by Scott Case, a Middletown resident, denounced the plan to construct a 14-story, 161-unit apartment complex on his block during a rally on Saturday morning.
The development will dominate the area, according to Case.
He claimed that this high-rise did not belong in the neighborhood.
ELDA Developments, the project developer, has not yet released an amended proposal despite pulling their initial designs for the complex.
Two lots in the 3600 block of Columbia Street would be used for the construction of the structure.
According to Case, a single house and a two-story apartment complex with three reasonably priced apartments now occupy the property.
Case, a 60-year-old retiree, informed the audience that while affordable housing is a problem that affects everyone, the developer is only allowed to construct six affordable units on the property due to San Diego’s Complete Communities project.
The block has a multi-unit dwelling zone.
The audience chanted “responsible growth, not corporate greed” during Case’s 15-minute speech, and the group then marched around the neighborhood.
Although there are 70 parking spaces in the property overall, Case claims that parking in the area is already a problem for local companies and households.
Case said the development should be judged on its own merits.
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An investment brochure from the developer estimated that rents at the complex will start at $3,000, presumably for a studio, and go all the way up to $10,000 for the penthouse. “Nearly 80% of the units coming in here are studios and one-bedroom units which do not support families,” Case said.
The councilman representing Middletown, Stephen Whitburn, has declined to meet to discuss the proposed development, according to Case, a member of the Uptown Community Planning Group.
Families cannot live in the studios and one-bedroom apartments at the proposed development, according to Erik Becerra, an Encanto homeowner who attended the demonstration with his kids and is a member of Case’s coalition.
Becerra claimed that he has been referred to as a NIMBY, which stands for “not in my backyard,” a term used to disparage those who advocate for affordable housing but not in their local communities.
According to Becerra, we are not NIMBYs. We desire growth that is responsible.
The only counter-protester at the rally was Wesley Morgan, a resident of Mission Hills. The name “YIMBY” has been adopted by many of his contemporaries, meaning yes, in my backyard.
In order to be nearer to public transportation and free up funds for his daughters, who are 19 and 21, to find their own homes, the 49-year-old financial expert said that he is selling his Mission Hills house and relocating downtown.
Morgan claimed to have liked the charm and history of Middletown since relocating there eleven years ago from a suburb in greater Los Angeles.
He claimed that while the anti-development demonstrators’ voice was the loudest on Saturday, it was not the most widespread.
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San Diego cannot be a sustainable city until it allows individuals of all incomes and diversities to live here at a price they can afford, Morgan added, adding that sometimes it just takes a few people with the time and money to balance out that voice.
According to him, if the project is constructed, Middletown landowners will be encouraged to make better use of their property by erecting apartment buildings in place of their houses.
Owning a single-family home on a highly desired piece of property might not be worth it; instead, you could build multiple units there, Morgan said. They’re not defending their financial interests, in my opinion. They seem to be defending a way of life.
