By Megan Burks<\/span>
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Every day, some 6,400 motorists rattle down Chollas Parkway in the City Heights area. To the north are a few small industrial lots, and to the south is a creek.<\/p>\n

This week the San Diego City Council approved zoning changes that would allow parkland there instead. Residents say it’s sorely needed.<\/p>\n

“Our neighborhood is about 87 percent deficient in parks,” said Laura Riebau, chair of the Eastern Area Communities Planning Committee<\/a>. “That means we have 13 percent of the parks that we should have for the population.”<\/p>\n

The city would carve out an alternative route for motorists by extending Lea Street between 54th Street and University Avenue.<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\nAn undated city rendering proposes a mixed-use village and park for the area between University Avenue, 54th Street and Chollas Creek. | Courtesy of the City of San Diego<\/span><\/p>\n

The zoning changes also clear the way for a mixed-use village. Residents and city planners envision homes and shops<\/a> atop the expansive strip mall that’s there now. The retail center long sat vacant before asupermarket<\/a> and department store recently came in.<\/p>\n

And a preliminary design would improve conditions for pedestrians and cyclists at the adjacent intersection. It’s one of the city’s most dangerous<\/a>, because cars making right turns don’t have to slow or stop.<\/p>\n

But this week’s City Council vote doesn’t mean crews will break ground anytime soon. The park and village don’t have full funding.<\/p>\n

Riebau said the city and planning group are aggressively seeking state environmental grants to fund the park, and that a private developer would likely have to take on the village.<\/p>\n

“All we have is like a place-setting for a project,” Riebau said. “But after changing the zone, hopefully someone will be able to come in and make what they want to develop there happen more easily.”<\/p>\n

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By Megan Burks Every day, some 6,400 motorists rattle down Chollas Parkway in the City Heights area. To the north are a few small industrial lots, and to the south is a creek. This week the San Diego City Council approved zoning changes that would allow parkland there instead. Residents say it’s sorely needed. “Our […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,922,4],"tags":[513,2050,204,1630,934,556,2051,841,1080],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-12633","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-featured","category-land-use-main","category-news","tag-54th-street-and-university","tag-chollas-parkway","tag-land-use","tag-park-shortage","tag-parks","tag-pedestrian-safety","tag-redwood-village","tag-university-avenue-and-54th-street","tag-university-avenue-mobility-plan"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n