SAN YSIDRO COMMUNITY PLANNING GROUP

The San Ysidro Community Planning Group (SYCPG), established in 1967 as the "San Ysidro Planning and Development Group" is one of the longest continuously operating of the 40+ land use planning groups in the City of San Diego, California. "Community planning groups," or just simply “planning groups,"  in San Diego are formed to advise the City Council, Planning Commission, City staff, and other governmental agencies on land use matters, specifically, concerning the preparation of, adoption of, implementation of, or amendment to, the City-wide General Plan, which includes a specific land use plan for each of the city's communities and neighborhoods, when it relates to the each community's boundaries. Generally speaking, planning groups provide advisory guidance on land use matters within their respective communities, and also on those issues that have city-wide significance.

CPGs are volunteer citizens’ organizations. They are not agencies within the city government. They are not decision-making or legislative bodies – instead they function in an advisory capacity to the decision-makers. To receive recognition by the City of San Diego, each planning group must follow Council Policy 600-24  (Standard Operating Procedures and Responsibilities of Recognized Community Planning Groups) and must have approved operating procedures -- commonly called bylaws.

All meetings must be open to the public and must allow for public comment.  Membership or other fees cannot be charged as a condition of participation. The CPG as a body is not allowed to participate in partisan political activities or endorse political candidates.

The SYCPG has 15 representatives elected by the general membership. The general membership requirements are contained in the bylaws. There is no membership fee. Elections are held biannually for a portion of the seats. The group itself elects a Chairman, Vice Chairman, and Secretary.

The San Ysidro Community Plan area is approximately 1600 acres. The general description of the plan area is: Interstate 905 to the north; Interstate 5, Dairy Mart Road, and Camino De La Plaza to the west; the Tijuana River Levee and international border between the United States of America and the United Mexican States on the south; and, to the east, portions of the hillsides of Otay Mesa.

Meetings for the regular conduct of business are open to the public, and held on the third Tuesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. The meeting location is usually at the Governing Board Meeting Room, San Ysidro School District Education Center, 4350 Otay Mesa Road (north of Beyer Blvd) in San Ysidro, California, or as announced in an Agenda for the meeting. This is approximately 17 miles south of downtown San Diego, and one-and-a-half miles north of the international border with Mexico.