The City of San Diego's Infrastructure Impact Program was created in 1993 to minimize the negative impacts on small businesses due to large-scale public improvement projects, such as San Diego Trolley lines, water and sewer upgrades, major road and freeway construction and significant streetscape improvement projects. Program staff devise plans that cater to the respective project issues and needs of the specific business community. Information at the earliest stage of planning the construction project allows staff to advise agencies about concerns of the business community so that impact mitigation can be built into the project from the onset. Information allows merchants to communicate their concerns, participate in the decision-making process, and plan for unavoidable impacts to their businesses. Informing the public about specific project details also helps to lessen negative perceptions of construction areas, mitigating loss of sales to the affected merchants.
Information is disseminated through targeted brochures, flyers, etc.
Adjustments can be made prior to avoidable impacts, saving time and money for the agencies involved and better serving the businesses and the community. Creating Partnerships Bringing together the agencies involved in construction and the affected merchants helps to create a dialogue that is extremely productive. Input by merchants is invaluable, as they often can help mitigate additional problems during construction, such as informing agencies about detours that pose unforseen dangers. By collectively identifying solutions to problems and concerns, costly project delays, possible litigation, and adversarial relationships can be avoided. Policy Development Elevating the importance of impact mitigation has resulted in increased coordination among city departments and other agencies involved in infrastructure projects.