By Shain Haug | Allied Gardens Grantville Community Council

The largest parcel of the city’s real estate that remains for development is the SDCCU Stadium and the surrounding parking lot. The Allied Gardens Grantville Community Council (AGGCC) town hall meeting on Tuesday, May 22, at 6:30 p.m. at the Benjamin Library (Zion Avenue and Glenroy Street) will offer an analysis of the competing proposals for development of the property. Because this very large property is close to Allied Gardens/Grantville, its future development will impact our neighborhood. Whether property is developed into a combined sports complex, housing development, and river park as proponents of the SoccerCity plan proposes; developed as offered by Friends of SDSU as a west campus for San Diego State; or developed by the city through the long-term planning process, it will add significantly to demands on our community.

Developments envisioned in competing proposals would sharply increase neighborhood traffic. The SDSU West proposal would increase the demand for student housing and the growth of “minidorms” in Allied Gardens/Grantville. This demand combined with the city’s recent easing of regulations regarding the building of “granny flats” has the potential to dramatically change our neighborhood. Given the high stakes of development, it is critical for our residents to learn as much as possible about the competing proposals before they vote on Nov. 6.

On April 7, the Ascension Lutheran Church and the Community Council hosted the first community Arbor Day event at the future site of the Allied Community Gardens at the Ascension Lutheran Church. A special thank you to all the community members who joined us to celebrate with us. It was a fun-filled day to celebrate the more than 60 trees planted by San Diego Urban Forestry along Zion Ave and by planting nine fruit trees in the community garden. The Allied Gardens Benjamin Library participated by providing flower seeds and pots for the kids to take home. Local community members Trip and Emily Frost provided live music for the more than 50 attendees at the festivities. San Diego Urban Forestry with Davey’s Landscaping donated and helped plant the fruit trees while our Allied Community Garden representatives signed up community members for 4- by-10-foot garden beds.

Ascension Lutheran Church continues to be a major supporter of our neighborhood. They are donating the use of a significant portion of their property and are making a major investment of their time and resources to this most valuable project. The Community Council is proud to follow their leadership in this important community endeavor.

There are still garden plots available for the year. Information on how to sign up for a plot is found on the Allied Gardens/Grantville Community Council website, aggccouncil.org.

There is a need for more trees in the community. You can be in the lead by getting free trees on your street. Contact us and we will help you get started. There are different levels of commitment that community members can make, so please send an email to let us know how you are willing to help. You can reach us through our aggccouncil.org; use the “Contact Us” link to send an email. One of our board members will respond to let you know where your help is most needed in getting our urban forest established.

The AGGCC board of directors meets on the first Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the Benjamin Library, at the corner of Zion Avenue and Glenroy Street. Our next board meeting will be on Tuesday, June 5. Join us!

[Jessica Reed, Sophia Frost, Barry Price, and Pat Haug contributed to this article.]

— Shain Haug is president of the Allied Gardens/Grantville Community Council. Reach him at aggccshain@yahoo.com. Visit aggccouncil.org for more information.