By Fang Lin
Since people first moved in to Carmel Valley in the late 1970s, our little town has developed into a wonderful community of families, professionals and retirees who treasure living in this coastal region. One Paseo, the proposed project for the last vacant site in the center of the community, will make great use of this undeveloped parcel, with a place for people who live here in Carmel Valley to socialize, shop, eat and for lucky few, even move into one of the residential units. No place else in our community has this type of public green space and plaza or a pedestrian experience. It just makes sense for Carmel Valley.
Our planning commissioners said it best at the October hearing on One Paseo — that One Paseo is the type of design we need more of to meet the goals for smart growth in our city’s general plan. It will help reduce the short car trips that define our existence in Carmel Valley, where all of the uses are separated and everything is oriented toward driving. With the enhancements to the sidewalks and pedestrian and bike experience on the roads in front of One Paseo, you could actually picture people walking from nearby neighborhoods to the shops and restaurants in One Paseo. And the number of people living and working there in a more concentrated area might facilitate the return of the bus line to our area, which already has a thriving office corridor. Allowing people to live near where they work, or to use mass transit to get to and from work, makes sense and is the right direction for our city.
Of course the project has seen some opposition. Recently, it was revealed that the owners of the Del Mar Highlands Town Center shopping center, located across from the One Paseo site, had spent in excess of $1.2 million to fight One Paseo. The stories finally exposed what many of us already believed — that lobbyists and lawyers were behind the opposition and simply employing political campaign scare tactics, like One Paseo turning Carmel Valley into downtown high-rises, nothing can be further from the truth.
I’m not suggesting nobody truly opposes One Paseo, of course. There are residents who don’t want any change, and they’re entitled to their opinion. But it must be considered that perhaps some local folks who don’t support One Paseo are simply working with bad information fed to them by PR people who are not working for the good of the community, but for the benefit of a competing shopping center, very thriving nevertheless, that wants to make sure no more retail is built in Carmel Valley. That, too, just makes sense.
Like so many others in our community, I don’t want to see just another office building or strip mall with a sea of asphalt — neither will make our community more appealing or boost the value of our homes.
In order for San Diego to retain its status as a world-class city, we must develop and plan with a long-term vision. One Paseo is a sensible, detailed neighborhood plan that provides an alternative to urban sprawl, with additional housing options, and top-notch conservation elements within its design.
The developers behind One Paseo have done a great job in conceptually designing a town center that helps to fill the final void in our community. It has come a far way since its inception, and I truly feel that the project now meets the needs of Carmel Valley and the City of San Diego.
I am proud to lend my support to One Paseo, a smart-growth project that will provide immense benefits in the short and long-term. I join the Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Move Alliance, the San Diego County Bike Coalition and thousands of San Diegans in urging the City Council to approve One Paseo. It just makes sense.
Fang Lin is a retired Navy Captain and medical doctor, specializing in allergies and immunology, who has lived in Carmel Valley since 2000.
