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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1970 07-29 CC MIN138 PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PORT DISTRICT'S MASTER PLAN SAN DIEGO UNIFIED PORT DISTRICT The Public Hearing before the Board of Port Commissioners of the San Diego Unified Port District was called to order by Chairman Ruehle on Wednesday, 29 July 1970, in the City Council Chambers, Civic Center, 1243 National Avenue, National City, California, at 7:30 p.m. COMMISSIONERS present: Bowler, Campbell, Fredman, Purgatch, Ruehle and Williams. Absent: Vestal. STAFF present: Dick, Nay, Patello, and Reupsch. NATIONAL CITY COUNCIL. MEMBERS present: Camacho, Reid, Vaters, and Morgan. Absent: Hogue. National City STAFF present: Foster, Maley, Minogue, Osburn Stockman. Chairman Ruehle introduced former commissioners Larsen and McElfresh present in the audience. MAYOR MORGAN welcomed the Commissioners and Staff of the San Diego Unified Port District to National City. CHAIRMAN RUEHLE announced negotiations with INTERNATIONAL TELEPHONE AM TELE- GRAPH COMPANY have been completed, the lease has been drawn, and is back in New York for signatures, the signed lease will be flown back to San Diego, will be on the Port Agenda and should be completely executed some time in August. CHAIRMAN RUEHLE stated the Board of Port Commissioners met in Imperial Beach and will meet in Chula Vista August 27, for the purpose of hearings on the Master Plan. Mr. Ruehle said members of the City Councils were invited to ask questions and the meeting would be open to questions and communications from the floor. The meeting tonight would focus on National City's tidelands. PORT DIRECTOR NAY explained what has taken place in National City's tidelands and what is planned for its future: the 24th Street Terminal was built with $4,0000000 in bond money, plus $4,000,000 in Federal matching funds, and State money for the small boat launching ramp; a 40,000 sq. ft . warehouse, restrooms for the longshoremen, additional paving, and railroad track exten- sions are planned; a 500' wharf extension will go to bid soon; this will pro- vide 1000' of berthing along the western part of the terminal. Mr. Nay con- tinued a study is being made to determine the feasibility of a container crane at the 24th Street Terminal; if it is found to be desirable, it will be installed. Mr. Nay stated IT&T plant will be constructed on a 40 acre site on the SW portion of the Terminal, they will use part of the wharf although they have intentions of building their own wharf; they will manufacture sub- marine cable which will be shipped from the site; ultimately they will. employ 1500 persons; the industry will be clean and highly technical; the buildings will be airconditioned. Mr. Nay stated IT&T's personnel are looking forward to moving to this area. The Port Director said there have been inquiries from automobile manufacturers and although there is nothing concrete to re- port, they are working on it; there is still land available in National City tidelands and the Port District wants to exercise discretion in its use; they want to make sure they do the right thing in tenanting the property , Mr. Nay mentioned the Maritime Park, the fishing pier and boat launching ramp and said he understood they were getting a great deal of use. MAYOR MORGAN stated his appreciation of the fishing pier and mentioned the gaps in the side railings which are large enough so that small children could fall through. MAYOR MORGAN said he would like to see National City the best City in the State of California; a half million dollars would be spent to put the freeway through to the Port District and there should be a motel or hotel near the fishing pier and boat launching ramp. The Mayor said he was asking the Port District to get into the motel business in National City; there should be 139 restaurants and shops; one of the shops could have Mexican souvenirs and gifts so that people do not have to cross the border for them. MAYOR MORGAN said he was not in favor of much more wharf at the 24th Street Terminal because there had to be warehouses behind them. The Mayor said he was happy about IT&T. VICE MAYOR CAMACHO inquired if there had ever been any consideration of a complement such as this. COMMISSIONER RUEHLE answered wherever private in- dustry has been interested in such a project the District has encouraged them; for example, Ports of Call on Harbor Island; but they required too much park- ing area. PORT DIRECTOR NAY reported he met with the State Division of Highways, the City Managers, and other representatives of the Cities of Chula Vista and National. City in regard to connecting service roads and the bridge in the tidelands area. Mr. Nay said Chula Vista is preparing to make a stronger statement in regard to the need and National City is taking steps to budget for planning; the Division of Highways would like to see monies budgeted but they know the Cities can only budget for one year and they need more time; but they will take it under consideration. Mr. Nay continued the Division of Highways and the Port engineering staffs are trying to arrive at more precise figures for the cost of the bridge; the Division of Highways would like to design the off ramps but they feel they can not unless they have firmer committments from the cities. VICE MAYOR CAMACHO inquired if the Port had any knowledge of IT&Tts feelings about the need for additional service roads. The PORT DIRECTOR said the only way out now is by way of 13th Street or 24th Street. DIRECTOR OP PLANNING STOCKMAN commended the Port District on the boat launch and fishing pier and said she was told the view from that area is beautiful. Mrs. Stockman said National City has taken tremendous strides in upgrading; the Planning Commission recently established a policy of 10' setback with landscaping; requirements for the industrial area have been upgraded so that no metal buildings are allowed in the City, materials for fences have been de- fined and asked if the Port District would give consideration to including these restrictions in the leases on unzoned Port land as well as on 24th Street leading to the pier. Mrs. Stockman said the Council recently gave staff per- mission to work with Scrap Disposal to beautify their property by construction of a block wall and asked if the Port could do the same on the pier so that scrap will be fenced attractively. COUNCILMAN WATERS asked if it would be possible to use dredge from the harbor as fill in a portion of the Redevelopment area. COMMISSIONER RUEHLE stated the dredged material goes through pipes and he did not know how it would be possible to extend the necessary pipes over existing roads to get to the fill area. WAYNE CULVER, member of the National City Planning Commission, was present and said his major points of concern were already answered, but he did have two questions. Mr. Culver said he has been assigned to the 24th Street Ter- minal for the last year and a half and has been aware of the lack of signs to indicate where the boat launching pier is located and asked if directional signs could be installed, Mr. Culver said commercial bait boats fish in the narrow channel at the boat launching site, often there are two bait boats in that area, and when boats are launched they have to stop to avoid the bait boats before they can proceed into the bay. COMMISSIONER RUEHLE said this was something that should be taken care of; they would get to that right away. EDITH SHERMAN, Manager, National City Chamber of Commerce, was present and spoke of the need for directional signs for the boat launching site and the fishing pier. Mrs. Sherman also asked if maps of the area could be published. COMMISSIONER RUEHLE invited comments from the Port Commissioners. 140 COMMISSIONER CAMPBELL said he had no specific come r ts, everything was pretty well aired tonight; he thought these meetings should continue in the future. COMMISSIONER FREDMAN said he would like to re-emphasize the Port is upgrading the Master Plan and the Mayor's idea of motel and shops was good; the City should tell the Port District where they think this should be located; hope- fully this would be included in the new Master Plan; it could attract private investors to come to the Port. MAYOR MORGAN said the City will work on this and get something to them. COMMISSIONER FURGATCH said he had nothing to add. COMMISSIONER BOWLER said this was like old hone week and related how in the early days of the Port District when they had no money National City's mayor presented them with a check for $35,000. MRS. STOCKMAN asked how soon they planned to upgrade the Master Plan. COMMISSIONER RUEHLE said they were going to the cities, they would meet in Chula Vista on August 27 and there would be hearings in San Diego. Mrs. Stockman said the City is updating its General Plan and would like to work closely with the Port. DIRECTOR OP PLANNING STOCKMAN inquired about the ice plant. PORT DIRECTOR NAY said the plans were to complete the facilities at the ice plant; some day they would be able to handle produce from El Centro and the Imperial Valley; at the present time the military have pre .empt ed the use of refriger- ated ships. COMMISSIONER RUEHLE thanked the City for having made the Chambers available and thanked those who attended. The hearing closed at 8:45 p.m. Ione Minogue, City erk of the City of National City, California 1