These were the most popular Voice of San Diego stories for the week.
1. Things Are Getting Crazy on the Colorado River
The Colorado River, the source of much of the American West’s economic productivity, essentially functions like a bank. This month, the nation’s largest water agency, the Metropolitan Water District, began what amounts to a run on the bank. (Ry Rivard)
2. Faulconer and SANDAG Unveil Their Airport Transit Vision
Regional leaders will ask the U.S. Navy to let them redevelop the Old Town property currently occupied by SPAWAR into a transit station with a rail connection to the San Diego International Airport. (Andrew Keatts)
Mayor Kevin Faulconer’s proposal to eliminate building height limits near transit stations represents an acknowledgement that previous density decisions contradicted his stated housing and environmental proposals, and signals a new willingness to engage the fight with residents who oppose new housing. (Andrew Keatts)
4. High-Profile Escondido Development Would Bring Only a Fraction of the Units Allowed
The transformation of Palomar Hospital is seen in Escondido as the key to the future growth of the city. The developer that bought the site plans to build only 450 units — one third of what’s allowed there. (Jesse Marx)
5. The Mayor’s State of the City Speech, Annotated
We’ve annotated Mayor Kevin Faulconer’s State of the City speech with context, background and analysis to provide a clearer understanding of what he’s proposing and prioritizing. (Lisa Halverstadt)
6. Politics Report: A New Day for Council Land Use Politics
Members of the San Diego City Council expressed frustration that a six-acre housing development near a planned station on the Mid-Coast trolley line had been scaled down when neighbors raised hell. Council President Georgette Gomez said officials have a responsibility to pursue more density, not less, as the housing crisis unfolds. (Andrew Keatts and Scott Lewis)
7. North County Report: The Head-Spinning Complexity of Moving Nuclear Waste Out of San Diego
The clock is ticking on attempts to find a suitable destination for nuclear waste from the decommissioned San Onofre power station north of Oceanside, and Carlsbad is sending a new representative to SANDAG. (Jesse Marx)
8. Judge Tentatively Rules Against MTS in Border Bus Terminal Fight
In a tentative ruling, a Superior Court Judge ruled against MTS and chastised the agency for the state of a long-distance bus terminal she called confusing, unsafe and haphazard, despite its location just steps from one of the busiest border crossings in the world. (Andrew Keatts)
9. What to Watch for in the Mayor’s State of the City Address
On Tuesday, the mayor will make his state of the city speech, highlighting what he sees as his major accomplishments and laying out his priorities for the remainder of his tenure. These are the main issues we’ll be watching and details we’ll be looking for in the speech. (Lisa Halverstadt, Andrew Keatts, Ry Rivard and Scott Lewis)
10. The Learning Curve: What it Would Take for San Diego Teachers to Strike
As Los Angeles teachers prepare to strike, we spoke with current and former San Diego Unified stakeholders about its most recent strike, back when “Friends” was on TV and “Macarena” was No. 1 on the charts. (Will Huntsberry)