Grantville is a vitally important neighborhood within our community of neighborhoods. 

There are hundreds of businesses within this community, and more than a few of them are fortune 500 companies. Likewise, there are large regional and local companies that boast balance sheets with net worths in the $50–$300 million range. This community hosts still more family owned and operated businesses. And this community is home to families too. 

According to a mix of government and realtor websites referenced in authoring this article, the estimated population of Grantville is just over 8,500 people in 3,700 households – Just over 2/3rds of those households are renters. 

Not long ago a sizable part of Grantville was designated a Transit Priority Area (TPA) due to its proximity to the trolley and MTS (city bus) lines. 

This designation has allowed a number of high-density residences to be built (despite the community plan) and still more are planned. This means not only will density increase in this community, but businesses will have an even greater chance for growth in type and volume. On balance, it is an exciting time for Grantville. 

But growth must be managed to reach community goals or growth can be its own worst enemy – this is where the community councils I wrote about last month again become important. 

The Navajo Community Planners Inc. (NCPI) board is made up of a group of 16 members of four persons from each of its communities: Grantville, Allied Gardens, Del Cerro, and San Carlos. 

This group is recognized by the city of San Diego as representing the Navajo communities for planning and land use concerns such as infrastructure priorities, parks, and streets. Anytime a building project is proposed that doesn’t quite fit neatly into the community plan, building codes, zoning or other land uses, the city can elect to refer the project to the Navajo Community Planning Group (CPG) for review and recommendations for changes or approval – the city has the final say on whether projects move forward, but input from the NCPI board has always been heard if it was asked for.

At present there are two vacant Grantville seats on the NCPI board – in March 2025, there will be three. Those seats can be filled by residents, or businesses based in Grantville. You do not have to own property; you just have to live (or run your business) in Grantville. If you care about Grantville, this is an opportunity to act in your community. 

Grantville and Allied Gardens have a strong voice on the NCPI board. In large part the strength of this voice comes from how much these two communities share: A common library, recreation center, large park, and a common community council the Allied Gardens/Grantville Community Council (AGGCC). Right now, the Grantville seats on the Navajo planners board are occupied by business members, but as the number of renters increases in Grantville, that demographic needs more representation on both the AGGCC and the NCPI board. 

We hope you’ll roll your sleeves up and join in. You can take part in one or both of these groups as their interests and efforts are closely aligned, many of the AGGCC members are or have been on the Navajo planners board. 

To learn more about the Navajo Community Planners, Inc. open the NCPI website at: https://navajoplanners.wordpress.com/. 

To find out more about the Allied Gardens/Grantville Community Council open the AGGCC website at: http://aggccouncil.org/. While you are there go to the “Contact Us” page and send us your email address so we can add you to the AGGCC mailing list to ensure you receive notices of meetings and community events.

(Courtesy image)