The Mayor Makes Plans to Add 50,000+ Residents and No Infrastructure to Uptown
Late last year I wrote an article about Todd Gloria’s plans via the Hillcrest Blueprint to add 50,000 residents to the Uptown community. I referred to it as creating “sardine town,” which will not be suitable for human habitation. It will also kill small businesses because the major arteries for entering and departing Uptown will be reduced to bike lanes or public transportation.
I also stated that the new norm might likely be dorm like studios that resemble a 20-to-30-plus foot animal kennel with built in furniture. It’s likely the bathroom and kitchen will be a shared facility.
“Those aren’t odors I would prefer to share.”
As you might expect, I am not at all happy about the mayor’s lack of intelligence that seems to demonstrate that he will build out Uptown at any cost. Forget the residents. Forget quality of life. Forget Uptown residents with the infrastructure to support this behemoth plan, which is to build out every livable space upwards and sideways.
Obviously, infrastructure, based on Gloria’s plan, isn’t necessary. Who needs grocery stores? Who needs police and fire departments? Who needs roadways to get from one part of Uptown to the other? Who needs parks and open space? Who needs sewer systems, electricity, the basics to survive? According to Gloria, we don’t need it…and we won’t get it.
Somehow, according to Gloria, it will take care of itself.
Insanity at city hall is what many of us are calling this. And it all falls on one person: Todd Gloria, who runs this city like a dictator.
Gladly to say, I was not alone with my impression of Gloria.
Someone who also spoke out frequently about Gloria was Bill Walton, who left this world unexpectedly and still had much to say about where this city was going.
As we all know, Walton was our local sports celebrity who had earned national and international recognition and respect. Walton had also been extremely generous to lots of non-profit organizations, including those who serve the homeless population. He was not complimentary of Gloria, especially as it related to the homeless population and crime and deterioration of quality of life for San Diegans.
“Todd Gloria has demonstrated that he is a stubborn, self-centered, egotistical, self-promoting career politician who lacks accountability, never takes responsibility, and is cruel and inhumane.
“Todd Gloria’s press releases, announcements, and fundraising messages defy credulity, credibility, integrity and common sense, to say nothing of common decency.
“He regularly claims that things are getting better, while the actual numbers are the exact opposite.
“Recently, Todd Gloria heralded a dramatic reduction in crime in San Diego, failing to mention that our valued but understaffed, overworked, and underpaid SDPD is not able to enforce the law per Todd Gloria’s direct commands. The courts, judges, and DAs don’t prosecute crimes, again per Todd Gloria’s direct commands. There must be no crime.”
About density and the drive to add more units to Uptown San Diego, Kate Callen, who is a community activist, offered her comments, “Historic preservation will be phased out, especially if Mayor Gloria succeeds in weakening the City’s historic resources ordinance.
“In theory, the amendment will only impact Hillcrest. But if it becomes part of the larger Uptown Plan, surrounding neighborhoods like Mission Hills will be vulnerable.
And Uptown Planners, who spoke out against the amendment’s adoption, was recently eliminated from continuing to operate, thanks to District 3 Councilman Stephen Whitburn. As a previous Uptown Planners’ board member, I can state, “This is a developer land grab, enabled by the mayor with Whitburn’s support.”
It is very worrisome that we have a mayor who has gone deaf to the concerns of his constituents throughout the city of San Diego who are voicing their concerns about his desire and “master plan” to turn San Diego into New York or Los Angeles.
As one resident of Mission Hills stated at a recent town council meeting, “I left Los Angeles to have a quality of life for my family, and now the mayor’s decided to destroy everything good about our neighborhood. What gives him the right to do this? I will not be silenced.”
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