University City & Rose Canyon / Creek

Examiner

Researcher: William H East 

It will be updated as additional information becomes available

 Our 1967-69 meetings with council representative Helen Cobb

She called anyone attending her a member of her “Cobbinet.” She would sit on her desk and listen. We would list our problems with suggestions on how they could be resolved.  The University City list included:

Extending the East end of Governor Drive to the trash dump will not happen.

The Genesee Ave Bridge across Rose Canyon will be completed in 1970.

          Extend Governor Drive West to link up with Santa Fe Street and Gilman Drive. It would add three-fourths of a mile to Governor Drive and a road across the railroad tracks. It would satisfy the need for direct access to the University and an evacuation route for the residential area.

          Extend Miramar Road, later West across Interstate 5 to Gilman Drive at the University. Make parking structures East of Interstate 5 to accommodate the University buildup.  This Eastgate Mall Arch Bridge was listed as a needed evacuation route east for the University.  It made sense to use Miramar Road as useful road for the University.

Build a fence, between North and South University City, next to the railroad tracks to discourage bicyclists and pedestrians from casually crossing the tracks. In residential areas, children may not realize the danger.  

Cut and fill the Northeast corner of Governor Drive and Gullstrand.  Just make it flat for youth activities. That park was unable to collect any funds because the major focus was on Stanley Park.

 A bridge across Rose Canyon at Regents Road It would reduce the traffic on Governor Drive and Genesee Ave. Homeowners on Governor Drive must now back out of their driveways into traffic. Children are at risk on Governor Drive and Genesee Ave.

Make a large recreational Park along Governor Drive to accommodate the Residential growth of the area. Our Council representative said. “The city has very little money so you must arrange the Standley Park financing with your own efforts.”

Partial solutions to the problems.

Homeowner approval for the park was close.  Any consideration that the Regents Road Bridge would not be constructed to reduce the traffic would have resulted in no Standley Park. Assessments for the park were varied; mine was for $500, a significant amount, at that time.

All of the other projects were postponed, to be prioritized at a later date.  The most urgent project was to complete Regents Road needed for an evacuation route and as a second North/South street across the canyon.

The following information is valuable in understanding the financing for the San Diego City projects.

Properties and land being developed in the City of San Diego are assessed an amount for public facilities. The assessment is determined by the type, size, and location of the development for the permit being issued. Funds collected are placed in a City special fund by community, to be used solely for those major public facilities shown in the financing plan for each community.

• Facilities Benefit Assessments (FBA)
  A Facilities Benefit Assessment (FBA) generally provides 100% of funds for public facilities projects which service a designated area of benefit and are identified in the Public Facilities Financing Plan (PFFP). The dollar amount of the assessment is based upon the cost of each public facility equitably distributed over a designated area of benefit in the community planning area. Fees will be paid on the actual development when permits are issued.  

&  The flaw to this method of scheduling the funds is that a few elected officials can earmark all the funds and spend them on pet projects to the detrement of the “Greater Good.” Directing traffic to school children is not forgivable!!!

• What happened to the money for the Regents Road and Eastgate Mall Bridges? Money was spent decorating the divider on Genesee Avenue.  Are the people on the South side of Rose Canyon safer?

 The Eastgate Mall Arch bridge over Interstate 805, less than two miles Northeast was an excellent model. That model was politically replaced by with something like the Genesee dirt bridge model and many other “Alternatives.” In other cities, the alternatives would be collected and voted on by those most affected.

San Diego County Emergency Services Organization Operation Emergency Plan

 listed the county wildfire as a high risk probability.

 Consider the recent Cedar Fire that closed Interstate 15 at two locations and killed 15 people. The fire also burned close to interstate 805 in University City. One route, regardless of width, cannot fill the needs of two routes (Example: Interstates 5 & 805). Why not just widen Interstate 5? Obviously, the greater good is to have two routes.

The San Diego city police and fire department support the construction of the Regents Road Bridge.

The city is liable for the negligence of maintaining and updating Rose Canyon and all evacuation routes.

In a disaster, any of these routes may be blocked or closed.

Doing nothing just intensifies the burden on the hosts, Genesee Avenue and other routes.  The safety of children going to school or playing in the park and homeowners on Governor Drive are compromised.  

 People that live and work in South University City are being treated as expendables. The increasing buildup traffic on Genesee Ave and Governor Drive adds to the delay time emergency vehicles take to reach those people south of the railroad tracks in University City and Clairemont.  

Click on thumbnails to get the larger images.

Decorating street dividers does not make us any safer.  ** A member of the San Diego City Council submitted  another Earmark Alternative: “Widen Genesee Avenue.” Reroute the traffic to GUESS Road during construction?

If your Earmarks are for the “Greater Good” where are our bridges?"

Earmarker: "Bridges? We ain't got no bridges. We don't need no bridges! I don't have to show you any stinkin' bridges!"

Three Stinkin' Bridges

Eastgate Mall    

Regents Road

Doyle Elementary School	Doyle Park Recreation Center	Regents Road Bridge Site
Dead Grass Buildup on Maintenance Road	Regents Road looking South across Rose Canyon	Regents Road on south side of Rose Canyon

Governor Drive

 

Rose Canyon / Creek

The spur railroad on the base start about 4/5 of a mile west of I-15.   The main track continues around the southeast edge of the Miramar National Cemetery.
Rose Creek Headwaters	Sewage surface line	Sewer repaired	Rose Creek junk
Wastewater Mgt. used heavy equipment to dig up, unplug and then cover up the sewer line.  When they left, they took the pumps with them, but left the above ground sewer line connected.  One month later they were back with new pumps.
Pampas after heavy rain	Eucalyptus overgrowth	Front wheel assembly	Creosote-treated crossties dumping area
During a heavy rain the rushing water overflows the stream bed and populates the canyon with Pampas grass, Eucalyptus, Acacia and Poison Oak seeds.  Each Pampas plant produces about 100,000 seeds.  These seeds usually germinate first and smother other seedlings.
View from high school soccer field	Teen hangout under Genesee bridge	Sidewalk above Genesee tunnels	Center tunnel under Genesee
The trail from the traffic light at the intersection of Genesee Avenue, the High School access and Rose Canyon passes by a very hazardous area.  It is about a 10 foot drop into the entrance to the stream tunnels.   The bridge is a hangout for student uses of the canyon.  Trespassing on railroad property for any purpose is prohibited and dangerous.  Over 50 trains pass each day.  The risk is very great for those crossing the tracks.  The tunnel entrances have become dumping grounds for pets, furniture, auto parts and shopping carts.  One to two feet of clay and gravel have settled in the bottoms of the tunnels.  The movement of the shopping carts (half a mile downstream) indicates the velocity of runoff when it exits the tunnels.
During the summer the spiders, mosquitoes and stench (from the pools of stagnant water) are very bad.  Vehicle access to the canyon is limited to Wastewater Management, and only they have the keys.
Quick disposal	The only bridge on Rose Canyon	Poison Oak along the sewer maintenance road	Poison Oak bobcat haven
Rose Creek runoff	Old Sycamore	Bottles and cans pose a fire hazard	Two more carts in a debris field
The debris field between Genesee Avenue and Regents Road is a flat area where items moved downstream by heavy runoff settle.  Acacias and a large variety of plants trap most items.   Some of the oils and smaller items settle on the floor of the canyon.
A manhole for wastewater sewer maintenance	Stagnant pool west of Genesee bridge	Rose Canyon dog visitor	Sorry I disturbed you
Acacias, Eucalyptus and Pampas are being populated by Rose Creek The developing areas of Poison Oak and Pampas grass are ideal habitats for Bobcats. Bobcats kill deer and can both swim and climb trees, and they hunt at night.   Domestic pets are abandoned at the canyon rims. A litter will disappear overnight.
Many things were dumped at the end of Genesee Avenue before it was completed.  Now the canyon ends of Regents Road are dumping sites for large items.
Remainder of cattle fence near Regents Rd. bridge	Rose Canyon matted hillside grass	Hazardous crossing after heavy rain	Off Roaders find a way
Acacia in stream bed	Santa Fe trail to La Jolla Colony Dr.	Another view of the major intersection	Model from intersection at Sorrento Valley
The Sorrento Valley intersection is very similar to the one planned for Gilman Drive and interstate 5.
San Clemente Canyon joins Rose Canyon	Maintenance / Evacuation route for Santa Fe St.	Building at north end of Santa Fe St.	Well maintained light industry
Rose Creek drainage channel	Northeast corner of I-5 and I-8	Looking up at Monongahela St.	Monongahela St. homeowner's backyard
Monongahela runoff	View across Rose Canyon to Desert View homes	Rose Creek & I-5 intersection	Rose Creek south of Balboa
Over 40 years ago, the sewer system and Genesee dirt bridge were installed.  The motor vehicle and railroad trash were removed.  One can only hope it will not take a disaster for the importance of a another cleanup to be realized. The creek is filtered  through several stages close to the bay.
Rose Creek near Grand Ave.	Rose Creek near Garnet Ave.	Rose Creek channel near San Diego bay	Rose Creek at San Diego Bay
A brief history of a 9 mile canyon with only one bridge,   the dirt bridge at Genesee Avenue and Rose Canyon.