August 2010 UPDATE!

Carmel Valley Community Planning Board Approves
Revitalization of Flower Hill Promenade

In a move which brought cheers from residents and business-owners alike, the Carmel Valley Community Planning Board yesterday gave approval to a proposed revitalization of the community’s Flower Hill Promenade shopping center. The majority of the Board expressed their support for the project, with 11 of the 14 members present voting in favor of approving the improvements to Flower Hill.Whole Foods Market

 

View from parking lot of proposed new Whole Foods Market at revitalized Flower Hill Promenade.

 

 

“The decision of the Carmel Valley Community Planning Board carries a lot of weight, as its members are also members of the community in which this project will be completed,” said Jeffrey Essakow, president of Protea Properties, the company which owns Flower Hill Promenade. “With their approval, we can continue the process of moving forward and giving this shopping center the much-needed improvements for which this community has been waiting.”

The proposed revitalization will give a facelift to the existing mall and its collection of unique boutiques and locally-owned shops. In addition, it will add a Whole Foods Market, a courtyard for community gathering and additional office and retail space.

Residents from the main housing development near the Flower Hill Promenade -- which would be most affected by the project -- came out to the meeting to show their support. Neighbors from the Spindrift community of 144 homes emphasized the benefits of the project to their community, including opportunities to shop and work close to home and boosting the local economy through tax revenues.

“We support this project 100 percent,” said Horace Dietrich, president of the Homeowners’ Association for the nearby Spindrift community. “We initially had some concerns about how this project would impact traffic near and around our homes, but the Protea team worked with us for several months to resolve the issue. They satisfied our concerns so thoroughly that our HOA Board has voted unanimously to support the revitalization of Flower Hill.”

Of particular concern was the City of San Diego’s proposed realignment of Flower Hill Drive, a street which Spindrift residents use to enter their community which is also a main artery into Flower Hill Promenade. Both Protea and the homeowners support a “no realignment” option to mitigate traffic concerns. In their recommendation, the Planning Board said they would make “no realignment” a condition of their approval of the project, as well as recommending a series of other improvements to refine the project in their motion of approval.

The Planning Board will next send their recommendations to the San Diego City Planning Commission and the San Diego City Council.

In order to accommodate the proposed grocery store, the existing 14,000 square foot movie theater would be eliminated.Overall Site Plan

 

 

Proposed
site plan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please contact Rose Jabin for inquiries or additional information at 858.481.2904 or submit requests to www.flowerhill.com

PREVIOUS UPDATES

NOVEMBER 2009 UPDATE: FLOWER HILL PROMENADE SUMMARY SHEET

Project Description:
The property currently supports a total of 112,116 square feet of commercial uses including shops, restaurants, a movie theater, and a gas station. The existing shopping center would be modified to include:

  • A Whole Foods Grocery Store totaling 35,000 square feet.
  • Additional retail space totaling 8,754 square feet.
  • Office space totaling 28,927 square feet.
  • A multi-level parking structure.
  • A new alignment for Flower Hill Drive to improve traffic movements on San Andres Drive.
  • Improvements to the main entrance at Via de la Valle and improved traffic flow through the center.
  • Landscaping enhancements.

In order to accommodate the proposed grocery store, the existing 14,000 square foot movie theater would be eliminated.

  • Total Building Area: 173,111 square feet
  • Total Required Parking for Expansion and Existing Project: 866 spaces (The project will provide at least that many.)

Project Goals:

  • Provide a conveniently located, high-end/specialty food market to serve an unmet need in the local community.
  • Provide office space opportunities for residents of the local community to work close to where they live and provide services for the community.
  • Expand and enhance the variety of goods and services offered to the community allowing residents to shop closer to home.
  • Improve parking by providing additional spaces to make it easier for customers to use the shopping center.
  • Promote sustainable development principles by expanding the activities within the shopping center to allow opportunities to work as well as shop in the same development.
  • Provide additional job opportunities.
  • Implement planned access improvements.

Project History and Community Input:

  • 1980s: The project contained approximately 152,000 square feet with the garden center.
  • 2004: The original 2004 plan proposed 264,356 square feet of retail, restaurant, theater, and grocery uses as well as 25 housing units.
  • 2005: After continued community input, a revised proposal was completed which removed the housing units and included a total of 237,864 square feet of office, retail, and theater uses. The proposal also included a parking structure and improvements to the south entrance on Via de la Valle.
  • 2007: The public continued to express concern over the expansion and associated potential traffic, aesthetics, noise, light pollution, crime, and impacts to the San Dieguito River Valley.
  • 2009: The current project has been significantly reduced in size relative to the 2004 and 2005 project plans. The current proposal includes 173,111 square feet of retail, storage, office, and grocery uses.

Environmentally Responsible Approach to Design:
The project will implement several green building standards such as:

  • Installing a water filtration system for storm drains
  • Minimizing the use of turfv
  • Installing a “cool roof” to minimize heat gainv
  • Utilizing thermal efficient glazing/fenestration systems
  • Limiting hours of operation for outdoor lighting
  • Installing efficient lighting and cooling systems, appliances and equipment, and control systems
  • Utilizing water-efficient landscapes and irrigation systems;
    • Providing storage areas for recycling
  • Providing tenant and consumer education regarding recycling
  • Requiring landscape companies to recycle or mulch green waste to the greatest extent possible
  • Recycling building materials.

Required Approvals:
Coastal Development Permit, Lot Line Adjustment, Certification of the Environmental Impact Report, National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permits, Grading Permit, Public Improvement Permit, and Building Permits.

FLOWER HILL PROMENADE RELEASES DETAILS OF RENOVATION REDESIGN

Protea Properties, owner of Flower Hill Promenade at Interstate 5 and Via de la Valle, has released details of the renovation plan it intends to submit to the city of San Diego shortly. The plan shows significant reduction in square footage and overall scale from an earlier version discussed with the community in 2005 and 2006.

“We’re very excited to share with the community the work we’ve done over the past few years to shape the new Flower Hill Promenade into a lifestyle center they will be proud to visit and enjoy,” said Protea President Jeffrey Essakow.
“We’ve made major changes in a number of elements that directly reflect input from the many meetings we’ve held since 2003 with neighbors, homeowners associations, planning boards and environmental groups,” Essakow added.

The latest plan reflects a reduction in size of more than 74,000 square feet, from a total of 246,000 square feet (in the 2005 plan) to just over 171,000 square feet and represents about 63,000 square foot net increase from the existing center. At the same time, parking will increase to 938 spaces to accommodate the new office and retail space. The reduction in size and mass will also result in a reduction in traffic impacts. Ingress and egress at both center entrances will be modified and the main entrance expanded in an effort to improve traffic flow in the area surrounding the shopping center.

Whole Foods Market has signed on as a major new tenant for the Promenade and will provide the type of gourmet market that is needed in this area. Protea has received positive feedback from community members who have enthusiastically embraced the idea of a Whole Foods Market. In response to strong community desire to maintain this amenity, the Mobil gas station on the southeast corner of the property will remain.

“We feel the new plan is more in keeping with the character of the existing center and resolves many of the issues that were brought to us by various individuals and groups in the community. We appreciate the continued support and input from our neighbors. I would like to invite the community to join us for a Development Open House at Flower Hill Promenade on Sunday, April 27, 2008 from 1PM to 4PM. Our consultants will be available to answer any questions regarding the project,” offered Essakow.


* Whole Foods Market coming to Flower Hill Promenade
* Saying Goodbye to UltraStar Cinemas