April/May North Park Planning Committee Update: Housing, Safety & Lucky Lane

Hello, neighbors! We wanted to share a few highlights from recent North Park Planning Committee (NPPC) meetings, where our volunteer board advises the City of San Diego on land use, transportation, housing, and public infrastructure issues affecting our neighborhood.

At the April meeting, we welcomed new members to the committee and held officer elections. UH resident Jason Vance is the new chair, with Lynn Elliott serving as vice chair and Community Planners Committee (CPC) representative. Holden Leslie-Bole was appointed vice chair of the Public Facilities & Transportation Subcommittee, focusing on street safety and mobility improvements, and Edgar Ramirez Manriquez will be chair of the Communications Subcommittee, working to expand community outreach and ensure more neighbors are engaged with the planning process.

One of our priorities continues to be addressing the affordable housing crisis that has impacted many University Heights residents. As such, in April the NPPC submitted a letter to the city requesting a full accounting of new housing units, specifically asking whether the affordable homes promised by developers since 2020 have actually been delivered. We want to ensure housing production is meeting real community needs, not just quotas on paper.

We also remain committed to improving pedestrian safety, a topic many residents care about deeply. The committee voted to support a “Stand Up for Safety” campaign alongside the Uptown Planning Group, writing a joint letter to the city advocating for long-overdue fixes at the dangerous intersection of Park Boulevard, El Cajon Boulevard, and Normal Street. The two planning groups, alongside Councilmember Whitburn, BikeSD, and Families for Safe Streets San Diego, held a press conference that was covered by KPBS calling attention to the issues there.

In May, we discussed the long-awaited crosswalk at Louisiana Street and Madison Avenue, which has stalled due to lack of funding for a flashing beacon. Given the continued safety issues, we are now pushing for a low-cost, interim solution of an all-way stop with painted crosswalks to calm traffic and improve safety while longer-term improvements are pursued. This could be installed within the next 3 to 4 months while we continue to support a full traffic safety evaluation.

The committee also approved a letter supporting the honorary renaming of a portion of Grim Avenue to “Lucky Lane,” in recognition of the late Lucky Wong, owner of Golden Phoenix. For nearly 50 years, Lucky served breakfast—and kindness—to generations of North Park residents. The petition to support this effort generated over 4,200 signatures, reflecting the deep legacy he left in the community. We also reviewed the city’s newly adopted Mobility Master Plan, which outlines a long-term strategy for safer, more sustainable transportation options across San Diego. Finally, we approved a project for a wheelchair-accessible entrance for Freedom Station, a non-profit on Hamilton Street that houses and supports wounded veterans.

NPPC meetings are open to the public and held on the third Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at 2901 North Park Way. We’ll continue writing updates in this paper and welcome your input.

You can reach us anytime at info@northparkplanning.org.