Land Use and Housing Committee Meeting Summary – September 19, 2024
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Land Use and Housing Committee Meeting
The Land Use and Housing Committee of the San Diego City Council met on September 19, 2024, at 9:00 AM. Chair Lee presided, with Vice Chair Council President Pro Tem Lakava, Councilmembers Whitburn and Moreno present. The committee considered two action items (consent agenda and a reimbursement agreement) and received an informational report on the Affordable Housing Fund. Extensive non-agenda public comment covered a range of topics including rodeo animal cruelty, artist housing, zoning conflicts, and homelessness.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes (July 11, 2024) and Resolution R-313627 – Rescinding a prior surplus land declaration for 5680 Genoa Drive, re-declaring it exempt surplus land, and authorizing sale at appraised value with up to $50,000 in aggregate broker fees. Motion by Councilmember Moreno, seconded by Council President Pro Tem Lakava, passed unanimously (4-0) after brief public comment.
Public Comments & Testimony
Non-agenda public comment (16 speakers in person, 14 virtual hands) covered:
- Artist Housing: Michelle Hoyt and others urged implementation of AB 812 to set aside affordable units for artists near cultural districts, noting San Diego lacks large-scale affordable artist housing despite five cultural districts.
- Otay Mesa Zoning: Rob Dixon (Otay Mesa Planning Group chair) described a conflict between the IP-1-1 zone and the community plan, where DSD approves administrative applications but denies discretionary ones, harming the area’s need for distribution uses.
- Homelessness: One speaker advocated for kindness and realistic efforts; another criticized diversion of housing funds.
- Ceramics Business Complaint: Parita and Javier alleged a ceramics manufacturing operation at 5238 Streamview Drive in a residential zone has operated without proper permits since 1984, causing air pollution and health risks.
- Rodeo Activities: Over a dozen speakers expressed support for or opposition to rodeos in San Diego. Opponents cited animal cruelty (e.g., calf roping, steer wrestling) and argued that cultural heritage does not justify harm; they urged a ban modeled on Los Angeles legislation. Supporters, including Sophia Ruiz of the Sequan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation, highlighted rodeo’s role in sharing Indigenous culture, supporting families, and maintaining traditions. Several noted they were speaking for the San Diego Rodeo Alliance.
- Smoke-Free Housing: Becky Rapp advocated for a 100% smoke-free policy in multi-unit housing, citing health risks from secondhand smoke.
- Storm Victims: A speaker criticized the city for prioritizing services to immigrants over January 2024 flood victims still awaiting help.
- Marijuana Retailers: Kathleen Lippitt and others expressed concern that land use policies facilitate marijuana retailers that harm youth, citing increased ER visits and THC involvement in youth suicides.
Discussion Items
Item 3 – Agreement with National Community Renaissance of California (NCRC) for Park and Traffic Improvements
- Tom Tomlinson (Parks & Recreation) and Ryan Barber presented: NCRC is developing the IRIS at San Ysidro affordable housing (100 units). NCRC obtained a $5 million state grant (Infill Infrastructure Grant) to reimburse the city for improving Howard Lane Neighborhood Park (playground, security lighting, pathways) and constructing a hawk crossing at Derrymart Road and Plantel Way. An additional $300,000 in neighborhood enhancement in-lieu fees will cover the crossing. A $1 million citywide park differential fee was previously allocated. The project must be completed by March 31, 2028. Public comment included Joyce Yada (District 3) supporting the project but requesting cost-per-unit transparency, and Blair Beekman raising concerns about surveillance technology use.
- Motion by Councilmember Moreno, seconded by Chair Lee, passed unanimously (4-0).
Item 4 – Affordable Housing Fund FY2024 Annual Report
- Saket Dale and Christelle Vanderwin (San Diego Housing Commission) presented: The Affordable Housing Fund (comprising Housing Trust Fund and Inclusionary Fund) has created over 9,500 affordable units, preserved over 400, assisted 400+ first-time homebuyers, and helped 26,000+ households experiencing homelessness. In FY2024, $13.8 million in commitments leveraged over $260 million in other funds (19:1 ratio). Revenue of $6.8 million was slightly above budget but well below the 10‑year average of $13 million. Three projects closed construction financing with 433 units: Harrington Heights (270 units), IRIS at San Ysidro (100), and Serenade on 43rd (63). A $4.3 million investment produced 474 affordable units. The Fund also supported homelessness programs (transitional housing, prevention, rental assistance). Councilmembers noted the high leverage but stressed the need for a permanent funding source and expressed concern that the FY2025 budget diverted $8 million from the Fund to shelter activities. The report was informational; no vote taken.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Agenda approved (4-0), including sale of surplus property.
- Item 3 approved (4-0), authorizing the park and traffic improvement agreement with NCRC.
- Item 4 received as information; no action required.
- Councilmember Moreno requested city staff follow up on Otay Mesa zoning concerns raised by Rob Dixon; Development Services staff confirmed they are already looking into the issue.
Meeting Transcript
Good afternoon, and welcome to the land use and housing committee meeting of September 19th, 2024. Our committee lays on Natalie Kessler. We'll go over instructions for today's meeting. Thank you, Chair. 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. Vice Chair, Council President Pro Tum Lakava. Councilmember Whitburn. Sure. Councilmember Moreno. Present. And Chair, Councilmember Lee. Here. Also attending the meeting today, Chris Ackermanovilla with the Mayor's Office. Corinne Newfer from the City Attorney's Office. Amy Lee with the Independent Budget Analysts Office, and Angeli Hoyos, committee consultant. If you are in person, please complete a speaker slip located at the entrance of the committee room 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 accessing the link which is listed online in the preamble language of the agenda on the city's webpage. To join the Zoom webinar by telephone, please dial 1669-2545252. The webinar ID is 161-286-5933 Pound. This information is also available on the agenda and will appear on the screen during the public comment period for each agenda item. Please note that if you are watching via City TV 24 or online, there may be a delay. So 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 our particular item, please wait for that item to be called. And then raise your hand to speak by tapping the raise your hand icon, or if you are a call in participant, press star nine on your phone. If you raise your hand during a non-comment period, your hand will be lowered. Chair. Thank you, Natalie, for reviewing those instructions for the benefit of the public. A quorum is now present. Natalie, will you please proceed with non-agenda public comment? Per rule 2.7, non-agenda public comment is an opportunity for members of the public to comment on items that are not on the agenda but within the subject matter jurisdiction of the committee. Each speaker will have two minutes. If you've joined the Zoom webinar online or by phone and have an on-agenda public comment, please raise your hand at this time if you wish to speak. And if you're in person, please be sure to have your speaker slip submitted and be prepared to come up to the lectern when your name is called. As a reminder, members of the public who wish to provide virtual testimony must enter the virtual queue by raising their hand before the queue closes. And the queue will close when the last virtual speaker finishes speaking or five minutes after in-person testimony ends, whichever occurs first. Chair, we currently have seven speakers who have submitted speaker slips in the committee room, and there are thirty 14 hands raised in the virtual queue. Please approach the lectern. Hi, I'm Michelle Hoyt, and I live in District 1 and I work in at Space for Art in Districts 3 and 8. Did you know that of the 10 most expensive cities in the U.S., San Diego remains the only one without any large-scale affordable artist housing? In the city's recently unveiled cultural plan, the number one goal is to provide affordable artist spaces. This bill authorizes cities or counties to set aside up to 10% of very low, low or moderate income housing units for working artists if those projects are within one half mile of a state designated cultural district or within the boundaries of a locally designated cultural district. Our city has five such cultural districts located in council districts two, three, four, and eight, with one more planned for district three. I am asking this committee and the full council to implement AB 812 as soon as possible.
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