To: City of San Diego Planning Commission and Will Zounes
Community Opposition to Assisted Living/Memory Care Facility
The undersigned residents of Verrazzano, Santaluz, Mirasol, Santa Monica and other neighborhoods in Black Mountain Ranch, OPPOSE the approximately 72,000-square foot, 74-bed nursing facility (the “Project”) proposed for the middle of our communities and request that the Planning Commission uphold the existing land-use plan, which requires development of a recreational facility and senior day center on these vacant lots.
Why is this important?
A private developer is proposing to build a massive Assisted Living/Memory Care Facility on two vacant lots that are sandwiched between Willow Grove Elementary School and Lifetime Montessori School. The existing land-use plan requires that the developer build a recreational center (on the 2.3 acre lot) and senior center (on the <1 acre lot) on these vacant lots. We OPPOSE the developer's attempt to amend the land-use plan and obtain a conditional use permit for an Assisted Living/Memory Care Facility in this location because:
1. THE ASSISTED LIVING/MEMORY CARE FACILITY WOULD DEPRIVE RESIDENTS OF RECREATIONAL AND SOCIAL OPPORTUNITIES THAT THE EXISTING COMMUNITY PLAN REQUIRES: When we made the decision to purchase our homes, we did so with the reasonable expectation that the vacant lots at the corner of Via Fiesta and Via Inez would be developed in compliance with the existing community plan. That plan requires a recreation center (on the 2.3 acre lot) and a senior day center (on the < 1 acre lot). Those uses would benefit surrounding neighborhoods. In contrast, the proposed Project provides NO recreational or social benefit to surrounding neighborhoods whatsoever. Applicant’s assertion that recreational facilities within the Santaluz gated community, such as the dog park and trails, somehow satisfy the surrounding neighborhoods’ recreational needs is inaccurate. The recreational facilities the applicant points to as “offsets” were contemplated to be additive to the recreation center designated for the Via Fiesta property and/or are simply inaccessible to the hundreds of surrounding neighborhood residents that live outside the Santaluz gates.
2. THE PROPOSED FACILITY WOULD CREATE SIGNIFICANT SAFETY CONCERNS. The nursing facility would be sandwiched between the 900- student Willow Grove Elementary School and the 250-student Lifetime Montessori School. The facility would be accessible through a small private driveway that serves as a primary access route to the Lifetime Montessori School. Ambulances serving the nursing facility pose a safety hazard for children walking or biking to and from school. Studies show that assisted living facilities generate a large number of emergency medical services ("EMS") calls. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, EMS vehicles are involved in 5,000 crashes per year, resulting in one fatality every 10 days, including four child fatalities per year. In addition, EMS vehicles attempting to access the facility during school drop-off and pick-up times would experience significant delays due to traffic gridlock during these times. This would pose significant safety concerns for the seniors living in the facility.
3. THE PROPOSED FACILITY IS INCOMPATIBLE WITH THE SURROUNDING RESIDENTIAL AND SCHOOL USES. The 24/7 operation and staffing will generate traffic during all hours of the day and night, including from emergency vehicles (i.e., ambulances). Sirens used by ambulances serving the nursing facility will disturb the peaceful enjoyment of the surrounding residents in Verrazzano, Santaluz, Sycamore Walk, Bella Rosa, Santa Monica, Cristamar and Mirasol. The community is concerned about security impacts of “roamers” to residences and pre-school and school-aged children at the immediately adjacent educational facilities. Also, the proposed structure is massive and out of scale with the surrounding community. It uses every permissible square foot of buildable area and is not compatible with the surrounding single-family residential scale of development.
4. THE FACILITY IS NOT NECESSARY AT THIS LOCATION. The existing land-use plan (the "Subarea Plan") designates a large, 30-acre site for a “continuing care retirement community,” which would include assisted living and memory care as well as senior independent living and a skilled nursing facility. This 30-acre site is located approximately 1 mile north of the proposed project site, on Camino del Sur, a major arterial highway. The 30-acre site is far preferable to cramming a 74-bed facility between two schools in the middle of a quiet residential community.
5. EXPERIENCE OF THE FACILITY OWNER/OPERATOR: The applicant is the landowner, not the entity which will own and operate the Project, yet the landowner has refused to provide the name of the party who will purchase the property if the pending entitlements are approved.
In view of these concerns, we respectfully request that the Planning Commission vote to recommend to the City Council that it DENY the requested Community Plan Amendment and Conditional Use Permit, and that it not certify the Addendum to the EIR for Black Mountain Ranch.
1. THE ASSISTED LIVING/MEMORY CARE FACILITY WOULD DEPRIVE RESIDENTS OF RECREATIONAL AND SOCIAL OPPORTUNITIES THAT THE EXISTING COMMUNITY PLAN REQUIRES: When we made the decision to purchase our homes, we did so with the reasonable expectation that the vacant lots at the corner of Via Fiesta and Via Inez would be developed in compliance with the existing community plan. That plan requires a recreation center (on the 2.3 acre lot) and a senior day center (on the < 1 acre lot). Those uses would benefit surrounding neighborhoods. In contrast, the proposed Project provides NO recreational or social benefit to surrounding neighborhoods whatsoever. Applicant’s assertion that recreational facilities within the Santaluz gated community, such as the dog park and trails, somehow satisfy the surrounding neighborhoods’ recreational needs is inaccurate. The recreational facilities the applicant points to as “offsets” were contemplated to be additive to the recreation center designated for the Via Fiesta property and/or are simply inaccessible to the hundreds of surrounding neighborhood residents that live outside the Santaluz gates.
2. THE PROPOSED FACILITY WOULD CREATE SIGNIFICANT SAFETY CONCERNS. The nursing facility would be sandwiched between the 900- student Willow Grove Elementary School and the 250-student Lifetime Montessori School. The facility would be accessible through a small private driveway that serves as a primary access route to the Lifetime Montessori School. Ambulances serving the nursing facility pose a safety hazard for children walking or biking to and from school. Studies show that assisted living facilities generate a large number of emergency medical services ("EMS") calls. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, EMS vehicles are involved in 5,000 crashes per year, resulting in one fatality every 10 days, including four child fatalities per year. In addition, EMS vehicles attempting to access the facility during school drop-off and pick-up times would experience significant delays due to traffic gridlock during these times. This would pose significant safety concerns for the seniors living in the facility.
3. THE PROPOSED FACILITY IS INCOMPATIBLE WITH THE SURROUNDING RESIDENTIAL AND SCHOOL USES. The 24/7 operation and staffing will generate traffic during all hours of the day and night, including from emergency vehicles (i.e., ambulances). Sirens used by ambulances serving the nursing facility will disturb the peaceful enjoyment of the surrounding residents in Verrazzano, Santaluz, Sycamore Walk, Bella Rosa, Santa Monica, Cristamar and Mirasol. The community is concerned about security impacts of “roamers” to residences and pre-school and school-aged children at the immediately adjacent educational facilities. Also, the proposed structure is massive and out of scale with the surrounding community. It uses every permissible square foot of buildable area and is not compatible with the surrounding single-family residential scale of development.
4. THE FACILITY IS NOT NECESSARY AT THIS LOCATION. The existing land-use plan (the "Subarea Plan") designates a large, 30-acre site for a “continuing care retirement community,” which would include assisted living and memory care as well as senior independent living and a skilled nursing facility. This 30-acre site is located approximately 1 mile north of the proposed project site, on Camino del Sur, a major arterial highway. The 30-acre site is far preferable to cramming a 74-bed facility between two schools in the middle of a quiet residential community.
5. EXPERIENCE OF THE FACILITY OWNER/OPERATOR: The applicant is the landowner, not the entity which will own and operate the Project, yet the landowner has refused to provide the name of the party who will purchase the property if the pending entitlements are approved.
In view of these concerns, we respectfully request that the Planning Commission vote to recommend to the City Council that it DENY the requested Community Plan Amendment and Conditional Use Permit, and that it not certify the Addendum to the EIR for Black Mountain Ranch.