Reduce 13th Street for Bike Lanes, Response to Grand Jury at Meeting Wednesday

Originally published 1:53 p.m. Aug. 21.

The Imperial Beach City Council will meet Wednesday at 6 p.m. Items up for discussion include improvements to Palm Avenue, support of a clean Tijuana River Valley, an official response to a Grand Jury audit and reducing the number of lanes of traffic on 13th Street.

One issue that won't be talked about Wednesday is the future of the city's Sports Park Complex.

Plans to identify a business to take over Sports Park Complex operations have been delayed, said Assistant City Manager Greg Wade. 

An Ad Hoc Committee which includes Councilmembers Bobby Patton and Brian Pat Bilbray and community stakeholders known as the Sports Park Task Force were unable to come to a consensus at a meeting last week to decide the details of a request for qualifications document to submit to city council for approval. 

The issue will be moved to the next city council meeting to take place Sept. 4.

To learn more see agenda item 6.2.

Once details are worked out, proposals will be requested from the Boys & Girls Club of South County or South County Border View YMCA. Negotiations with one of the two may begin in December.

State law requires the city respond to the findings of a San Diego County Civic Grand Jury audit and report. City council will review the 15-page letter Wednesday that rejects most assertions made by the grand jury. Click here to read a full story on the city response.

This is agenda item 6.1.

City council will vote whether to accept a grant to pay for the 13th Street Bikeway Project Wednesday. The project would reduce 13th Street from Palm Avenue to Iris Avenue from four lanes to one lane in each direction with a center turning lane in order to install Class II bike lanes.

The public review period for the project ends Aug. 26. Comments may be sent to City Planner Jim Nakagawa.

"It would be best to have a comment in writing. That way we don't misinterpret anything," Nakagawa said. 

The official public hearing to discuss the bike lane will be held Sept. 4. 

This is agenda item 6.3.

Palm Avenue was reduced from four to two lanes earlier this year to install Ecoroute bike lanes.

The Palm Avenue Commercial Corridor Master Plan was approved by the Imperial Beach City Council in 2008 to improve the streetscape and local economy. 

On Wednesday city staff will request city council allow them to take proposals from contractors to prepare drawings and environmental review related to the Palm Avenue Commercial Corridor Master Plan.

The city received a $400,000 SANDAG grant to do the research. About $100,000 in funding and services from the city.

This is agenda item 6.4. 

in related news, plans to modify Imperial Beach zoning to improve at a Coastal Commission held last week.