In The News
January 24, 2017
Marcela Escobar-Eck Weighs in on Planning for an MLS Stadium and Housing at the Q
Original article appears on Voice of San Diego
A new proposal for the Qualcomm Stadium site includes a $200 million stadium, a river park, student housing and more. It’s unclear whether San Diegans will get to weigh in with a public vote, but there’s no shortage of opinions about how this should play out. We asked local urban planners, architects and community members what they want to see happen to the site.
November 26, 2016
Marcela Escobar-Eck Leads the Team on the Uptown Gateway Council
Original article appears on San Diego Union Tribune
High-rises could be headed toward Hillcrest as a result of the new Uptown Community Plan adopted by the City Council last week. The update to the 1988 land-use plan for the 2,700-acre collection of communities south of Interstate 8 and between Old Town and North Park calls for maxing out at about 32,000 homes and 55,700 people, about the same as envisioned a generation ago. The current population stands at 38,900, living in 23,200 homes, according to San Diego Association of Government estimates.
October 6, 2016
San Diego Planning Commission Votes “No” on Uptown Downzone
Original article appears on KPBS
The San Diego Planning Commission on Thursday rejected a plan to decrease housing density in parts of Hillcrest, Bankers Hill and Mission Hills, signaling an appetite for urbanizing the neighborhoods and adding more housing units.
October 3, 2016
Measure C Debate
Original article appears on Voice of San Diego
One of the biggest crowds at Politifest was at the debate over Measure C, the Chargers’ plan to build a convadium in East Village. City Councilman Chris Cate, architect Rob Quigley and former San Diego Economic Development Corp. CEO Julie Meier-Wright argued against the measure; while Chargers adviser Marcela Escobar-Eck, the San Diego Stadium Coalition’s Jason Riggs and Save Our Bolts’ Thomas Powell made a case for it.
June 24, 2016
“What’s a YIMBY?” Maya Rosas explains.
Original article appears on Voice of San Diego
Two San Diegans are trying to bring a national movement to town in which activists beg cities to build more homes in their neighborhoods, turning on its head the more common “not in my backyard” mentality. They joined the show this week to tell us how it’s going.
March 18, 2016
Inagural Meeting of the City of San Diego Climate Action Plan Implementation Working Group
Original article appears on CBS8
A working group formed to implement provisions of the city of San Diego's plan to address climate change held its inaugural meeting Friday and will soon begin issuing recommendations.
February 25, 2016
Marcela Escobar-Eck Speaks Out Against Down-Zoning in Uptown
Original article appears on San Diego Uptown News
The Uptown Planners have gone “back to the future” by turning down the January revisions to the Uptown Community Plan update and directing city planners to return to the June 2015 version. The volunteer group voted 11-2, with one abstention, on Feb. 16 to reject the latest revisions to the Land Use Element, which encouraged higher density along Uptown’s major transit corridors: Park Boulevard, Washington Street, University Avenue, and Fourth, Fifth and Sixth avenues. Six bus lines provide service to those areas.
January 26, 2016
San Diego’s New Armenian Church Campus Approved by State Coastal Commission
Original article appears on Asbarez
In a historic vote of 11-0, the California State Coastal Commission approved St. John Garabed Armenian Church’s application to build a new church campus near Del Mar, California. The vote was taken on Thursday, January 14, 2016 in the San Diego County Board of Supervisors Chambers. The new campus, which will be built in stages over a period of several years, will include a sanctuary, social hall, education center, library, gymnasium, youth center, Armenian heritage park, picnic and meditation space, and abundant parking.
July 31, 2015
The Stadium Study’s Magically Shortened Timeline
Original article appears on Voice of San Diego
Land use consultant Marcela Escobar-Eck schools us on the technical details of stepping on the gas to get the Chargers stadium’s environmental impact report done.
March 17, 2015
Marcela Escobar-Eck: ‘We Can’t Continue to Grow Out; We Have to Grow Up’
Original article appears on Voice of San Diego
On a special edition podcast, land use consultant Marcela Escobar-Eck gets in deep on some of San Diego’s biggest projects she’s worked on.