POINT LOMA – Community members in Point Loma recently offered an update on the battle against a controversial project at 1004 Rosecrans St. at a town hall.
At the June 11 meeting at Liberty Station Conference Center, Protect Point Loma — a nonprofit whose members say they wish to protect and preserve the historic neighborhood — detailed why the city’s Complete Communities plan justifying the affordable housing project doesn’t fit and won’t work.
Rosecrans 1004 developer Michael Contreras of Northstar Homes LP has proposed a three-story, mixed commercial and residential building with basement parking for up to 45 vehicles.
The 56-unit project is planned for 1004 Rosecrans St. in the heart of Point Loma, on the site of the former San Diego County Credit Union now used for car rentals.
Rosecrans StreetThe project is in a busy intersection, adjacent to Cabrillo Elementary School and the Jennings House restaurant across from Point Loma Assembly Hall. The site was once an Exxon gas station.
Complete Communities Housing Solutions is a planning program in the San Diego’s Coastal Overlay Zone, a special area where development is subject to additional regulations to protect coastal resources and public access.
The city adopted the program in 2022 to incentivize building homes near transit and to provide more mobility choices. The program bypasses all zoning, setbacks, height limits, and community input, including normal discretionary review by the Peninsula Community Planning Board.
“We’re here to give you some timely updates about what we told you eight months ago,” said Protect Point Loma member Sally Bixler, introducing the June 11 town hall. “We warned you this was not going to be a short fight; this is going to take some time.”
“It’s so nice to see everyone still caring in our fight against this project,” said Point Loma activist and Protect Point Loma co-founder Margaret Virissimo.
“This (overdevelopment) fight is bigger than just Point Loma. I’ve also joined the most recent San Diego Coalition Group, compiled of about 17 different San Diego neighborhood leaders who’ve come together to talk about their issues and take our fight to a different level, talking about all the accessory dwelling unit bonuses, and challenge all the overdevelopments in San Diego.”
“We’re just trying to make things happen for you, protecting our community,” said Eric Law, Protect Point Loma president, who contended the purpose of Complete Communities planning has changed over the years. “The original plan was to have walking streets, esplanades, etc., well served by transit as well as some affordable housing. That’s what got turned on its head.”
“What they didn’t tell you was, we’re not going to let you review the projects, the city’s going to fast-track it,” continued Law, alleging flaws in Complete Communities. “There’s not going to be traffic studies. This will force you into (mass) transit, and there’s going to be no parking either.”
Law noted 1004 Rosecrans has 56 units planned on a lot zoned for 14, with the eight very small 440-square-foot affordable units “all on the subterranean first floor buried underground. So, a lot of the underlying premise behind what Complete Communities is has been violated. It’s now a vertical building, with no height limits. That’s where we are right now.”
Rebecca Vogel, principal of Cabrillo Elementary for the past six years, gave an impassioned speech warning about the safety of students if this large-scale mixed-use project ever comes to fruition. Vogel noted the proposed development would displace the school’s existing drop-off and pick-up zone.
“A lot of times things don’t change unless it’s grassroots efforts like this,” said Vogel, noting her school has about 55 staff members and only 18 parking spots. “It is a daily concern of mine with how fast we have cars going by on Talbot,” she said. “There are not many accessible crosswalks in the area. I’m very concerned that one of them might get hurt. To be quite honest, I think it’s a godsend and a blessing that there hasn’t been anyone hurt yet because of the traffic in that area.”
“I’ve called the city several times to help us with traffic and ticketing,” Vogel said. “I’m trying to get crosswalks; I got the police to come out. We still have a little bit of a fight to do. We currently have a (school parking) plan in place that’s working, thanks to our community members like the Jennings House, so we can have drop-off and pick-up right in front of Talbot.
“The community doesn’t park there because they know that’s the only way we can get our kids in and out of the school in the safest manner possible.”
She added that what little school parking is available will likely go away if 1004 Rosecrans gets green-lighted.
“Point Loma is a very close-knit tight community that loves, cares about, and supports each other,” noted Cathy Gallagher, managing partner of the Jennings House, who has said previously that the new proposed multi-use development at Talbot and Rosecrans threatens not only parking for her customers, but her restaurant’s continued existence.
“This is going to be a difficult time. And it’s a long road. But we have to do what we can to fight as a community.”
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