Working with Others to Achieve Shared Goals
By Troy Curnett
President, Mission Hills BID; Broker/Owner, One Mission Realty
If you are reading this you are likely to either live in Mission Hills; or work in Mission Hills; or enjoy spending time in Mission Hills. Or perhaps you are lucky enough to claim all three. I am a business owner in Mission Hills who made a strategic decision to locate my business here 6 years ago. I could not be more pleased with my decision, I love Mission Hills.
I spend most of my waking hours either working as the Owner/Broker of One Mission Realty (at the corner of Ft. Stockton Dr. and Hawk St.) or immersing myself in the matters of the Mission Hills Business Improvement District (BID). Initially I had no idea what the BID was or all the work it does. Then I learned business owners located within predetermined Mission Hills geographic boundaries are members of Business Improvement District as part of the business license fee they pay annually to the City of San Diego. As my curiosity grew, I began attending BID meetings. In 2014 I threw my hat into the ring and was elected to the Mission Hills BID board of directors. The following year I was elected President.
In my role as President of the Mission Hills BID one of my greatest joys is collaborating with other business owners. Each of our BID businesses offers a unique service or product even when they are in the same industry. Together, through discussion and collaboration, our businesses create and enhance our vibrant neighborhood of Mission Hills. Iconic neighborhoods as unique and full of rich character as Mission Hills are scarce in San Diego. The Mission Hills BID performs the important work of pro-actively connecting and collaborating to preserve and enhance all that we currently love and enjoy.
Collaboration offers great possibilities for maximizing what we need to accomplish as we build a sustainable and complete community. Within The National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Main Street Model followed by the Mission Hills BID, we focus on
- Promotions – The Promotions Committee’s goal is to create a positive image that will renew community pride and tell our “Main Street” story to the surrounding region. The idea is to counterbalance cultural and economic forces that could otherwise leave our beloved “main streets” blighted by the effect of urban sprawl to the suburbs and giant shopping malls. Our “main streets” are on West Lewis Street, Reynard Way, International Restaurant Row’s India Street and West Washington Street.
- Economic Development – The Economic Development Committee’s goal is to build a commercial district that responds to the needs of today’s consumers while maintaining the community’s historic character and charm.
- Design – The Design Committee’s goal is getting our “main streets” into top physical shape and creating a safe and inviting environment for shoppers, workers, neighboring residents, and visitors while taking advantage of the visual opportunities inherent in the districts while preserving their classic character.
Business owners in Mission Hills also have a separate voice as members of the Mission Hills Parking Advisory Committee based on their business’s geographic location. The Mission Hills Parking Advisory Committee considers ways to create and implement parking management solutions, including alternative transportation modalities, within the parking impacted areas of Mission Hills and in accordance with the City of San Diego’s guidelines as set forth in City Council Policy #100-18.
Other ways to “Get Involved” with the Mission Hills BID are through events it offers.
Do you have piles of paper you need to safely dispose? We have a solution! The Mission Hills Community Shredding Event is taking place on Saturday, April 2nd from 9:00 – 11:30 a.m. in the Mission Hills Village Center parking lot at 928 Ft. Stockton Drive. Bring your shred-able documents, limit 5 boxes please. This is the 6th annual shredding event sponsored by One Mission Realty.
To celebrate National Bike Month, this year’s iCommute/GO by Bike “Mission Hills Community Bike to Business Ride and Symposium” will occur on Sunday, May 22 starting at 11:30 A.M. We will begin with a bike safety gathering at Mission Hills Fabric Care Center followed by a Guided Bike Ride, Photo Session, and Shopping Contest. The Symposium will take place at Kengina Ascent Real Estate’s Meeting Room. Please join in the day’s events!
There are many different ways to learn more about the Mission Hills BID, its meetings and activities, including our website: MissionHillsBID.com, Facebook: MissionHillsBID, Instagram: MissionHillsSD and Twitter: MissionHillsSD