Land Use and Housing Committee Meeting - March 2, 2023
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Land Use and Housing Committee Meeting Summary
The Land Use and Housing Committee of the San Diego City Council met on Thursday, March 2, 2023, at 1 p.m. Chair Councilmember Moreno presided, with Vice Chair Lacava and Councilmembers Whitburn and Lee present. The committee approved consent items, discussed land donations and airport lease amendments, and received informational updates on affordable housing preservation and the Housing Instability Prevention Program (HIPP).
Consent Calendar
- Item 1: Dedication of a 3,155-square-foot portion of a parcel for public street purposes (Playa Dosal Parkway, Otay Mesa).
- Item 2: Sixth amendment to a lease at 525 B Street with I&G B25 B Street, LLC.
- Both items were approved unanimously without discussion.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Non-Agenda Comments: Speakers addressed public restroom availability (Jan Bourgeois opposed paid restrooms, noted lack of Portland loos), towing practices on Fifth Avenue (Blair Beekman thanked the city for reducing towing), and concerns about a cannabis dispensary approval in Rancho Bernardo (Becky Rapp argued it violated community plan and had inadequate setbacks). Lori Zaldania highlighted that lack of bathrooms contributed to hepatitis outbreaks. Peggy Walker noted a projected $6 million shortfall in marijuana tax revenue and questioned adding more dispensaries, especially in minority communities. Judy Strang opposed removing libraries from sensitive use designations for marijuana businesses.
- Item 4 (Airport Lease): Blair Beekman urged consideration of unleaded fuel for aircraft; Lori Zaldania asked about solar panel installation at the airport.
- Item 5 (Affordable Housing Preservation): Colin Rice (RAD Group) supported preservation but opposed action item 5, which he said would prioritize nonprofit developers over for-profit entities, arguing it could reduce investment. Stephen Russell (San Diego Housing Federation) urged continued support for preservation recommendations and budget allocation. Ricardo Flores (LIF San Diego) supported a preservation ordinance and budget funding. Saad Asad noted the shocking decline in affordable housing projected to 2040.
- Item 6 (HIPP): Joy Sanyata noted difficulty with 211 referrals and expressed concern about the closure of Golden Hall shelter. Lori Zaldania criticized the Housing Commission’s removal of utility and medical allowances, calling it a conflict of interest given the board chair’s Sempra Energy holdings.
Discussion Items
- Item 3 – Land Donation: The committee accepted a donation of 14.9 acres of undeveloped land (valued at $275,000) and a $268,902 endowment for long-term management from Titia Parcel Holding Company LLC. Staff waived the presentation. Motion approved unanimously.
- Item 4 – Brownfield Municipal Airport Lease Amendments: Staff presented two lease amendments affecting 20.29 acres (Brownfield Aviation Ventures, BFAV) and 3.62 acres (Ramp Five Holdings). The amendments release BFAV from a $1 million capital improvement obligation in exchange for conveying 2.29 acres and access to Curlew Street, allowing the city to assemble an 8.3-acre contiguous parcel for future development. The city would also forgo late fees and reduce rent by ~$1,500 per month. The amendments are conditioned on each other. The Airport Advisory Committee recommended approval. The IBA’s office noted the city’s decision to forego damages is reasonable. The committee approved the staff recommendation unanimously.
Informational Items
- Item 5 – Affordable Housing Preservation: The San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC) presented an update on preservation efforts. Key data: San Diego has 555,000 total housing units; 49% are renter-occupied. Of 164,000 rental units in buildings of 5+ units, 22,450 (14%) are deed-restricted, and ~48,000 are naturally occurring affordable housing (NOAH). Trend analysis shows that without preservation, 30% of new production through 2040 will merely replace lost affordable units. An estimated 6,600+ deed-restricted units will expire by 2033. The preservation study estimated $400 million per year needed for gap financing, with $86 million in gap financing annually. SDHC has implemented an interagency working group and preservation collaborative. Funding requests: a $5.3 million allocation for FY24 could preserve 79 units. Committee members (Chair Moreno, Vice Chair Lacava, Councilmember Whitburn, Councilmember Lee) expressed support for a phased funding approach, a preservation ordinance, and stakeholder engagement. No action was taken, but the committee directed SDHC to bring back a draft ordinance and a funding plan later in 2023.
- Item 6 – Housing Instability Prevention Program (HIPP) Update: SDHC reported on the HIPP pilot launched September 2022 with $3.57 million in FY23 funds. As of February 2023, 76 households were enrolled, with 67 referrals pending. Key statistics: 63% of enrolled households are seniors (55+) with a disabling condition; average household income is $2,049 per month; average rent is $1,486 per month (77% of income toward rent). 26% of households have past due rent averaging $5,000. The fixed $500/month subsidy is insufficient for many; SDHC proposed a tiered subsidy ($250/$500/$750) and expanding past due rent coverage to six months. Preliminary data show Hispanic/Latino households are under-enrolled (18% enrolled vs. 29% referred). Committee members emphasized the need for expanded outreach, especially in districts like District 8, and continuation of funding in FY24. No action taken; the committee requested a follow-up update in six months.
Key Outcomes
- Approved: Consent Agenda (Items 1-2) unanimously.
- Approved: Item 3 (land donation) unanimously.
- Approved: Item 4 (airport lease amendments) unanimously.
- Direction: SDHC to develop a draft affordable housing preservation ordinance with stakeholder input and bring back a phased funding plan for preservation.
- Direction: SDHC to continue HIPP with proposed adjustments (tiered subsidies, expanded outreach) and return with an update in six months.
- Next Meeting: Thursday, April 13, 2023, at 1 p.m.
Meeting Transcript
Good afternoon and welcome to the land use and housing committee meeting of March 2nd, 2023. Our committee liaison, Natalie Kessler, will go over instructions for today's meeting. Thank you, Chair Moreno. While members of the public are able to attend the meetings in person, this meeting is being televised and live streamed on the city's website, and the council administration will continue to make arrangements for the public to comment using the Zoom webinar platform. Members of the public who wish to provide virtual testimony must enter the virtual queue by raising their hand before the virtual queue closes. The queue will close when the last virtual speaker finishes speaking or five minutes after in-person testimony ends, whichever occurs first. This will allow for better meeting management between the two platforms and ensure the committee is able to manage and conduct city business. We appreciate the public's cooperation. Chair Moreno. Wonderful, thank you. I will now call the land use and housing committee meeting of Thursday, March 2nd, 2023 to order. Natalie, please call the roll. Vice Chair Lacaba. Council Member Whitburn. Councilmember Lee. Present. And Chair Councilmember Moreno. Present. Thank you. Also attending the meeting is Chris Ackermanavila with the mayor's office. Corey Newfer from the City Attorney's Office. Natalie, please continue with public uh comment instructions. If you are in person, please complete a speaker slip located at the entrance of chambers and place it on top of the box indicated at the speaker's lectern at the front of the room. Please do so in a timely manner to ensure proper meeting management. In-person testimony will conclude before virtual testimony begins. Members of the public can also join the webinar by computer, tablet, or smartphone by accessing the link which is listed online in the preamble language of the agenda on the city's webpage. If you need to participate by telephone, you may dial 1669-2545252, webinar ID 160-268-1157 pound. This information is also available on the agenda and will appear on the screen during the public comment period for each agenda item. Members of the public who wish to provide virtual testimony must enter the virtual queue by raising their hand before the queue closes. The queue will close when the last virtual speaker finishes speaking or five minutes after in-person testimony ends, whichever occurs first. Please note that if you are watching via City TV 24 or online, there may be a delay. Please participate via the audio on your phone and mute your TV or computer when it is your turn to speak. If you wish to speak on a particular item, wait for that item to be called and then raise your hand to speak by tapping the raise your hand icon or if calling in star nine on your cell phone or landline. If you raise your hand during a non-comment period, your hand will be lowered. Chair Moreno. Thank you so much. Uh quorum is now present. And so we will dispense with the approval of the committee actions of February 2nd, 2023. Natalie, please proceed. Thank you. The public comment period for the committee actions is now opened. If you've joined the Zoom webinar online or by phone, please raise your hand if you wish to speak on the committee actions of February 2nd, 2023. If you are watching on City TV or the live stream online and would like to call into the meeting to speak, please call 1669-2545252. And when prompted, the webinar ID is 160-268-1157 pound. So if it's not there yet, just come back. Yes, please raise your hand during the non-agenda public comment. Okay, thank you. And that concludes comment on the past committee actions. Thank you. And now we're gonna vote on the approval of of committee actions of February 2nd, 2023.
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