Clean Sweep for Santee

The city of Santee will soon have the cleanest fleet of street sweepers in San Diego County.

Beginning in October, Santee’s  135 miles of public streets will be cleaned by mechanical sweepers powered by either propane or compressed natural gas. These same sweepers will also use reclaimed water rather than drinking water.

The greener street sweepers are part of a citywide effort to embrace sustainable practices that simultaneously help the environment and reduce costs for electricity, water and other resources.
Vehicles powered by natural gas are cleaner than diesel vehicles and produce 80 percent fewer ozone-forming emissions than gasoline vehicles.

Other California cities that use street sweepers powered by natural gas include Beverly Hills, Anaheim, Palo Alto, and Los Angeles.

Santee was able to get the greener street sweepers by asking for costs comparisons of alternative fuels versus traditional fossil fuels when it solicited bids for street sweeping services this summer. The firm with the lowest bid, Gardena-based CleanStreet , said it could provide sweepers fueled by natural gas or propane at the same cost as sweepers that use gasoline or diesel.  The City Council awarded contract to CleanStreet on Sept. 25 that runs through June 2015.

The benefits of street cleaning are more than you may realize.  The sweepers not only pick up unsightly paper and plastic from our streets, they also clear debris that can block storm drains and remove tiny metal particles and other hazardous waste that pollute rivers and streams.

What is Castlerock?



Castlerock site with Mast Boulevard at right

Castlerock is a housing development in the city of San Diego by Pardee Homes. It includes up to 430 housing units (283  single-family houses and 147 detached condominium units) on 203.64 acres located in the East Elliot Community Plan Area.  The project also includes a 4-acre public park and a multi-use trail for pedestrians and bicyclists. Approximately 45 percent of the property (94.8 acres) will be preserved as open space as part of Mission Trails Regional Park. The property, which is designated for residential use, is north of Mast Boulevard between West Hills Parkway and Medina Drive along Santee’s northwest boundary.  The project has two options; one if the development stays in the city of San Diego and another if it is annexed by the city of Santee. 

Has the Castlerock development been approved?

The San Diego City Council voted in favor of the project on Sept. 16, 2013. The council agreed to both options (annexation, no annexation). This means the project can be developed whether it remains in San Diego or is annexed by the city of Santee.

Can the city of Santee impose new conditions on the development now that it has been approved by the city of San Diego?

No.  The property is not in Santee’s jurisdiction. The city of San Diego had the final say on the development of the project. The only question before the Santee City Council is whether it should annex the property, a question the council is scheduled to consider at its regular meeting on Oct. 9. 

Can the city of Santee refuse to annex the Castlerock property?

Santee can refuse to annex the site. However, Santee fire fighters and sheriff’s deputies would by default be the first responders to any emergencies. Without annexation, Santee would incur those service costs but receive no property tax revenue to pay for them.

What would happen if Santee annexes the Castlerock Property?

If the property is annexed to Santee, the city would be responsible for providing the full array of municipal services, including fire protection and law enforcement, to the new community. 

From a government standpoint,  it would be more efficient for the city of Santee to provide emergency services,  and for Padre Dam Municipal Water District (PDMWD) to provide water and sewer services, because the project is not in close proximity to the city of San Diego’s infrastructure.

What is the next step if Santee chooses to annex Castlerock?

To initiate annexation proceedings, the Santee City Council and the Padre Dam Municipal Water District board would have to file an application with the Local Agency Formation Commission, an independent agency.

Steak and Egg Eateries Not Going Away

Rumors of the pending demise of Santee’s Pinnacle Peak Steak House and the Omelette Factory on Mission Gorge Road are premature.

 

Staff at Pinnacle Peak includes (L to R) Amber Rahlf, Sandy Wike, Toni Petroro (owner) Katie McBride, Anthea Cullington, Christina Nelson, Brian Hoffman, Amir Adieh, Stuart Pollmann

and Cody Bennett

The two restaurants on Mission Gorge Road are open for business and should continue satisfying hearty appetites for months to come.

Some folks have apparently misunderstood the ramifications of the City Council’s vote on Aug. 28 regarding a conceptual redevelopment proposal for two properties totaling 3.76 acres where the restaurants are located.

The headline in the next day’s newspaper said: “Two longtime restaurants on their way out in Santee,”  and, unfortunately, people got upset. 

The council’s action gave the property owner,  Hattie Davisson Properties L.P., permission to apply for a rezone from neighborhood commercial to medium-high residential  and authorized city staff to evaluate the request.

That action does not forecast how the council will ultimately decide the issue, it merely signals the start of a review process that could take up to a year to complete.

Toni Petroro, owner and manager of Pinnacle Peak, said she has assured customers she will find a new location if the rezone is approved. She’s concerned that loyal customers will think she’s closing and drop her eatery from their dining routine.

Pinnacle Peak has been in Santee the past 30 years and the Omelette Factory has been in business since the early 1990s.

 

Pinnacle Peak’s website is here: http://pinnaclepeaksteakhouse.com/Santee_Location.html

SD Council to Consider Castlerock Development



Eastern side of Castlerock development site

A proposal by Pardee Homes to develop up to 430 homes north of West Hills High School will be considered by the San Diego City Council at a public hearing scheduled for Sept. 16 at 2 p.m.

The hearing will be held at the Council Chambers on the 12th Floor of San Diego City Hall, 202 C Street in downtown San Diego.

Pardee has offered two development plans, one if the property is annexed into Santee and another if it is not.  The annexation option calls for the construction of 283 single-family houses along with 147 multi-family units, along with a 4-acre park  and two miles of pedestrian trails. About 90 acres of the 204-acre property would remain as open space.

On July 11, the San Diego Planning Commission voted 4 to 2 to recommend approval of the annexation option to the San Diego City Council. The final decision on annexing the property rests with the Santee City Council.

Questions or comments on the proposed development should be directed to the city of San Diego’s project manager, Jeannette Temple at (619) 557-7908 or jtemple@sandiego.gov.

Cut and paste the link below to view the full public hearing notice: http://docs.sandiego.gov/citybulletin_publicnotices/PublicHearings/PN-035-200459-091613-Castlerock.pdf
Cut and paste the link below to view a site map of the development.

http://www.castlerock-community.com/pdfs/PAR_CR_ART_MAP-site-plan-060612.pdf