Change is coming to University City, and Janay Kruger, chair of University City Community Planning Group, has some good advice for the locals: “Stay positive and be patient.” Barry Bernstein, president of the University City Community Association, knows this: The community will face the perfect storm – traffic, building and congestion – yet he remains optimistic and is mindful of public safety. When Mayor Kevin Faulconer spoke to the community in October of 2014, he talked about “fast response squads” in regard to fire service until a permanent fire station is built in South University City. Bernstein and Kruger are working to overcome the growing pains that this change will bring, and they do it as extraordinary volunteers in critically important positions. The planning group handles all the land use projects and monitors all the construction in the Golden Triangle and advises City Council accordingly. The expansion of Westfield UTC will be one of a dozen projects in the next three years. “It feels as though the whole community will be under construction,” Kruger says, “and the [planning group] board members must act as ambassadors so it is not overwhelming for the residents.” When the trolley comes around in about 2019, a system of public/private shuttles and the Super Loop will link up with the trolley and get cars off the road. The community will look different, with visual impacts, more urban. Super Loop carries 10,000 or 11,000 people a day now. UCSD shuttles are busy. Public projects include a fire station in North University City, looking for a station site in South University City and on the UCSD campus, finishing the Super Loop and building six stations for the trolley. Groundbreaking took place Feb. 6 on the I-5/Genesee Avenue interchanges. This will take three years to complete and will replace the six-lane bridge with a ten-lane bridge. Freeway access ramps will be widened, with an auxiliary lane in each direction on I-5 between Genesee Avenue and Roselle Street. A bike path will connect Sorrento Valley Coaster station to UCSD. A park and ride at Nobel Drive and I-805 will also be built. “If we build it, they will come,” as the saying goes, but where will they sleep? Private projects include two residential venues (Monte Verde and La Jolla Crossroads condo projects) and six scientific research facilities, including expansion of bioscience center Illumina. Next year, UCSD will build two scientific buildings on campus. Three shopping centers will be expanded: Westfield, La Jolla Shops and Costa Verde. In South University City, two proposals are being considered, featuring a 10-lot subdivision on Regents Road and 18 apartments for La Jolla East Apartments on Genesee. Good news comes in the form of job creation. According to the state Department of Transportation, there are 130,000 jobs available, and more jobs are being produced. Research and staff at UCSD will equal 20,000, with 30,000 students enrolled. The 110,000 private jobs are in every sector. While Kruger brings a professional background as a consultant in the city process, some things do keep her awake at night. “Neighbor against neighbor” issues cause insomnia. For example, 100 people show up at a planning group meeting in favor of a stop sign at Stresemann and Bothe. Another 100 show up in opposition to the stop sign. Her job is to negotiate a solution: “‘We hear you. Can we try it six months? If it isn’t working, we’ll remove it.’ I tell developers to make nice with the neighbors, keep them informed.” Kruger is also expected to attend community planning commission meetings once a month. With 42 planning groups, the chairs discuss citywide issues. Kruger attends District 1 community leader meetings once a month plus groundbreaking projects in other communities, and she serves on the Northern Division police captain commission in her spare time. She credits her planning group board members and is proud of the very low turnover rate: “We respect each other.” Kruger and Bernstein agree that the police and fire go far beyond the call of duty in this community (fire station 35 conducts more than 5,000 runs a year). Both leaders also have enormous amount of paper work, emails and telephone duties, but they get joy out of the work they do for the community. Kruger is effusive in her comment: “I love UC and the quality that goes on.” Bernstein is modest about his success as volunteer head of University City Community Association, which serves South UC. He has doubled the membership in three years. The popular monthly newsletter (universitycitynews.org) is delivered by volunteers to all homes and many businesses in South UC. He has attracted a large crowd at monthly board meetings at UC library, which is being considered for expansion. Many city representative flock to community association meetings to hear firsthand concerns. The Wednesday, April 15 meeting, at 6 p.m., will feature an update on the planned expansion of UTC and the Midcoast Trolley elevated rail line down Genesee. Where does community association membership money go? “UCCA financially supports school activities and community events like the Fourth of July UC Celebration and summer concerts,” Bernstein explains. “I am particularly pleased with a really viable Neighborhood Watch program in conjunction with SDPD and Buy Local.” He credits board members Barbara Gellman and Diane Ahern for their efforts. Funds are derived from membership dues and newsletter advertisements, he says. (Check Buy Local on the UCCA website.) Amid the aging of Standley Park, Bernstein is excited about a new group, “Imagine UC 2020.” It’s designed to improve the quality of life by upgrading Swanson Pool, putting in a track on the perimeter of the park and building a pavilion/stage for concerts. Go to improveUC.org for more information. Two fine leaders have planted their hearts in University City, with Kruger living in North UC for 17 years and Bernstein residing in the same South UChome for 48 years. With sweeping change coming to the Golden Triangle, the local planning group and community association have the right leadership at the right time.