Oversight Board approves Poway’s post-redelopment property plans

By Emily Sorensen

A long-term plan for dealing with municipal and commercial properties once owned by the now-defunct redevelopment agency has been approved by the Oversight Board, with seven commercial properties approved for sale.

The board, which is the successor agency to the former Poway Redevelopment Agency, met Wednesday morning to approve a city-developed plan to deal with 49 properties that were part of the agency’s portfolio. The plan was approved unanimously.

The parcels include floodplain and floodway properties, commercial properties and municipal properties, including Fire Station #3, the sheriff’s substation, the skate park and the Poway Valley Community Garden. Seven of the properties, all commercial, were approved to be sold, and the rest retained either for government use or for future development.

The long-term property management plan, presented to the board by City Manager Penny Riley, Assistant City Manager Tina White and Director of Development Services Robert Manis, as well as Mayor Don Higginson and Deputy Mayor John Mullin, is part of a state-required process that must be completed before Nov. 24. With the board’s approval, the plan will now be submitted to the state for approval or requests for changes.

The commercial properties that were approved to be sold are six properties that the city had at one time hoped to develop into a “town center,” located around the library, three vacant lots and three developed, leased lots, as well as an undeveloped, landscaped area next to the Ramada Inn on Poway Road.

Only one commercial property to be retained for development, a vacant commercial pad adjacent to the Hampton Inn & Suites in the business park, located at 14082 Stowe Drive. The property is contracted with Hampton Inn & Suites to be developed into a high-quality, sit-down restaurant.

Two additional properties, leased to Toyota of Poway, are being retained as well due to enforceable obligations on the Oversight Board’s part.

The Oversight Board approved retaining 22 floodway properties around Poway, which includes mitigation properties, flood zones and an emergency access route for the dead-end on Old Pomerado Road.

The board also approved retaining 17 municipal properties, including Fire Station #3, the sheriff’s substation, the skate park, the Poway Valley Community Garden, Veteran’s Park, the auto storage lot on Kirkham Road and the historic Big Stone Lodge, at 12237 Old Pomerado Road, which is considered a passive historic park.

The board additionally approved retaining the public parking on the west and east sides of Midland Road, used for Old Poway Park, in order to ensure that parking remained free in Poway.

“Free parking is an integral part of our community,” said Oversight Board Chairman Bruce Tarzy, who also voiced concern that if the parking lots were to be sold and converted to payment required by a private company, low-income residents of Poway would no longer be able to enjoy Old Poway Park and the farmer’s market.

The sale of the commercial properties will be continued in subsequent Oversight Board meetings.

Tarzy, a former Poway City Council member and retired city employee Jim Lyon represent the city on the seven-member board. Other members include Lois Fong-Sakai and Tom Scott, representing the county Board of Supervisors; Phyllis Laderman, Palomar Community College District; Dr. David Tam, Palomar Health and Malliga Tholandi, San Diego County Board of Education.