GOOD NEWS FOR VISTA
The City Council has selected John Conley as Vista’s next City Manager. Conley, who has worked for the City of Vista for 25 years, most recently as Community Development and Engineering Director, assumes
his new role from Acting City Manager Amanda Lee, who has served in that capacity since October 25, 2022. Lee will return to her previous role as Assistant City Manager.
Conley’s service career at the City of Vista has been in the Community Development Department, where he previously served as City Planner, Principal Environmental Planner, Principal Planner, and environmental Planner. [from The Vista Press.com]
South Vista Communities has enjoyed a very constructive relationship with John Conley, working to improve the quality of life for Vista residents, and we look forward to continuing that shared goal with him in his new role.
The City of Vista is excited to present the first of three workshop series for the 2050 General Plan Update – “Establishing the Vision”.
Within each workshop series, there will be four identical workshops, one held in each of the four City Council districts. Three workshops will be held in English and one workshop will be held in Spanish. Please
click HERE for workshop information and dates.
Dear C4FA Supporters,
Last month we told you about the current “subsurface oxidation” (also called “High Heat Events”) and oxygen intrusion” events in the landfills at Palomar Airport that started in October 2022…
Some history – The Landfill Gas (LFG) Collection and Control system was constructed in 1994-1955.A private company, SCS Field Services, performs operations, monitoring and maintenance of the Gas Collection and Control System (GCCS). Per SCS: Gas Collection and Control systems are “designed to help control odors, minimize non-releases to the atmosphere, and increase safety by controlling [methane] migration. They require periodic and continuous maintenance.”
According to the San Diego Water Board’s November 2, 2022 inspection of the Palomar Landfill, “DPW [San Diego County Department of Public Works] staff stated the landfill currently has methane [migration] exceedances of over 5% at six probes in Unit 3… according to DPW staff and the recent LEA [San Diego County Solid Waste Local Enforcement Agency] inspection report from October 20th, 2022. These probes have remained out of compliance since November 2020. [Emphasis added] DPW staff stated the exceedances in these probes is unrelated to the current elevated temperature event in Unit 3.”
There are 3 separate landfills on the Palomar Airport Property identified by the County as Unit1, Unit and Unit 3. To date, C4FA has found 4 documented “subsurface oxidation” or “High Heat Events”: one in 2005 (in Unit 2); two separate instances in 2008 and 2012, both near to the location of the present subsurface oxidation in Unit 3; and the current ongoing 2022 event. C4FA is investigating other events, as reliable sources have informed us that there have been more.
C4FA believes the Landfill Gas Collection system may be approaching the end of its useful life and need significant upgrades or replacement. To protect public health and safety, we believe that the County needs to be more transparent about the current heat event and history of issues with the landfill.
Stay tuned. More to come.
Questions, concerns, comments? Please email us at c4fa.info@gmail.com.
Your Friends and Neighbors at Citizens for a Friendly Airport
NOTE FROM THE PRESIDENT —
New Housing Laws for Vista
Executive Summary for the PH1-PH22-0718 Housing Legislative Amendment -Last Part
Summary of Changes Related to Senate Bill 9 (SB9): this bill allows for “urban lot splits” which permits a property owner in any single-family residential zone to split a lot into two parcels regardless of minimum lot size under certain circumstances. In addition, SB 9 permits a property owner in any single-family residential zone to develop a “two-unit residential development” on any lot regardless of applicable zoning standards, again under certain circumstances. Such approvals must be granted ministerially and may not be conditioned as historically required. The Legislative Counsel’s Digest is shown below.
- A proposed housing development containing no more than 2 residential units within a single-family residential zone is to be considered ministerially, without discretionary review or hearing, if the proposed housing development meets appropriate requirements. This include, but are not limited to, that the proposed development would not require demolition or alteration that is subject to a recorded covenant, ordinance, or law that restricts rents to levels affordable to persons and families of moderate, low, or very low income. In addition, the proposed development allows only for the demolition up to 25% of the existing exterior structural walls, and that it is not located within a historic district.
- It sets forth what a local agency can and cannot require in approving the construction of 2 residential units, including, but not limited to, authorizing a local agency to impose objective zoning standards, objective subdivision standards, and objective design standards, as defined, unless those standards would have the effect of physically precluding the construction of up to 2 units or physically precluding either of the 2 units from being at least 800 square feet in floor area, prohibiting the imposition of setback requirements under certain circumstances, and setting maximum setback requirements under all other circumstances.
- The bill requires an applicant to sign an affidavit stating that they intend to occupy one of the housing units as their principal residence for a minimum of 3 years from the date of the approval of the urban lot split, unless the applicant is a community land trust or a qualified nonprofit corporation, as specified. The bill also prohibits a local agency from imposing any additional owner occupancy standards on applicants.
Summary of Changes Related to Objective Design Standards Senate Bill 330 (SB330): This bill requires local jurisdictions adopt objective design standards for the review of eligible residential and mixed-use developments, among other requirements. Eligible projects under the law comprise multi-family housing projects with two or more units, or mixed-use projects with two-thirds or more of the project dedicated to residential use. The City is limited to the application of these objective standards in the review of any eligible multi-family residential or mixed-use project. Objective standards are intended to involve no personal or subjective judgment by a public official.
- Site design standards address vehicular parking and access, pedestrian circulation and access, common usable open space, private usable open space, and landscaping.
- Building design standards address building form, massing and articulation; common building and site entries; individual unit entry; windows and doors; and materials and colors.
- Mixed-use standards address ground floor transparency, street facing setbacks, street-facing entry, and common and private usable open space.
- Utilitarian elements address bicycle parking; trash, recycling, and green waste container enclosures; fences and walls; lighting; equipment and utility screening; vents and exhaust; and downspouts and drains.
-Francis Dumler
