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this month's issue! *( in 'PDF' format! )

FEBRUARY 2010

MISSION VALLEY NEWS & VIEWS
The Positive View of the Community
Mission Publishing Group LLC
www.missionvalleynewsviews.com
6855 Friars Road #26, San Diego, California, 92108
Gina Cord, Editor
LOOKING BACK, MOVING FORWARD

Hazard Center Revitalization Project Receives Recommendation of Approval

When Bruce Hazard conceived of Hazard Center, built on land that once housed his father “Pappy’s” brickyard,
his vision of providing a development in which to live, work and play was almost unheard of. As the center celebrates its
20th anniversary, and moves closer toward an ambitious revitalization project after receiving support from the Mission
Valley Planning Group, it is clear Hazard was a man ahead of his time. Hazard Center stands as a model for one-stop shopping centers and its future as a modern, environmentally responsible urban neighborhood will serve as a blueprint for other “City of Villages” projects. The 14-acre mixed-use project, featuring a 15-story office tower, restaurants,
retail and service businesses, a six-screen movie theater and a neighboring hotel, is adjacent to the Hazard Center
trolley station. The proposed revitalization embodies “smart growth” principles such as focusing development and density
adjacent to existing transit, mixed-use communities that reduce dependence on automobiles, and preserving regional vacant land by redeveloping previously disturbed sites. The proposed plan, designed by Fehlman LaBarre Architects, includes
473 residences —flats, condos and townhouses; almost 5,000 square feet of commercial space; a 2/3-acre public
park; design of Hazard Center Drive for pedestrian and neighborhood emphasis; three public plazas; and revitalizing the existing shopping center. After a good deal of review and debate, the planning group voted to send the revitalization
plans to the San Diego Planning Commission with its recommendation for approval. Members saw that the proposed project
provides needed future housing; targets residential infill into a compact, mixed-use, walkable village; and generally conforms
with the existing community plan and zoning regulations. The project will also allocate fees for the River Park trail extension and park amenities in Mission Valley, a major concern of the planning group. The group also agreed that the project is consistent with the Mission Valley Community Plan (MVCP) with respect to land use, balanced transportation, open space, development intensity, building heights, community facilities, conservation, and urban design. Additionally, it’s consistent with the City of San Diego’s General Plan—in particular its City of Villages strategy—and the Comprehensive Plan developed by the San Diego Association of Governments. One of the biggest concerns is how the project will affect traffic. Developer Oliver McMillan completed extensive studies regarding traffic impacts and included numerous components in the plan to facilitate traffic flow. The proposal doesn’t exceed the traffic allowances in the MVCP and FSDRIP Specific Plan.
In the revitalization plan, the movie theater will be removed along with its vehicle trips and parking needs. The traffic study concludes that the development will generate residential traffic within the center’s existing approved allowances.
The first traffic improvement set to occur actually falls outside the Hazard Center project’s scope and has been in the
MVCPfor many years. Hazard Center Drive will be extended west of where it currently dead-ends, to Fashion Valley. No work on the Hazard Center revitalization will commence until that project is completed. See "Hazard Center" Page 2