The will of the voters in the city of San Diego is absolute. In 1972, residents took to the ballot box to limit the height of new buildings in the coastal area west of Interstate 5 to 30 feet. The …
The will of the voters in the city of San Diego is absolute. In 1972, residents took to the ballot box to limit the height of new buildings in the coastal area west of Interstate 5 to 30 feet. The measure passed citywide, withstood legal challenges, and has been recognized by the city and its residents ever since. No city, state or developer has the authority to reverse the will of San Diego voters without seeking a vote by the public.
San Diego’s housing crisis is undeniable, and addressing our region’s lack of affordable homes is critical. Affordable, income-restricted housing belongs in every neighborhood and council district, and the coastal communities are no exception. My position is not a statement of merit but of process. We must and can do this right. We can produce and plan developments that also respect voter mandates, or proponents can seek the support of the electorate to modify the 1972 ballot measure.
Next week, the City Council will hear a proposal for an affordable residential infill project to be located within the city’s Coastal Height Limit Overlay Zone on Garnet Avenue. At five stories tall, this proposal will breach the 30-foot limit. On its face, this is a smart use of otherwise underutilized property, however, greater than 30 feet is greater than 30 feet. For more than 50 years, this project would not have been attempted nor approved.
The motivations behind the housing department’s unilateral direction may be noble, but in San Diego, we have elections, voter-approved measures and an amendment process. Take, for instance, the passage of Measure C in 2022 that lifted the 30-foot height limit for the Midway neighborhood. I twice supported putting this reasonable proposal before the voters to amend the height limit in an area that could produce thousands of new homes and jobs.
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