UHCA and UHCDC: What our neighborhood organizations do for University Heights
If you’ve ever danced at a summer concert in Trolley Barn Park, strolled under the historic UH sign on Park Boulevard, or flipped through the neighborhood paper with your morning coffee, then you’ve already felt the impact of two incredible local organizations: the University Heights Community Association (UHCA) and the University Heights Community Development Corporation (UHCDC).
These two groups may operate independently, but together they’re the heart and soul of UH—working behind the scenes to make our neighborhood one of the most vibrant and community-oriented spots in San Diego.
UHCA, founded in 1984, is a member-supported 501(c)(3) nonprofit that brings neighbors together. They’re the ones organizing fun neighborhood gatherings such as Party on Park, Lights in the Heights, Caroling in the Heights, Movies in the Park, Neighborhood Mixers as well as monthly community meetings that keep everyone in the loop and create a space for conversations life in our neighborhood. UHCA also sponsors the UH Garden Club, activities around Bike Anywhere Day, and the UH Community Yard Sale/Recycle event.
The all-volunteer organization publishes our neighborhood paper UH News, has created a growing collection of UH-themed merchandise, runs the Zone Watch program to coordinate neighborhood watches and our close relationship with the San Diego Police Department, and facilitates beautification efforts like the Native Plant Initiative, community clean ups and the beautifully painted utility boxes done by local artists. They also created and maintain the UH Banner District in the southern part of UH along Washington and Park Blvd south of El Cajon Blvd.
“UHCA has a 40-year storied history of making things better in UH – starting out as a group of activist neighbors fighting an incompatible development Park,” said current UHCA President Marc Johnson. “In addition to the multitude of events and projects we do, UHCA acts as a strong voice of the UH community, coordinating responses to our elected officials on things that affect everyday life: land use, city services like lighting and roads, and more.
With an active 8-member board, over 350 dues-paying members (including over 45 businesses) and more than 130 active volunteers, UHCA is all about creating connections and making sure residents feel informed, involved, and inspired. The other key Organization in UH, the UHCDC, was established in 1985 and is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that focuses more on the physical and historical aspects of our neighborhood. They’re responsible for producing two events, the Summer in the Park concert series and in conjunction with the UH Arts Association, the Taste of UH / UH Art Walk in the fall.
They also provide community management and oversight for the UH Parking District (part of the Mid-City Parking District) and UH Maintenance Assessment District (MAD). The UH Parking District has worked to increase parking in UH by creating angled and perpendicular parking along side streets. The UH MAD is funded by assessments paid by property owners in the defined district and maintains the UH Trolley Sign, the decorative lighting along Park Blvd. and Adams Ave., additional trash receptacles along Park Blvd., additional street and sidewalk cleaning, and landscaping and tree care above what the city normally provides.
The UHCDC also sponsors the UH Historical Society who was instrumental in securing historic designation for Trolley Barn Park, the Teachers Training Annex 1, the entrance to the former Ostrich Farm, and the remains of Mission Cliffs Garden, including the cobblestone wall, wood gates, and lily pond. The UHHS also installed the four historic markers along Adams Avenue commemorating these important landmarks. The UHHS also secured historic designation for the Canary Palms Island Palms on Park Blvd. north of Adams that were once part of Mission Cliff Gardens and worked with UHCDC to treat them for the palm-killing weevil.
The University Heights cobblestone and ostrich monuments at the entry points of UH, as well as the banners that hang from the decorative lights in the northern part of UH are also thanks to UHCDC.
The University Heights Park, Recreation, and Open Space Advisory Group (also known as the UH Park & Rec Council) was created by UHCDC and provides community input to the City’s Parks & Recreation Department for Old Trolley Barn Park, the Birney Joint Use Field, and The Point open space area. This group was also instrumental in bringing the San Diego Unified School District and City together to create the temporary off-leash dog park – and continues to advocate for an even larger one when the Brucker Education Center is redeveloped.
“We founded the UHCDC to foster investment and development in University Heights, and our successes in increasing parking, making our neighborhood brighter and cleaner, and helping identify our neighborhood through the Birney Art Gate, Information Kiosk at the park, and the cobblestone markers,” said UHCDC Executive Director Chris Milnes. “Our dedicated all-volunteer board has worked tirelessly to meet our mission to ‘secure a safe and aesthetic environment for residents and foster business development in our commercial areas.’ This synthesis of community and business has turned UH into a magical place with all the optimism of the first morning.”
The two organizations – along with the UH Historical Society – work collaboratively as the Community Coalition of University Heights to amplify the voice of UH on important issues like the Brucker Education Center redevelopment and the recent attempt of an outside firm to establish a competing (and much more expensive) MAD in the southern part of UH.
Whether you’ve lived here for years or just moved in, you should know that UHCA and UHCDC are working together to improve UH.
There are many social media accounts that focus on our great neighborhood, but there is only one official, verified UH account which you should follow at @universityheights_sdcommunity to keep up to date on community activities! Learn more about these organizations by visiting their websites at uhsd.org and uhcdc.org.