Now is a pivotal time to make your voice heard regarding the Tower
Now is a pivotal time to make your voice heard regarding the Tower. Neighbors for a Better California urges you to email Mayor Todd Gloria now to make your opposition to the Turquoise Tower application known. Here is a direct link to send emails to the mayor - MAYOR’S EMAIL FORM. Here are two sample letters you can use to give you some inspiration.
Dear Mayor Gloria,
I strongly urge you to fund the Development Services Department (DSD) to deny the permit for the proposed Turquoise Tower and invest in a thorough study to prevent this harmful project.
The tower threatens our community’s character, infrastructure, and quality of life. Please act now to protect San Diego and do the right thing by stopping this development.
Sincerely,
Or a slightly longer letter:
Dear Mayor Gloria,
I am writing to express my strong opposition to the proposed Turquoise Tower development and to urge you to take immediate action to protect our community. Specifically, I call on you to allocate funding to the Development Services Department (DSD) so they can effectively deny the permit for this project and invest in a comprehensive study to assess the full impacts of this development.
The Turquoise Tower proposal represents an unacceptable disruption to our community’s character, environment, and livability. Its scale and scope threaten to compromise local resources, infrastructure, and quality of life. Denying this permit is not only a critical step in preserving our neighborhoods but also a reflection of responsible urban planning and governance.
I implore you to do the right thing by prioritizing the needs and well-being of San Diego residents. Funding the DSD and supporting a thorough investigation into the implications of this project are necessary measures to ensure that this development does not move forward unchecked.
Your leadership is essential in stopping this atrocity and safeguarding the future of our city. I trust you will take action to uphold the values and integrity of San Diego.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to your response and to seeing meaningful steps taken to address our concerns.
Sincerely,
Photo courtesy of lajolla.ca
After housing guidance,
questions remain
The receipt by the City of San Diego of “technical guidance” from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) represents a key step in the approval / denial process. The guidance indicates San Diego has options that include asking for more information from the developer, which could potentially lead to the denial of the project.
For analysis about what this all means and what happens next, see below.
To see HCD’s letter, click here.
Both Mayor Todd Gloria and San Diego Council President Joe LaCava suggest cities - like San Diego - that already are promoting housing shouldn’t have to deal with situations like the Turquoise Tower. See News.
The Turquoise Tower
is just a part of the fight
over California housing
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One street, 2 very different projects
The state says local citizen initiatives - like Prop D - can be ignored if they conflict with laws boosting housing. But 2 projects on Turquoise Street raise questions. One asks for 23 stories. The other respects Prop D’s 30-foot height limit. So why is discarding Prop D necessary?
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Latest news: Joe LaCava interview
San Diego City Council President Joe LaCava says state laws are “particularly frustrating” for San Diego because it is adding housing, like Midway Rising, with 2,000 affordable homes. Mayor Gloria says San Diego is adding housing and he’s opposed to current Turquoise Tower proposal.
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Can density bonus laws work?
An in-depth report from the Coast News Group asks whether the state’s high-density bonus projects - like the proposed Moonlight Apartments in Encinitas - are striking the right balance for solutions to solve the housing crisis. The article reflects the debate raging across the state.
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An updated website is coming
You may have noticed the new logo for Neighbors for a Better California at the top of our website pages. It is the first of several changes coming as NFABC unveils an updated website. Preview one of the new pages - eNewsletter - which lets you access all NFABC’s eNewsletters published.
Well, the 50-story tower actually is going away! Public backlash forced the developer to scrap the plans for the fantastical skyscraper in the Ocean Beach area of San Francisco. But, in what could be a preview of what might be proposed with the Turquoise Tower saga in Pacific Beach, a new proposal for shorter buildings is being floated in San Francisco. The new proposal scales the project down to a 446-unit complex with two tall towers (yes, these towers aren’t 50 stories, but they are still very high, particularly when compared to other buildings in the coastal neighborhood). Read the details at in the San Francisco Standard story and take a look at the newly proposed development below. It may be a tough year ahead.
