Walt Chambers, Ben Nichols & Borre Winckel, President & CEO of the San Diego (BIA) Business Industry Assoc. All want taller buildings in Hillcrest.
The City Council listened to community and business owners from Uptown neighborhoods this evening as they considered an extension of the Uptown Interim Height Ordinance (IHO) for Hillcrest and Mission Hills. (The meeting began at 2pm, but the Uptown item wasn’t discussed until after 6pm.) The original IHO was adopted in 2008 with two 180-day extensions. The final one expired January 23. The IHO places firm building heights of 65 feet north in Hillcrest and 50 feet in Mission Hills until the outdated community plan is revised.
Staff’s recommendation was to extend the IHO until the city-delayed community plan update is adopted. However, a group calling itself “IH No” lobbied the Hillcrest Business Association (HBA) to change the ordinance to a discretionary process. The HBA and “IH No” recruited several people from the development industry to join them at Tuesday’s council meeting carrying red pennants and wearing lapel stickers promoting “Grow Hillcrest”. Uptown community members from the Hillcrest Town Council, Hillcrest History Guild, Mission Hills Heritage, Neighborhood Historic Preservation Coalition, University Heights CDC and other residents presented their support. The council agreed unanimously.
Councilmember Kevin Faulconer made a motion to extend the original height limit ordinance with an expiration of January 24, 2014. He also asked city staff to provide a written progress report of the community plan update every 180 days. In addition, staff will provide a report at the March 7 Land Use & Housing committee meeting with a “time certain” date for completion. The Councilmember hopes the plan update will be complete within the two years, and it will essentially be co-terminus.
Councilmember Gloria seconded the motion and offered that he could not support the HBA position and is committed as the Budget Committee chair to make sure the update process remains funded until its completion. Before a vote could take place, the assistant city attorney expressed concerns over the “substantative change” in the ordinance and its possible violation of the Brown Act. Todd Gloria stood firm that the council needed to take a vote and would not leave the issue unresolved.
It was agreed that the vote would be taken, and the city attorney will work with staff to bring back the modified ordinance for another reading on Tuesday, January 31. Councilmembers expressed concerns that the original ordinance had expired, and they did not want the required process of 45 days to create a “window of opportunity” for taller buildings. The vote was 7-0 with Marti Emerald absent.
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