San Diego Land Use and Housing Committee Meeting - October 15, 2020

The Land Use and Housing Committee of the San Diego City Council met virtually on October 15, 2020, at 9:00 AM. Chair Ward presided, with Vice Chair Kersey, Councilmember Campbell, and Councilmember Sherman present. The meeting addressed several items related to city property disposition, surplus land declarations, a property sale for affordable housing, the annual municipal code update, a rezone for Tailgate Park, and an informational update on the age-friendly initiative. All votes were unanimous unless otherwise noted.

Consent Calendar

• Item 1: Approval of Committee Actions (September 17, 2020) – Approved unanimously.
• Item 2: Consent Agenda – As-Needed Environmental Services Agreements – Approved unanimously. Staff from Real Estate Assets (Mary Carlson) presented the item.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Non-Agenda Public Comment: Martha Welch (or Wells) expressed concerns about HUD funding for seniors, Section 8 availability, and alleged city corruption.
• Item 2 (Council Policy 700-10): Martha Welch opposed city rental practices, calling them illegal and accusing the city of being “gangsters.”
• Item 3 (Surplus Land Declaration): Martha Welch advocated for income-based housing and criticized property tax increases.
• Item 4 (Cortez Hill Sale): Martha Welch urged the city to ensure property ownership transparency but supported the affordable housing plan. Mary Jane Jacatsinski and Steve Swazicki (Community Housing Works) expressed eagerness to proceed. Matt Basilakis (Climate Action Campaign) supported the sale and urged maximizing housing units.
• Item 5 (Municipal Code Update): Multiple callers spoke. William Perno (Central Region Prevention Coalition) opposed reducing the CEQA appeal time from 10 to 5 days, citing insufficient time for planning groups. Wally Wolfe (Chair of Community Planners Committee) echoed this, recommending retaining the 10-day period for item 30. Rebecca Lieberman (San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce) supported the entire package, especially item 30. Kelly McCormick opposed the reduction, noting increased costs for appeals. Another caller urged postponing until city attorney review is complete. Nicole Burgess supported items 31, 39, and 43 for outdoor dining and bike parking.
• Item 6 (Tailgate Park Rezone): Matt Basilakis (Climate Action Campaign) supported the rezone, urging maximized housing and minimized parking.
• Item 7 (Age-Friendly Initiative): Bob Pratt (AARP volunteer) supported the initiative and urged inclusion of city planners. Nicole Burgess supported the work and advocated for safe bike facilities.

Discussion Items

• Item 2: Revisions to Council Policy 700-10 (Disposition of City-Owned Real Property) and Repeal of Policy 700-12 – Mary Carlson presented. The policy updates include: annual portfolio management plan, 30-day department clearance process, clearer sales process for affordable housing, and revised leasing terms (e.g., percentage leases adjusted every 5 years, minimum rent at 100% of market rate). The committee approved the staff recommendation unanimously.
• Item 3: Declaration of Various City-Owned Properties as Surplus Land – Mary Carlson presented. The state’s new Surplus Land Act requires council to declare land surplus before disposal. Ten properties were proposed for surplus declaration. Councilmember Sherman questioned the Area Median Income (AMI) for affordability requirements; staff promised to follow up. Unanimous approval.
• Item 4: Sale of 1449 9th Avenue (Cortez Hill Family Shelter) to Community Housing Works – The property was purchased for $11,593 (to satisfy a deed of trust held by the Housing Commission). Community Housing Works plans to demolish the existing building and construct 75–110 affordable housing units, with 44 units at 30% AMI and the rest at 30–80% AMI, with 55-year affordability restrictions. The sale was approved unanimously. Chair Ward noted the property will remain vacant for two years, and the city will conduct weekly site visits and seek interim use.
• Item 5: 2020 Update to the Municipal Code, Local Coastal Program, and Rezones – Presented by Renee Mezzo, Brad Richter, and Alex Frost. The update includes 46 items: cleanup items, 17 regulatory reforms, one new regulation, and one state law compliance. Notable proposals: allow FAR transfers between adjoining sites, eliminate 500-foot height limit downtown, eliminate minimum parking in Gaslamp Quarter, streamline airport compatibility zones, increase dwelling unit cap from 20 to 60 per acre in MCAS Miramar transition zone, and reduce CEQA appeal time from 10 to 5 days. The planning commission approved all items; the community planners committee opposed the appeal time reduction. City Attorney Leslie Fitzgerald noted ordinances are still under review. After public testimony and discussion, Vice Chair Kersey moved to approve staff recommendation as is, but staff will work with the committee’s comments regarding the appeal time reduction. The motion passed unanimously, with Councilmember Sherman voting yes with reservations.
• Item 6: Amendments to General Plan, Downtown Community Plan, Center City Plan District Ordinance, Local Coastal Program, and Rezone for Tailgate Park – Brad Richter (Civic San Diego) presented. The goal is to apply consistent zoning across all four blocks of the Tailgate Park site (currently mixed zoning). The changes were recommended unanimously by the Downtown Community Planning Council and Planning Commission. Chair Ward confirmed the Park-Sun Access Overlay will not be affected and that the RFP process informed bidders of the potential zone change. Unanimous approval.
• Item 7: Update on the City’s Age-Friendly Initiative – Presented by Laurie Clark and Masha Keller (SDSU Social Policy Institute) and Christy Fenick (Parks and Recreation). The initiative began in 2018, midway through process. Over 3,300 survey responses and listening sessions revealed priority themes: outdoor spaces (safety at night, parking), housing (lack of affordable modifications, racial disparities in perception), transportation (overreliance on cars due to discomfort with Uber/Lyft and public transit), social participation (desire for intergenerational activities, 38% of parks offer such), respect and inclusion (one-third felt age discrimination, varied by race), health (one-third feared running out of food, higher among Hispanics). A COVID-19 survey showed a digital divide (Hispanic older adults less likely to access virtual programming) and 84% willingness to attend in-person events with precautions. Next steps include virtual action planning sessions and an action plan for city council vote. Committee members commended the work and noted implications for housing, transportation, and parking policies.

Key Outcomes

• All action items (Items 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) were approved unanimously, with no votes against. Item 5 included an understanding that staff will refine the CEQA appeal time reduction based on committee feedback before going to full council.
• Item 7 was informational only, no vote taken.
• The meeting adjourned at approximately 1:00 PM, with the next meeting scheduled for Thursday, November 12, 2020, at 1:00 PM.