An open letter…
Dear Neighbor,
As you may know as a member on our list, Uptown has been involved in a seven-year process to update the Community Plan. This document will determine the official policies on land use, economic revitalization, and all other issues related to development in our six neighborhoods for the next twenty-plus years.
Recently, there has been controversy over the proposed Hillcrest historic district. It was originally proposed in the 1988 Plan and expanded to include a LGBTQ component in the June 2015 draft Plan, but suddenly removed from the June 2016 proposed final Plan. This would be the only such historic district in the county, and one of the first in the nation. It would preserve the existing, pedestrian-friendly and intimate experience of the core centered around the Hillcrest sign.
It was learned that outside developers, absentee property owners, and lobbyists worked behind the scenes to eliminate the proposed historic district from the June 2016 proposed final Plan. They also eliminated the heights agreed to in the Interim Height Ordinance of 50′ and 65′ to be allowed 100′ and 120′.
Despite the fact that historic districts foster economic growth, these outside actors are only interested in the quick buck to be made by bulldozing over 10 square blocks around the Hillcrest sign to build an anonymous glass utopia. This isn’t an exaggeration: simply watch the first 15 seconds of their own video here, https://vimeo.com/170125758.
Please don’t let our history be destroyed.
I ask that you join Uptown Planners, the Lambda Archives, and the Save Our Heritage Organisation in “urging the city to implement the Hillcrest historic district proposed in 1988, with the 2015 LGBTQ context and boundaries, concurrent with the Final Uptown Community Plan.” Attached are the letters of support from these organizations.
>>> The deadline for public comment is 5:00PM this Monday, August 8 <<<
Feel free to borrow from the language of their letters, and to reference the following from the June 2016 proposed final Plan:
— Implementing a Hillcrest historic district would demonstrate the city is serious to “Preserve Uptown’s historic fabric by preserving important resources, adaptively reusing older buildings, and sensitively responding to the scale and character of historic buildings.” (Page IN-13) It would also ensure that there are actual “Historic districts and sites that respect our heritage.” (Page IN-14)
— A historic district would be the best way to preserve and encourage pedestrian-oriented development and activity in the core area of Hillcrest, in accordance with land use Policies LU-3.2 and LU-3.3. (Page LU-39)
— Not implementing the Hillcrest historic district would undermine Policy EP-1.7, as it is a precondition to “Promote the LGBTQ historic heart of Hillcrest’s Entertainment District, which encourages heritage tourism.” (Page 107)
— Preservation would emphasize adaptive reuse of existing buildings and reduce demolition waste for conservation under The San Diego General Plan. (Pages CE-143 & CE-144)
— Cultural resources require immediate attention, as the 45-year review standard for architecture is inadequate for preserving buildings of significance in time. (Page HP-172)
— As a community stakeholder, I am/we are exercising my/our right to request that the implementation of the proposed Hillcrest historic district should receive priority under historic preservation Policies HP-2.2 and HP-2.3. (Page HP-173)
Even copying that single quote or sending a short note of endorsement may help sway the city and Planning Department to do the right thing and take history off the chopping block.
All emails should be addressed to Senior Planner Marlon Pangilinan at MPangilinan@sandiego.gov. And feel free to copy District 3 Councilmember Todd Gloria at toddgloria@sandiego.gov and Mayor Kevin Faulconer at kevinfaulconer@sandiego.gov.
Also, I hope that you will share this email with your friends and neighbors, so that they may be informed of this situation and have the option to send personal messages in favor before it’s too late.
Thank you wholeheartedly for your consideration.
All best,
Mat Wahlstrom
Rescue Hillcrest
