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VOLUME 13 ISSUE 1 Jan. 18 – Feb. 14, 2019
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M IS SION VA LLEY
NEWS BRIEFS
THIS ISSUE B FEATURE
Building better fitness
An artist rendering of the entry to the proposed Witt project (Courtesy The Dinerstein Companies)
Planning group approves Witt
Former bodybuilder starts fitness center with wellness focus. Page 3
B FEATURE
A helping hand
Volunteers of America Southwest opens facility in East Mission Valley. Page 3
B FOOD & DRINK Testing, testing …
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Newly released book details the First United Methodist Church of San Diego’s history
Grantville kitchen creates new recipes for restaurant group. Page 7
B ALSO INSIDE
See NEWS BRIEFS page 2
Church celebrates 150 years Cynthia Robertson
Politics Community Opinion Business Classifieds Lifestyle
On Jan. 9, The Mission Valley Planning Group voted unanimously to approve the Witt housing project. The mixed-use project will be built in the over 5-acre parcel that currently houses the Witt car dealership at 588 Camino Del Rio North. The Witt project is being built by The Dinerstein Companies, who recently completed the Millennium Mission Valley project on the property adjacent to the Witt property,
Like Millennium, the Witt project will be a mix of studios and one- and two-bedroom apartments in five-story buildings wrapped around courtyards. There will be a total of 277 housing units, 10 of which are live/work “shopkeeper units,” said Dinerstein partner Josh Vasbinder. In addition to the dwelling units, there plan calls for 6,000 square feet of retail space and 3,600 square feet of commercial space. The project will also be heavy on sustainability. “We’ve got solar panels essentially covering every square inch of available roof space that we have,” Vasbinder said. Amenities include rooftop decks, a pool area, a dog park and a classic courtyard space. Next step for the project is a vote at the Planning
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Editorial / Letters (619) 961-1969 jeff@sdcnn.com
Every day, thousands of drivers pass through Mission Valley on Interstate 8. Perched high on a hill above the freeway is the First United Methodist Church of San Diego (FUMCSD). It sits like a sentry over the city. Inside the light-filled sanctuary, the faint sound of traffic can still be heard, a constant reminder that the church has remained in the heart of the city, even from its humble beginnings one and a half centuries ago. This year, the church will celebrate its 150th anniversary with a series of special events.
There will be a book launch on Jan. 30 by Krista Ames-Cook, author of “Images of America: First United Methodist Church of San Diego.” Over the course of nearly four years, even as she worked full-time, Ames-Cook wrote the book, which began as a mere concept in 2014 when the church was celebrating the 50th anniversary of its Mission Valley location. She used vintage photographs from local archives, including the church’s collection. The book is also an intriguing story of how San Diego has changed in the past 150 years. See CHURCH page 2
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Krista Ames-Cook in the sanctuary of First United Methodist Church of San Diego, about which she wrote a book on its history to commemorate the church's 150th anniversary in San Diego. (Photo by Cynthia Robertson) San Diego campus 2020 Camino Del Rio North Suite 900 San Diego, CA 92108
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