SAN DIEGO – Nearly 30 years since the initial passage of the Uptown Community Plan, San Diego City Councilmember Todd Gloria announced today the City Council’s approval of the Uptown community plan update. The passage of the community plan update brings the Uptown community plan into conformance with the City’s General Plan and the Climate Action Plan as well as prudently addressing issues surrounding urban design.
“Today’s approval of the Uptown community plan update is an important and necessary step not only to comply with our General Plan and Climate Action Plan, but to also set the right course for the future of our city going forward,” said Councilmember Gloria. “With this update, we will be able to foster vibrant, walkable, and transit-oriented communities in Uptown that reduces automobile dependency, protects the integrity of our historic resources, and embraces new urban growth.”
The Uptown community plan update articulates a long-range comprehensive policy and zoning framework for urban growth and development within the Uptown community planning area. Among the highlights of today’s community plan update are:
- Closing the gap in the University Avenue Bike Lane to improve bicycle/pedestrian safety and increase bicycle infrastructure in accordance with the City’s Climate Action Plan;
- Rezoning residential areas of Mission Hills by lowering density to protect the single-family character of its neighborhoods;
- Providing discretionary review for building or development in the commercial areas of Mission Hills in excess of 50 feet in height;
- Maintaining and expanding a 30-foot height restriction west of Park Boulevard in University Heights to preserve community character.
Uptown consists of some of the oldest and distinctive neighborhoods in the City of San Diego including Bankers Hill, Hillcrest, Middletown, Mission Hills, and University Heights, all of which are in Council District Three. Councilmember Gloria has served as representative of the Third Council District since 2008.
I understand from Matt Wahlstrom’s article in the LGBT Weekly that Todd Gloria allowed revisions to the plan that will enable Gateway Development to bulldoze 9 square blocks of central Hillcrest (from 4th to 7th Avenues, and from Washington to Pennsylvania) in order to build high rises filled with straight affluent yuppies.
Well, good bye, gay Hillcrest. It was nice knowing you.