The San Diego City Council on July 30 voted 6-2 for a controversial loan package to build 59 affordable rental units in a five-story structure exceeding the 30-foot coastal height limit at a former sushi restaurant site.

Known as Rose Creek Village, the proposed housing site at 2662 Garnet Ave., formerly Wasabi Sushi, is east of Soledad Mountain Road near Rose Creek located in the gateway to Pacific Beach off Interstate 5. The development calls for 59 studio units to be built for very low-income renters and veterans with wrap-around social services.

San Diego’s coastal zone was established 52 years ago by a 1972 voter initiative titled Proposition D. The initiative ever since has barred buildings exceeding 30 feet from being built west of Interstate 5, with carve-outs allowed for Downtown, National City, and parts of Mission Bay.

Testimony on the project at the July 30 City Council hearing wavered between housing proponents noting the existing critical housing shortage, and Prop. D defenders crying foul and warning of the negative consequences of having the 30-foot coastal height limit systematically dismantled.

PB planners and residents mostly opposed the project accusing developers of having misled the community on the project’s particulars, including plans to build higher than 30 feet.

“In 2021, the planning group welcomed the presentation of conceptual plans by developers as an informational item,” testified Marcella Bothwell, Pacific Beach Planning Group chair who added, “Workforce housing of 60 units was welcomed near the Balboa Avenue Transit Center and seemed like a good fit for the neighborhood.”

Pointing out community planners had questions about parking and the housing project’s environmental impact “so close to Rose Creek,” Bothwell added the project, at that time, was construed by developers as being only three stories.

“Council members this is a question of the right way, the right process, for doing things,” concluded Bothwell adding, “PB Plan group agrees that we need affordable housing and the original plan made sense. They (developers) claim the 30-foot height limit doesn’t apply to them because they’re doing a ‘good’ thing. If we don’t follow the process, we disenfranchise the people and promote division and unnecessary anger. I implore you to do the right thing, and ask the Community Housing Division to get a new vote of the people regarding the breaking of the 30-foot height limit.”

“If we were to allow this project, there would be no reason not to allow the entire Mission Bay corridor to receive project after project just like this,” argued Scott Chipman, a PB planner and community activist. He pointed out, “This (site) is adjacent to the second-busiest intersection in San Diego, Mission Bay Drive and Garnet.”

Near the end of public testimony, Chipman criticized statements made by developers defending their multi-story project as being “only five stories,” when zoning would have allowed the building to go even higher.

District 1 Councilmember and Council President Pro Tem Joe LaCava opposed a loan for the affordable housing project on July 30 sending out this statement before the council hearing: “Sacramento has systematically taken away local land-use control. There are still some who are taking this fight to Sacramento to undermine Prop. D, and deliberately sidestepping local voices. Overriding a voter-approved local ballot measure is a step too far. Council may not have the authority to interfere with the permitting of this Prop-D busting project, but we are under no obligation to use taxpayer dollars to support it.”

ROSE CREEK VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT

Summary: Proposed new construction of 59 affordable rental housing units and one unrestricted manager’s unit at 2662 Garnet Ave. in Council District 1 including 18 affordable studio units for extremely low-income veterans experiencing homelessness with income up to 30 percent of San Diego’s Area Median Income.

Detalles: One five-story building. The first floor will include a community room for meetings and group activities, a leasing office, and offices for supportive case management services. The remaining four levels will be residential.

Developers: San Diego Community Housing Corporation, which has completed previous developments with San Diego Housing Commission loan funds. National Community Renaissance, a developer owning more than 8,640 rental units that has completed previous developments with SDHC loan funds.