beans, marinated beets, roasted tofu (or chicken) tzatziki sauce with sumac and Harissa Tahini dressing and fresh baked focaccia bread. Well, that did it for us, so off we went to try the Moroccan Jewel Salad at Urban Café.
Since our budget for business lunches has been under pressure due to prices skyrocketing, we chose to split the salad which cost $12.50 and because of previous visits there we knew the serving would be enough for the two of us. Also, I had some focaccia bread I made and could supplement the one piece of bread you get with the meal. You can see from the picture that there was enough for two smaller salads. We had ordered in advance and picked it up and brought the salad home to eat. It was really delicious. I’m not a big fan of tofu so I gave most to Steve, but the vegetables, sauce and dressing were excellent. Steve and I like cucumbers, and nothing goes with them like tzatziki sauce. The sumac in the sauce and the harissa in the tahini dressing really gave it a kick. The flavors of the marinated beets, pickled onions, greens and all the rest tasted very healthy and nutritious and quite satisfying. My focaccia is better than theirs, but all in all I was glad we tried the new menu item.
I was wondering if there was a National Tahini Day and looked it up. Unfortunately, no such day exists, but I would like to declare every day Tahini Day in Linda Vista. It tastes delicious and is good for you. What more could you ask? Now, I think I will have one of my tahini sesame cookies. And for breakfast, maybe Tahini on toast. Beats avocado in my opinion.
Bayside Graduates More Resident Leaders
The Linda Vista Community Garden was the site of an inspirational graduation ceremony on Thursday July 17 as the Bayside Community Center held a lunchtime event to recognize the latest graduates of the organization’s Resident Leadership Academy (RLA). A total of 9 local residents received graduation certificates for completing the 10-week program, while another five residents were recognized for participating in a number of the classes.
Bayside’s RLA teaches residents how to organize and address Linda Vista’s pressing needs. Graduates learn how to work alongside their neighbors to help improve quality of life where they live. Upon graduation, they have new knowledge and access to a support network to help them lead community improvement projects.
On hand Thursday to help Kim Heinle, Bayside’s Executive Director, present graduation certificates was Miles Noel, community representative for the office of District 7 City Councilmember Raul Campillo.
As part of the program, graduates of the RLA were tasked with coming up with different team projects to improve the safety/quality of life here in Linda Vista. The graduates are expected to continue working on the projects in the months to come. One of the team projects focused on lobbying for new playground equipment at the Linda Vista Neighborhood Park. (The LV Update has previously written about the old, worn playground equipment at this park). As one graduate commented “We want playground equipment for our kids, just like the kind that is used over in communities like La Jolla.” A second team project involved getting a stop sign or other type of traffic calming measure at a potentially dangerous intersection next to the park and the Amanacer apartment complex. Fortunately, these team members were able to immediately begin talking at the ceremony with community representative Miles Noel about what would be required to get the City to install a sign/calming measure.
Bayside Community Center has now graduated 177 local residents from the RLA, ensuring the Linda Vista community is able to take advantage of knowledgeable, motivated people willing to engage with the community.
Addressing Complexity
LV Residents Fight Removal of Trees
As recent national weather headlines remind us, extreme weather events are a matter of great concern. For example, as emphasized in a recent Washington Post newspaper article, “The world has entered a new era of rainfall supercharged by climate change, rendering existing response plans inadequate.” We continue to hear of 100 year floods occurring at more regular intervals, as well as record breaking summer temperatures, and strong winds and dry conditions combining to spread fires causing excess damage. As we witnessed with the atmospheric river that hit San Diego a year and a half ago, not to mention the many fires that have plagued the County for years, our area is far from immune from many of these dangers.
Needless to say, addressing these dangers with effective plans requires a complex study of the many factors involved. Fiscal, environmental, structural and aesthetic factors can all play a role in determining the best solution. The townhouse development of Fashion Hills in the Fashion Heights neighborhood of Linda Vista is currently experiencing this type of complexity. The degree of complexity is typical of what city governments and many Homeowners Associations (HOA) throughout the country are facing when making or failing to make decisions that address dangers posed by extreme weather.
At an emotional HOA board monthly meeting held last week, several Fashion Hills residents expressed concern with the Fashion Hills HOA’s plan to cut down as many as 17 eucalyptus trees located together on the Ulric Street slope of the development. The trees were seen by the HOA board members as a fire threat, based on their proximity to several residences. This determination was made only after homeowners asked over a period of several months for the HOA to take brush abatement action in light of the January fire that made its way up the Friars Road slope and seriously threatened Fashion Hills. HOA board members appeared to initially drag their feet in acknowledging the HOA and not the City was responsible for the slope’s brush abatement.
When finally forced to come up with a plan, the HOA board suddenly proposed tree removal as a simple, straightforward solution, one originally proposed as a possible option in the overall brush abatement effort formulated by the HOA’s contracted arborist. However, the decision caught the residents by surprise, as they envisioned the slope’s dry and dead brush, and not the trees as part of the problem, especially since the development is host to many other eucalyptus trees not identified for removal.
Cutting down healthy trees is usually perceived as an emotionally laden one, nevertheless the strong resistance from homeowners was also based on several practical considerations. First, the trees are seen as providing vital protection against soil erosion, a logical concern especially since the townhouses near the trees sit precariously on the crest of the slope. Memories are still fresh of the January 2024 atmospheric flood and effect of the downpour on soil erosion and the development’s antiquated drainage system. Board members at the meeting could not answer questions regarding possible soil erosion consequences should the trees be removed.
Second, homeowners resisted the idea of losing so many trees given the aesthetic value and shade they currently provide. “These trees provide us with a small urban forest of beauty and shade and serve to muffle the sound of traffic on Ulric Street,” said one homeowner. “If we lose these 17 trees, the slope will appear barren, and no one has voiced a plan to replace the trees or provide other alternatives any time soon.” Another homeowner commented, “We need to bring in structural and soils engineers to see if cutting down 17 trees is the only solution available. Second and third opinions are necessary.”
The effect on wildlife was also brought up by the homeowners since birds have been seen nesting on eucalyptus trees throughout the development.
Finally, the homeowners recommended government fire department officials be allowed to provide their expertise and offer a professional opinion about the actual threat posed by the eucalyptus trees as well as other possible options.
By the end of the contentious meeting, the HOA begrudgingly offered to delay removal of the trees awaiting more evaluation. And the homeowners have since exercised initiative in securing a September appointment with Cal Fire representatives to conduct an evaluation of the situation. Further appointments with engineers are also in the works.
As Beatles drummer Ringo Starr sang in one of his hit songs… “I don’t ask for much. I only want to trust, and you know it don’t come easy.” I think Ringo could have been referring to the effort and trust required to pursue good solutions to complex problems, not just global scale problems, but also those occurring in our backyards and backyard slopes. Good solutions don’t always come easy. They require time, coordination, different sources of expertise, research and reflection, a re-orientation of priorities, and a degree of thinking outside the box, especially in light of new challenges.
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The Linda Vista Update is a weekly digital newsletter that publishes informative, interesting and fun news about Linda Vista and its neighboring communities.
ATTENTION: The Linda Vista Update will not be published next week. We will return on August 7 with our next issue.
I agree with the Tiger Team comments. The LV Update staff provide excellent & detailed info for those who take the time to read it. The ADU situation can be frustrating, given the fact the current construction was permitted & approved many years ago. Do you think the almighty tax dollar makes for a greedy city?
Great week of articles! Truly enjoyed the tahini recipe. We are big tahini fans. Also, the ADU situation is horrific and your article focused attention on this serious issue. And the well-written piece about the eucalyptus trees on Ulric made some very important points about problem solving. Well done, thank you!