Local Residents Oppose Plan to End Public Right of Way in University Heights

The request has not been put before the City Council yet but has already caught the attention of the North Park Planning Committee, whose Urban Design and Project Review (UD&PR) subcommittee held an hour-long discussion on October 7.

Photo by Eric Watkins; view of undeveloped space from the alley looking west

Opposition is growing against a proposal that would “vacate” a public right of way and allow adjacent property owners to take possession of an unpaved section of Lincoln Avenue between Georgia Street and the alley before Florida Street.

Jose Bautista, Development Project Manager for the City of San Diego Development Services Department, told UH News that his office “received an application for the proposed public right-of-way (ROW) vacation of a portion of Lincoln Avenue, which is currently a paper street/undeveloped ROW space.

“If the City Council approves the vacation request, the 80 feet portion of unimproved ROW will split in half and revert to abutting owners located on the north and south sides of Lincoln Street,” Bautista said.

The request has not been put before the City Council yet but has already caught the attention of the North Park Planning Committee, whose Urban Design and Project Review (UD&PR) subcommittee held an hour-long discussion of the matter on October 7.

“This matter came to our attention through a community petition regarding the application for a proposed recreational area on the lot south of 4009 Georgia Street,” stated subcommittee vice-chair Malachi Bielecki, referring to the petition posted on link.uhsd.org/ROWpetition.

Bielecki clarified that the site is currently utilized as a trail and is identified as a potential pocket park in the North Park Community Plan. Bielecki emphasized that the subcommittee was not formally requested to take a stance by either the City or the applicants. However, the subcommittee desired to facilitate a dialogue since numerous community members have approached them regarding this matter.

Photo by Eric Watkins; view of undeveloped space from Lincoln at Georgia looking east

Steven Heise, a California-licensed professional land surveyor, was engaged by the two landowners on the adjacent sides of the unimproved street. He said that the area has been a persistent maintenance issue, resulting in significant financial expenses for both landowners.

Heise asserted that incorporating the space into the current property of the adjacent owners would merely be “simplified,” as it will never transform into a public street and, as such, the owners are already assuming the financial responsibility for its maintenance.

Steven Russell, a local resident, opposed the move, calling the area an “incredible asset” for the community which, among other things, provides “an important link for folks who are traveling between North Park and Hillcrest.”

Bielecki reminded the meeting that neither the City nor the applicants had requested a recommendation from the subcommittee, and that further discussion would take place in a later meeting.