San Diego Community Newspaper Group held a Q&A with the City, which defended its plans to encourage densification of University City while responding to criticism from opponents that the proposed change is unwarranted.

SDCNG: Tell us about the City’s plans to create more high-density housing in University City. Why is this being done? What is the goal?

CITY: Acknowledging the City has limited vacant land that could be developed for new homes and a projected demand for more housing, the City updated its comprehensive plan that guides land use planning citywide called the General Plan in 2008. The General Plan established the City of Villages strategy, which focuses on future homes and jobs at locations within walking and bicycle distance of transit as part of future community plan updates.

• The current University Community Plan provides a detailed framework to guide development in the University Community. Last updated in 1987, the Community Plan has undergone numerous amendments to address changing conditions. Since that time, population and job growth have led the University Community to become one of the San Diego region’s primary biotech and high-tech job centers areas. It currently has limited capacity for new homes and jobs. The Community Plan update seeks to bring the plan up-to-date by identifying opportunities for new homes and jobs within walking and bicycle distance to transit, factoring in the extension of Blue Line Trolley service to the University City community.
• Since 2008, the City has updated 14 community plans and amended three others to be consistent with the General Plan’s City of Villages strategy. The University Community Plan is one of four additional community plan updates as well as a focused plan amendment that is currently in process.
• The City’s CAP was adopted in 2015 and calls for a 50 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2035. The City adopted the CAP in December 2015 and most recently updated it in 2022.
• In 2018, the City began working with community members to comprehensively update the Community Plan in a way that balances the needs of the community and Citywide goals by addressing and analyzing current land use, changes in demographics, demand for housing and development, and environmental characteristics; factoring the extension of Blue Line Trolley service into Community Plan goals and policies; establishing a vision and objectives for the Plan update; evaluating the “fit” of current Community Plan policies to achieve community goals and regulatory requirements; and ensuring that policies and recommendations remain in harmony with the General Plan.
• The updated University Community Plan guides the community planning area’s land use, mobility, infrastructure, urban design, public facilities and services, natural resources, historic and cultural resources, and economic development for the next several decades.
• The City is also experiencing a severe housing crisis and needs to provide more capacity for new homes to meet population growth and provide a range of housing options that meet the needs of our diverse population. Creating capacity for new homes is achieved through updated land use and policies and other measures in the updated community plan.
• The University Community Plan Update also helps the City achieve its Citywide sustainability goals consistent with the CAP and Climate Resilient SD by providing opportunities for people to walk and bike to new homes and jobs near major transit stops such as the trolley, which can help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase the quality of life for community members.

SDCNG: Is this effort connected with the City’s efforts to focus future development around mass transit?

CITY: The University City Community Plan update seeks to bring the plan up-to-date by identifying opportunities for new homes and jobs within walking and bicycle distance to transit, factoring the extension of Blue Line Trolley service to the University Community. This approach to land use planning is consistent with the City’s General Plan City of Villages strategy as well as the Climate Action Plan. The proposed Community Plan update will help meet the City’s greenhouse gas emission reduction goals.

SDCNG: Will the University Community Plan be amended to accommodate proposed changes?

CITY: As part of the Community Plan update process, the City prepares several iterations of the updated plan, allowing for community feedback at different stages. These include the Community Discussion Draft, the Draft Plan, and finally, the adoption of the Final Plan by the City Council, which is anticipated to be considered this summer.

SDCNG: Is the draft environmental impact report for this effort out for public review?

CITY: The Programmatic Environmental Impact Report analyzes the environmental impacts that could occur if the plan is implemented and identifies any feasible mitigation measures or alternatives that could reduce any environmental impacts. The report is available for public review and comment until April 29. Comments on the PEIR can be provided to Planificació[email protected].

SDCNG: What kind of public outreach, and review, is being done to change UC Zoning to allow more density?

CITY: Public engagement has been ongoing since 2018 when the University Community Plan update process began. The City has been actively seeking input from the community. A summary of engagement undertaken so far provides an overview of engagement comments received and the City’s responses. The zoning changes are a part of the community plan update process to implement the plan.

SDCNG: If successful, will zoning changes allowing higher density to be effective right away, or will they be phased in over time?

CITY: Once the Community Plan Update is adopted by the City Council the proposed zoning designations would be effective outside of the Coastal Zone. The zoning changes would go into effect once the California Coastal Commission certifies the Community Plan Update within the Coastal Zone. The City cannot and does not, mandate development to occur, but through a community plan update, it can rezone areas and create policies that encourage the development of buildings in certain areas. Since it takes time for growth to occur, a community plan update provides a vision and guidance for how any potential development may occur for the next several decades. It is important to note that added home and job capacity in the community plan does not always equate to the number of new homes or jobs that will be constructed because it is up to the individual landowner if they wish to develop their land or not.