Wednesday, May 16, 2007 | The Sunroad fiasco confirms the worst fears of those of us who worried that Mayor Jerry Sanders would conduct business as usual at City Hall. The latest information published in voiceofsandiego.org, The San Diego Union-Tribune and the Blog of San Diego, in aggregate, paint a picture of incompetence and cronyism in the Development Services Department dating back to 1997.
At the center of the storm is Marcella Escobar-Eck currently the director of Development Services who has made nonsensical findings on the Sunroad development since its inception. She seems to believe one twelve story building is in substantial conformance with original plans for two six story buildings in the proximity of an airfield.
However, Jim Waring, the mayor’s land use czar sat on his hands even though the FAA objected to Sunroad. He still has not taken any action to enforce the city’s stop work order. He has a lot to answer for.
Then there is the forgetful mayor himself who took $3,600 in bundled checks from Sunoad chairman Aaron Felman and other executives without even knowing.
This episode is so similar to the way Corky McMillan conducted business in this city that Don Bauder’s assertion that “Sanders is Susan Golding in drag” seems the dismal truth.