One Paseo project still needs to be scaled down

As a member of the Del Mar area community of San Diego, I was disappointed to see the modest revision for the One Paseo project (slated for the Carmel Valley area just off the Del Mar Heights exit of I-5).  It’s not enough.  The project should be scaled back to confirm with the community plan — not given a special exemption by the city for a 3X or 4X size increase.

My major concern is the traffic on an already overloaded Del Mar Heights Road.  Carmel Valley housing developments have increased in the past 10 to 15 years, causing gridlock during commuting times for workers, shoppers, and those going to and from Torrey Pines High School.  Need we mention the month of June during the County Fair or during the July and August racing season when the Del Mar Heights exit and the I-5 freeway are at a dead stop?

I live on the west side of I-5 and because I live within San Diego City, my nearest fire station and police station are on the east side of I-5, just past the proposed over-sized One Paseo development.  If the development is given a green light to exceed the community development plan by 3X or 4X, not only will the construction add a heavy burden of traffic on our already congested Del Mar Heights Road, but the increase in shoppers, apartment dwellers, and office workers will add to the congestion for the years to come.

It’s difficult enough for emergency vehicles to get through during peak traffic times at this point.   Who knows what will happen if the super-sized One Paseo project is allowed, by the city, to be developed?  I hate to think that one home or one single life will be lost because the San Diego police or Fire Department are blocked by gridlock traffic.  It’s a real danger to my community and neighborhood.

If we need a Trader Joe’s, fine — I’m all for it.  But make it conform to the size stated in the Carmel Valley Community Plan.  That’s why we have a plan!

Margie Lopata

Del Mar

Related posts:

1. One Paseo: Was fair traffic on Del Mar Heights Road a glimpse of the future?
2. One Paseo: Traffic jams for Carmel Valley
3. Letters to the Editor: Proposed LA scale project must be reduced
4. One Paseo: An unmitigated disaster for Carmel Valley
5. No position taken yet on One Paseo project, Carmel Valley planning board chair says

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Posted by Staff on Dec 12, 2012. Filed under Letters, Opinion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry