DEL MAR MESA PLANNING BOARD

Lisa is an elected member of the Del Mar Mesa Planning Board. The board advises the San Diego Planning Commission and the San Diego City Council on planning and land use issues in the unique Del Mar Mesa area.She participated in the city planning process that resulted in a clustered community plan that maximizes endangered open space, creates 10 miles of horse and hiking trails, preserves the historic rural feeling and uses native landscaping.

SR56 press conference: from right: Supervisor Pam Slater, Sen. DeDe Alpert; Hon. Barbara Warden; Chair Lisa Ross; Dep Mayor Harry Mathis; Assemblymembers Susan Davis and Howard Wayne

Started in 1997 by Lisa Ross and representatives of the communities of Carmel Valley and the the I-15 corridor, the Task Force advocated for a complete State Route 56 which includes funding for the presently missing connectors from SR56 to I-5 and I-15. The Task Force successfully lobbied for $20 million in funds to complete the 6 mile highway that took over twenty years to finish. The Task Force also set the wheels in motion for a direct northbound connector from SR56 to I-5, completing a Value Analysis Study with CalTrans.

Chair: Lisa Ross
Vice-Chair: Anne Harvey

FOUNDINGBOARDMEMBERS

Carmel Mountain Preserve is the all- important linkage between Torrey Pines State Park, Los Penasquitos Lagoon and Los Penasquitos Canyon--now preserved, these areas are an integrated wildlife system representing five Southern California habitats.

Carmel Mountain Preserve was the result of a historic vote in 1998 that ended a decade long struggle to save 400 acres of rare southern maritime habitat from development. With the passage of Proposition M, the result of an 18 month negotiation with 19 property owners, over 1300 acres of pristine open space, including Carmel Mountain,  was deeded to the public at no taxpayer cost. Lisa Ross chaired the first Friends of Carmel Mountain Preserve board.           

CARMEL VALLEY PLANNING BOARD

Lisa served three terms as an elected member of the Carmel Valley Planning Board during the most intensive build-out of San Diego's largest master planned community now home to over 40,000 people. During her tenure, the board was able to prevent big-box shopping centers, return $20 million in misappropriated monies to the community facilities fund, reverse poor transportation planning and to protect valuable open space and trail systems against several attempts to change the community plan.   

The prestigious San Dieguito School district allowed its once lauded music program to languish, then be eliminated, insisting there was not interest in music among the student body.. For several years, parents tried in vain to convince the district to change the policy. Lisa guided a public relations program to put pressure on the district, forming the organization FAME with a group of parents and widely respected music educator, Libby Scott. In May 1999 the school board allowed Libby and Lisa to do a demonstration music project that would give kids the option of using a marching band class for PE credit. In September, the swing marching band Byrds of Prey openned for business with the help of the Boys & Girls which provided the facilities for over 300 students. It ran successfully for a year when the district began its own music program.