Comment Log Display

June 18, 2010

Honorable Supervisor Roberts:

As the San Diego area representative on the California Air
Resources Board (CARB), you are acutely aware how the statewide
conversations have been shaping up on setting Green House Gas
(GhG) emission reductions targets. Move San Diego is impressed by
SANDAG’s willingness to aim for the highest draft reduction
targets of any MPO, but as the region with the highest per capita
GhG emissions overall, it makes sense for our region to strive for
the largest percent decrease.

Move San Diego would like to see the SANDAG regional GhG target
for 2035 improve upon reductions made in 2020. Unfortunately, the
2035 target proposed by SANDAG is less ambitious than 2020. With
substantial future development set to occur in smart growth areas
your district, we ask that you consider the following points in
justifying ambitious targets for 2020 and 2035.

Strong Targets Will Spur New and More Efficient Construction:

• With strong targets, SANDAG will adopt regional plans that
continue to focus growth, and developers will be likely to pursue
projects exempt from the often time-consuming and costly CEQA
review process.
• Rehabilitation of existing roads and buildings promotes
construction jobs. A comparison of 155 metropolitan areas found
that over a ten year period, areas with focused growth policies
generated nearly $100,000 more per new resident in construction
activity than areas with growth policies that facilitated sprawl or
decentralization.
• Transit Oriented Development around projects such as the
new extension of the Mid Coast Light Rail will have the
opportunity to be developed as Transit Priority Projects with CEQA
exemptions.

Access to New Funding Sources:

San Diego is well poised to lead, making us more competitive for
federal and state funds, and ensuring we use those funds well. The
California Strategic Growth Council will allocate $60 million in
grants to cities, counties and MPOs for planning activities.
Activities consistent with SB 375 are eligible for this funding
putting San Diego in a great place to utilize this resource.
Federally, the new Office of Sustainable Communities is offering
$100 million in Sustainable Communities Planning Grants through an
initiative designed to promote regional planning efforts that
integrate housing and transportation decisions. The City of
San Diego’s Housing Commission is looking at this very closely as
potential means to support new low income housing /transit oriented
development in its work plan. SB 375 has given California a head
start, and an ambitious target now will ensure the San Diego region
increases its lead.

Housing Location Efficiency:

• Market trends show that people want and are willing to pay more
for homes where they can walk or take public transit. A 2007 survey
from the National Association of Realtors shows that 83 percent of
Americans support building communities where
people can walk places and use their cars less.
• This shift to city-centered growth is already happening in
California, and SB 375 will help cities meet this demand. The City
of San Diego will take the bulk of the infill growth projected,
from a total of four hundred thousand units to be developed
throughout the region by 2050. SB 375 provides more certainty and
stronger incentives for developers looking to take advantage of
this trend.
• While there is no silver bullet in the fight against climate
change, compact development is emerging as an important tool in the
climate and energy toolbox.

Transit Supportive Land Uses:

Higher targets will certainly help create more compact infill
developments centered around transit - and that is what transit
needs to be more successful in the region. Our transit systems need
larger percentages of people who can walk easily to fast, modern
efficient transit services. SANDAG’s new Urban Area Transit
Strategy will be greatly supported by keeping ambitious, but
achievable targets in play.

Thank you for taking a leadership role in pushing for ambitious
targets for SANDAG. If you have any questions, please don’t
hesitate to contact me at (858) 204-6545 or
elowe@movesandiego.org.

Sincerely,

Elyse Lowe
Move San Diego
Executive Director