In late 1988, the San Diego City Council approved BCE Development’s plan to build the 5400-home Miramar Ranch North community. This plan included 658 homes, condos, a four-lane road, and an industrial park on the north shore of Miramar Lake. The condos would be built within 70 ft. of the water’s edge. The Save Miramar Lake Committee, a grass-roots effort led by J. Gary Underwood, was formed to stop the development of the “viewshed” north of the lake. The group gathered the necessary signatures to force a city-wide vote to stop entire project despite the efforts of BCD-hired thugs to intimidate petition workers and signers. After three court efforts failed to invalidate the petition, Ed Struiksma, the district’s councilman who favored project, asked the council to rescind the development agreement. BCE responded that without the council’s approval, they were under no obligation to build the library, fire station, parks, and the badly needed east-west artery to the Poway business park (what would become Scripps-Poway Parkway). Struiksma lost his re-election bid that November. Over the next two years, a compromise was hammered out between BCE, their partner McMillan Communities, and nine different community groups. The industrial park became townhomes, Scripps Ranch Blvd. was moved behind the hills, the home density around the lake was decreased by 54%, and the number of homes in the “viewshed” was reduced from 400 to 80 along the ridgeline. In October 1991, the Save Miramar Lake Committee sent this postcard to all Scripps Ranch residents.
As you stand at this cache site, be sure to admire the peace and quiet of the north shore. And remember, without the fuss those citizens made over 25 years ago, you could be standing in someone's kitchen.