Allied Gardens and Grantville are a Microcosm of San Diego

Allied Gardens and Grantville are a microcosm of San Diego.  All are at a crossroad with common challenges ahead.  

We can either move forward in the “same old, same old” ways or as Steve Jobs would suggest,

“Think Different.”

Our communities and San Diego are on inherently firm ground to achieve greatness. To accomplish this we must find a way to reward and celebrate capable experienced leadership, implementable grand vision, unencumbered creativity and a steadfast investment in innovation and technology.  

It’s been awhile since San Diego has been accused of being bold or engaged in a civic accomplishment that beckoned national acclaim.  While we celebrate the city as a hub of science and technological prosperity, the party fizzles the farther south you travel in San Diego.  

An investment in innovation should not be limited to one region or economic sector.  We must tap the well of innovation to attract the innovator to an ideology that home is right here.

A huge challenge -- at all levels of civic engagement --  is that we’re conditioned to find “passing muster” acceptable.  We grab at immediate gratification over the harder to achieve grand or superb outcomes.  We long for inspiration and excitement in all things San Diego but settle for “next time.”

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An argument could be made that we have our own uncelebrated and historical national treasure in our own front yard.  Spanish explorers exploited the natural resources of the San Diego River a full 78 years before the pilgrims ate their first piece of turkey.  Moreover, our river, 52 miles in length, is already esteemed with the title of California’s First River.

Most San Diegans essentially understand our community’s connection to and roots in the San Diego Mission de Alcala.  Lesser known is the Mission’s symbiotic relationship to the San Diego River and the Padre Dam -- the region’s first water dam, which is located 6 miles to the east in present day Mission Trails Regional Park.

A civic masterpiece is woven within the storied history of the river, Mission and dam.   Countless attempts as far back as 1774 were made to harness life from the river and provide a reliable source of water for people, crops and livestock around the Mission.  More than 200 years ago -- in 1813 -- the Padre Dam was constructed to divert water from the San Diego River through a flume system.  The water channel was an engineering marvel and the feat marked a moment in time, anchoring the region as a place to settle.  The aqueduct ran through present day Grantville and Allied Gardens.  It was constructed so well some sections are still standing.

It’s not a stretch to celebrate our community as the birthplace of innovation and advancement in the West.  It’s an opportunity to seize.

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How do we move forward with smart, creative development, honor our rich heritage, and exceed our environmental expectations?

Like an economic light switch, development will come faster than expected.  Rather than react project by project -- seeing each as unique and separate, we must plan for the whole.

San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), the regional agency that forecasts growth, is projecting some pretty lofty numbers for our communities.

Because of our centralized location within the county, job rich land-use zones, existing transportation corridors and proximity to railed transit, and available developable land, we’re set to take on more growth than other communities.  

According to SANDAG, condo and apartment development will climb 417 percent and our population will almost double by 2050 according to their published 2050 Regional Growth Forecast.  At the same time, job growth in our communities is projected to outpace the rest of the region.

Some long-term planning relief may be on the horizon.   The City of San Diego Development Services and Civic San Diego (the city’s former Redevelopment Agency) seem poised to reinvest themselves in a Grantville Master Plan.  It’s been well over a year since the Grantville Stakeholders have convened a meeting, but rumor has it that the next meeting is imminent.

Should boldness, innovation, leadership, vision, and creativity all pull in unison, even OUR neighborhood could be highlighted on a national map.

Next month, I’ll explore how we can boldly step forward.  2050.  It’s closer than you may expect.

Think different.  What’s your grand vision for our community?

I’m Anthony Wagner, President, Allied Gardens Community Council.  We represent the community interests of Allied Gardens & Grantville.  Check out our new website at AlliedGardens.org.  Feel free to call me at 619-253-4989 or write me a note at AnthonyJohnWagner@gmail.com or tweet @AnthonyWagnerSD.