Quarry Falls Summary

Brief History and Current Information, July 2005

Serra Mesa was introduced to the Quarry Falls Project in Late 2002. Our first sub-committee meeting was held on October 8, 2002, in the Mission Valley Library, during which Mr. Tom Sudberry of Sudberry Properties Inc, the developer, answered previously submitted questions and discussed the development of about 230 acres on the north side of Mission Valley, just south of the Abbots Hill section of Serra Mesa.

The proposal included a mixed–use project with 110 acres residential, 41 acres of mixed-use retail/commercial, 6.7 acres of civic use, and 30 acres of open space. The initial proposal of about 3000 residential units was later increased to 4800, at the request of the city. Six (6) acres of the property, all of the 230 acres belonging to the Grant family, was in Serra Mesa, just across from the First Assembly Church on Phyllis Place. Included in the proposal was a connecting road from Quarry Falls to Phyllis Place for freeway accessibility from Friars Road.

The property is bounded by Phyllis Place in the North, Mission Center Road in the West, I-805 in the East, and Friars Road in the South. There would be additionally two or more controlled accesses to the project from Friars Road and one or more accesses from Mission Center Road.

Initial concerns about the project included added traffic to Serra Mesa, air and noise pollution, schools, neighborhood security, bicycle paths, Development Impact Fees, truck accesses , traffic lights, changes in the Serra Mesa character, and other pertinent items.

The primary source of concern was about the connecting road to Phyllis Place and the traffic impact on Serra Mesa. This was determined from several surveys and questionnaires, phone calls, and meetings.

Following several presentations to the Serra Mesa Planning Group and Serra Mesa Community Council, two major presentations were brought before the San Diego Planning Commission in October and December 20004, whereby the developer requested a Serra Mesa Community Plan Amendment Initiation. The Serra Mesa Community Plan did not provide for this connecting road, and in previous versions of the Serra Mesa Plan it was excluded. The Serra Mesa Planning Group opposed the plan initiation and requested alternative solutions to the connecting road, but none were seriously considered. Many community and sub-committee meetings, and meetings with San Diego City Council representatives were held during 2003-2005. A tour of the Phyllis Place site and a workshop was also conducted by the Planning Commission in late 2004 between the two hearings. The request to initiate the plan amendment was defeated by the Planning Commission both times, by a strong and unified community opposition to the road. An appeal to the San Diego City Council was subsequently filed. This appeal was also defeated on 15 March 2005.

The developer has subsequently filed his plan proposal without the connecting road, although the City still desires the road. Construction of the project is expected to begin in about 2008, starting with the commercial element near Friars Road. The six (6) acres in Serra Mesa will not be developed for residential with the rest of the project, and the developer has been holding meetings with the Serra Mesa Community to investigate the possible use of these six acres for a Serra Mesa Park area. These investigations are still in progress, as of mid-2005.

Further information and recent updates concerning this project may be obtained from the Quarry Falls Sub-committee Chair, Don Knoell at dknoell@aol.com or 858-569-6802. Park Questionnaires are being collected and compiled. A copy of the Quarry Falls Specific Plan is on file for review in the Serra Mesa Library.