Park Station

PARK STATION DEVELOPER PUTS LA MESA HIGHRISE PROJECT ON HOLD

By Miriam Raftery

July 26, 2015 (La Mesa)—The City of La Mesa announced July 15th that the applicant for the Park Station Specific Plan has requested that the proposal not go forward to the City Council at this time. “The project is currently on hold,” the City’s public notice stated. 


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LA MESA PLANNING COMMISSION REJECTS PARK STATION PLAN, BUT APPROVES EIR

Project will advance to City Council

Story and photos by Janis Russell

Photo, left: Sherm Harmer, Urban Housing Partners

May 21, 2015 (La Mesa)- At yesterday’s meeting, the La Mesa Planning Commission voted to deny approval of a revised Park Station plan because of its inconsistency with the general plan and community objectives. The vote was 4-2 with Commissioner Dexter Levy absent.  Next up, the City Council will be asked to decide Park Station’s fate.

This was the developer’s third attempt to win approval.  The plan had been dramatically scaled down from 190 feet in height originally proposed  to a maximum of 75 feet in the latest proposal, though still far over the 46 feet height limit citywide and double the allowable density. The latest plan increased density and added a hotel, but reduced parking. A controversial aspect has been the developer’s effort to  get approval of a specific plan solely for Park Station so that zoning requirements of the historic downtown district and other areas in La Mesa would not apply.  It would have included a “by right” ability to make future changes without city approval, or what critics referred to as a “blank check.”


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PARK STATION REVAMPS PLANS FOR HIGH RISE IN LA MESA

 

A little April Fool’s Day fun.

By Skye High

April 1, 2015 (La Mesa) –After planners twice rejected proposals for an 18-story and 10-story high rise mixed use development at Spring Street and Baltimore Drive in La Mesa, the developers of Park Station have submitted alternative plans  aimed at doing more with less. The new plan will include a vertical cannabis farm, cubicle style hotel, community garden, lounge and rotating restaurant powered by renewable energy.


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LA MESA PLANNERS RECOMMEND DENIAL OF PARK STATION HIGHRISE PLAN

 

 

By Janis Russell

October 2, 2014 (La Mesa)- At yesterday’s La Mesa Planning Commission meeting, where a hearing on the Park Station specific plan was discussed, the planning commission voted 6-1 to recommend that the La Mesa City Council deny the proposed plan because the commission found the 10-story height inconsistent with the city’s general plan.

Before the hearing began, Chair Noah Alvey welcomed Jim Newland, who replaced Harold Bailey as commissioner.

This hearing drew a crowd that spilled out the doors. Co-applicant South Baltimore LLC replaced the American Legion, which withdrew its support.


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LA MESA PLANNING COMMISSION TO HEAR REVAMPED PARK STATION PLAN OCT. 1

 

September 25, 2014 (La Mesa) –The last hearing on a proposed high-rise development in La Mesa ended in a shocker, when an American Legion spokesman announced his organization was withdrawing its support as a co-applicant of the controversial Park Station at the Crossroads of La Mesa project.


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LA MESA CANCELS PUBLIC HEARING ON PARK STATION AFTER KEY PARTICIPANT WITHDRAWS

 

By Miriam Raftery

July 4, 2014 (La Mesa) – On the heels of the American Legion  backing out of the Park Station proposal, the City of La Mesa announced today that it has cancelled a Planning Commission Public Hearing on the project’s specific plan and environmental impact report that had been slated for July 16. 

The announcement issued by Bill Chopyk, Director of Community Development for La Mesa, specifically states that the hearing is cancelled “due to a change in the application and project description because the American Legion has withdrawn as a co-applicant. A new notice of public hearing will be distributed to interested parties once the specific plan and environmental documents are revised and ready for Planning Commission consideration and further public review.”


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CO-APPLICANT WITIHDRAWS SUPPORT FOR PARK STATION PROJECT AT HEATED HEARING IN LA MESA

 

By Janis Russell; Miriam Raftery also contributed to this report

June 18, 2014 (La Mesa)- An overflow crowd filled Council Chambers and spilled outside at last night’s La Mesa Planning Commission meeting on the controversial Park Station project, a multi-use development proposed at Baltimore and Nebo Drive.  Kitzman, the developer, has scaled down original plans from 18 stories to 11, still well over double the height limit for the area. The new plan also eliminates a park and makes other changes.

Testimony ran on for over to four hours, with 23 speakers opposed and 26 in favor (most from outside La Mesa).  The evening ended with a shocker, when Lenny Guccione, business manager for the American Legion – the project’s co-applicant-- criticized the project as “too big” for the neighborhood, then abruptly announced withdrawal of the American Legion’s support and walked out. 

The announcement stunned planners and project  backers.  A recess was swiftly called, after which Sherman Harmer with Urban Housing Partners admitted the American Legion’s withdrawal came as a “total shock” to the applicant.

The Planning Commission voted 7-0 to close the public hearing and end public input on the project. Following  internal discussion and staff input, a new meeting was scheduled for Wednesday, July 16 at 7 p.m.


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PARK STATION HEARING WEDNESDAY AT LA MESA PLANNING COMMISSION

 

June 16, 2014 (La Mesa) -- On Wednesday, June 18 the La Mesa Planning Commission will hear a request for a proposed “Park Station Specific Plan” and “Final Environmental Impact Report,” a conceptual plan for a 5.23 acre project in the Village which could include commercial and retail space, as well as 416 residential units with an option for a 500 room hotel in lieu of the residential units.

The developer is requesting the properties be removed from the city’s Village Specific Plan and given its own proposed plan, to be called the Park Station Specific Plan.

While scaled down from the original proposal, the current iteration still proposes double the density, up to a little more than double the height limit, and to cut the residential parking by half compared to current requirements as part of the Village Specific Plan.


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PARK STATION SCALES BACK PROPOSAL FOR LA MESA HIGHRISE: DRAFT EIR NOW ONLINE

 

 

By Miriam Raftery

February 2, 2014 (La Mesa) – A Draft Environmental Impact Report for the controversial Park Station at the Crossroads project in La Mesa is now available for public comments and review.

Originally, the developerm Kitzman, had proposed an 18 story highrise. That proposal has been scaled down to lower heights in the EIR, with a low-profile facade but talller buildings stepped up behind.  A tower in one section would soar to 110 feet—or about 11 stories, twice the height of the current 46 foot limit, thus it would require a variance to win approval by the Planning Commission and ultimately, the City Council. 

Despite the changes, the City’s analysis concludes that “no feasible mitigation measures exist to reduce potential impacts to scenic vistas.” 


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LA MESA CITY COUNCIL REQUESTS UPDATE OF PARK STATION PROJECT

 

By Janis Mork

March 27, 2013 (La Mesa)- At yesterday’s La Mesa City Council meeting, Councilmember Ernie Ewin requested an update on the status of the Park Station project, a proposed 18-story mixed use building. 

City manager David Witt asked Bill Chopyk, Community Development Director, to discuss the process. 


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PUBLIC INPUT SOUGHT ON PARK STATION, 18-STORY HIGHRISE PROPOSED IN LA MESA

January 17, 2013 (La Mesa) –The City of La Mesa is nearing completion of a draft environmental impact report on Park Station, a proposed 18-story high-rise project that would be 10 stories taller than any existing structure in the city. 

Before planners and council members weigh in, Urban Housing Partners, marketers of the project have issued a survey, which you can take here: 

http://fluidsurveys.com/surveys/UrbanHousingPartners/la-mesa-community-survey


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RESIDENTS VOICE NUMEROUS CONCERNS ON LA MESA HIGH-RISE PROPOSAL

 

By Kristin Kjaero

December 10, 2009 (La Mesa) – It was a standing room only crowd December 9, as residents gave their input at the Draft Environmental Impact Report and Public Scoping Meeting for Park Stations at the Crossroads of La Mesa, a six-acre, 18-story multiple use project proposed for the Village.


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HIGH RISES IN LA MESA VILLAGE?



City to hold public scoping meeting Wed. Dec. 9 on proposed 18-story project

By Kristin Hobbs-Kjaero


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