(Mission Valley News, San Diego, CA) –
Dear editor,
I am writing to clear up inaccuracies and answer some questions about Civita that were posed in a letter to the editor written by Stuart Rachmuth and posted Nov. 15, 2013.
Mr. Rachmuth questioned the legitimacy of the awards the master-planned community has received and likened them to “the building industry patting each other on the back.” Civita and neighborhoods at Civita have received a number of architectural awards from industry groups on the local and national level. We are proud of them and the many honors we have received for our sustainable design. Most notably, in 2009 Civita was honored with the California Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award (GEELA) for Comprehensive Land Use Planning, and in 2010 Civita was designated by the California Department of Housing and Community Development as one of the Catalyst Projects for California Sustainable Communities. Just last month, Civita was honored by Move San Diego, a local nonprofit that advocates for sustainable transportation.
Mr. Rachmuth said there are a “lot of unanswered questions” particularly about the community’s impact on surrounding roads and the issue of water. Civita was meticulously studied by the City of San Diego during the 10-year entitlement and environmental review process. The city does not tolerate “unanswered questions.” Details of the project are available to the public on the city’s website under “Quarry Falls Specific Plan.” Anyone with a question not covered in the 221-page document can contact Sudberry Properties through our CivitaLife website, CivitaLife.com.
Specifically regarding water usage, Mr. Rachmuth said that Sudberry “was relying on rainfall estimates from the city that showed that the area would be receiving rainfall of biblical proportions.” Mr. Rachmuth’s reference is correct as it pertains to the design of Civita’s stormwater infrastructure, but mistaken as it pertains to water availability. It is customary to plan a storm water system for the “100-year flood” (a flood event that has a 1 percent probability of occurring in any given year), and that is what we have done at Civita. The reference to “100-year flood” has nothing to do with water consumption. In fact, Civita is anticipated to use 50 percent less water per person than typical suburban development.
Regarding Civita’s traffic impact on Mission Valley, Civita is investing approximately $50 million in road improvements in Mission Valley and surrounding communities. Major improvements are being made to Friars Road and funds have been paid to the city for upgrades to the Friars Road-Highway 163 interchange, with construction anticipated in the near future. To date, Civita has built improvements on Texas Street, Mission Center Road, Fashion Valley Road, Camino de las Tiendas and Murray Ridge Road.
Mr. Rachmuth questioned Civita’s assertion that the community is transit-oriented, saying that some residents drive to the shopping center across the street. That may be true, some do drive, but a number of them walk – many more than in other parts of San Diego. They are not just walking to the stores, but to the trolley and other Mission Valley amenities. As a developer, we cannot control residents’ transportation habits, but we can make land use decisions that promote alternative forms of transportation. The Civita plan calls for a pedestrian bridge over Friars Road, which will give most residents in Civita a five- or ten-minute walk to the trolley. Right now, Civita has a fleet of Car2Go electric vehicles on site, which are heavily used. As the community develops, there will be on-site stores, shops and dining establishments, which will all encourage residents to walk.
Mr. Rachmuth asks, “Who will be policing the no smoking rules?” There are no “no-smoking rules” for the community of Civita. Sudberry Properties’ Circa 37 Apartment Community is non-smoking, monitored by the management company and the residents themselves, many of whom moved there because it is a non-smoking community. Smoking will not be allowed in Civita Park, which is a city park, as smoking is banned at all City of San Diego beaches and parks.
Lastly, Mr. Rachmuth asserted that the water being used in the grading process was coming out of the fire hydrants and was “not being charged, with taxpayers picking up the tab.” That is completely false. All water used in the grading and construction process is either metered and paid for or has been recycled from captured rainfall. He also asked if Civita was using “non-potable water, as required for dust abatement and construction.” The fact is the city has no such requirement. And while the use of reclaimed water is an important element of San Diego’s future water supply and why Civita is working on an on-site treatment plant, it is not the best environmental solution during this phase of construction, since it would require water be trucked to the site from miles away.
Sudberry Properties and the Grant family, which has owned the property for approximately 75 years, are striving to build a community that will enhance the value of the Mission Valley community. At the grand opening of Circa 37, then-Mayor Jerry Sanders said, “Thanks for doing right by Mission Valley; thanks for doing right by San Diego.” We are committed to continue to do just that.
We are happy to address any questions through the CivitaLife website.
Sincerely,
MARCO A. SESSA
Senior Vice President
Sudberry Properties
