Proposed housing development fuels controversy among Point Loma neighbors
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — A proposed four-story apartment building is fueling controversy in a Point Loma neighborhood.
City records show developer Northstar Homes, LP. has applied for a building permit to construct a mixed-use residential building with 56 units (eight of which are affordable units, utilizing Complete Communities; three very low income, two low income and three moderate income), a 1,770-square-foot commercial suite and 45 parking spaces in a basement parking garage.
Some residents told FOX 5/KUSI they want the city to be transparent with its planning and would like to be given the opportunity to provide input about the project's potential impact in the area. The site, located at 1004 Rosecrans St., is next to a school and currently operates as a car rental business.
"There's no communication with the neighborhoods and that's problematic. I mean there's a reason that every single neighborhood in the city has a little planning group," according to resident Mark Cervantes.
Other residents are concerned about the potential impact to traffic in the area if the project were to move forward as proposed.
"It's dangerous when you start adding 120 more, potentially 120 more cars in here. There's no place to put them and there's no plan for us to put them in a basement," said Eric Law who chairs the Peninsula Community Planning Board's Project Review Committee.
FOX 5/KUSI reached out for comment and were told the developer is out of the country and can't be reached. The building permit application shows the developer is participating in the city's Complete Community's program by including eight affordable housing units.
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The initiative streamlines the building process for developers that meet certain criteria, such as offering some low-income housing close to transit.
San Diego County's recent housing blueprint shows its behind in terms of building affordable housing, with only 190 of its planned roughly 1,800 low-income units getting the greenlight as of August. The county needs to build 99,000 affordable housing units by 2029 to offset current conditions.
"I don't think it's a 'nimby' thing. Nobody is saying don't build here. We're saying build something reasonable here, but we can't even have that conversation. Therein lies the problem," Cervantes said.
Both residents want the city to put the project forward for public review, which a city representative says it's not required to do for a ministerial project.
Meanwhile, additional fears exist among community members.
"We're inside the coastal overlay zone here, which has a city law that restricts the height of any building to 30 feet. It's been strictly enforced, in fact the ordinance came about because of action here in Point Loma a number of years ago. Four stories would obviously exceed that," Law said.
A representative for the city confirms the project is still being actively reviewed by the city. The developer can't obtain permits or start construction until they provide necessary corrections to their plan and those corrections are then approved. No specific timeline was given.
