UNINCORPORATED AREA CREATES ASSOCIATION TO HAVE A VOICE AT SANDAG
By: Jessyka Heredia
December 7, 2023 (San Diego County)—
Tomorrow the newly formed Association of Planning Groups-San Diego County will find out if SANDAG will allow the group, comprised of all 18 Planning Groups in the unincorporated areas, to have an advisory role on the SANDAG board. Currently there is no representation for the unincorporated communities.
Earl Goodnight, a board member from the Boulevard Community Planning Group told ECM, “There are over 500,000 residents in the unincorporated area and so it is a large group of citizens” that need representation. Goodnight states, “There hasn’t been any pushback” so far from SANDAG. He adds, “On the May Board of Supervisors agenda the vote was 4-0 to support the creation of a plan to have a representative from the unincorporated area on the SANDAG Board.”
Robin Joy Maxson is the Chair of the newly formed association and the former Chair of the Ramona Planning Group. ECM reached out to Maxson to get a glimpse into the group’s goals and progress so far. Maxson explained, “Unincorporated area residents should be included in the planning and funding of policies and projects that directly impact their communities and are developed through our regional government association - SANDAG.”
Maxson stated, “SANDAG was not receiving the benefit of direct input from a substantially large proportion of the County population who they serve. The unincorporated area population is second only to the City of San Diego. The solution was to add a new Advisory Board Member representing the unincorporated communities onto the SANDAG Board of Directors. “
The reason the Association of Planning Groups - San Diego County was formed to address this need. All 18 San Diego County Community Planning Groups agenized and publicly voted to join the Association. “This unanimous vote reflected the unity and resolve of the unincorporated communities to partner with SANDAG in the future of their communities” Maxson says.
When asked about specific problems that the unincorporated areas have faced as a result of not having a representative on the board, Maxson explained, “Some of the past and present issues for the rural areas of our unincorporated communities [include] the placement of large solar panel installations, which dramatically change the character and environment of the community. The energy produced from these large installations must travel a long distance to supply the populated areas instead of finding solutions to develop and produce green energy where it is most needed.”
Maxson expressed, “Another, more urgent issue, is wildfire evacuation. The unincorporated area is vast and contains many inadequate evacuation routes. When SANDAG is looking at a flat map it appears that there are many ways a community can exit for evacuation - when in reality these ‘evacuation routes’ are nothing but narrow, curvy, brush and tree lined lanes that would be a death sentence to an exodus of wildfire evacuees. The ‘boots on the ground’ experience and understanding of the unincorporated area is missing from SANDAG,” Maxon said, adding that a vote to add unincorporated community representation is a “step in the right direction.”
Both Goodnight and Maxson were optimistic for SANDAG’s vote on Friday to allow the Association's request for advisory board membership to be approved.
Maxson stated, “The unincorporated area includes suburban neighborhoods along with rural areas. An issue for one unincorporated community may not be a problem for another. Bringing the complete picture of SANDAG's policy and project impacts on unincorporated communities to the Board of Directors will be the goal of the Association. The vote Friday demonstrates SANDAG's commitment to their inclusion and equity mission statement. The Association of Planning Groups - San Diego County commends SANDAG for recognizing the importance and contributions of the unincorporated area residents to the San Diego Region.”