The San Diego Housing Commission better watch out! The opponents to their plans for 78 units at Famosa Canyon in Point Loma have gone pro – by which we mean the group Save Famosa Canyon has a very professional looking video and website. The video is very compelling – it starts out with overhead video shots of developments in Point Loma and ends with shots of kids and young adults biking or strolling on the trails in the open space – with soft music playing in the background.
The group claims it has collected a 1,000 signatures on its petition opposing the housing as well. We filed a short report about their signature gathering over the weekend. Here is how they describe themselves on their website:
ABOUT US
As more and more of Point Loma, OB and even greater San Diego are carved up into housing developments, the issue of open space – or keeping it – is a genuine concern. While attempting to save this piece of land for a pump track for local kids, the San Diego Housing commission (SDHC) surprised supporters of the track their plan to develop the roughly 5 acres and put in 78 units of affordable housing.
We feel that the residents of the community should have the right to be consulted on public/private policies, plans and initiatives affecting our neighborhood as we all have a common goal to preserve and improve our neighborhood. We, the residents, feel neglected that we were not asked to participate in this decision until it was already well under way. There has been a lot of debates on Nextdoor and community fb groups focusing only on a small part of the issue… the affordable housing. Residents have been labeled with the acronym NIMBY (not in my back yard). That is just not the case.
We are residents against development whether it’s Low income/affordable housing or another multimillion dollar condo development. We are supporters of open space… and recognize the lack of remaining natural open space in the peninsula area. We respect the wishes of the original land owner, David Collier, who gifted the land to the city in 1909 as park land. We respect the history and culture of the space as it has been used by the community as a park and open space for decades.
Now we have decided to take our position one step further. Property owners and residents of the Peninsula community have chosen to appeal directly to San Diego citizens to help save Famosa Canyon from the eminent threat of development. We have started a petition to stop the planned development and rezone the canyon once and for all as a open space park.
From Website Save Famosa Canyon.
Here is the text of the Petition:
INITIATIVE
To the Honorable City Council of The City of San Diego:
We, the undersigned registered voters of The City of San Diego, California, by this petition hereby respectfully propose the following legislative act be adopted by the City Council or submitted to the registered voters of The City of San Diego for their adoption or rejection:
“THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO SHALL STOP THE PLANNED HOUSING DEVELOPMENT BY THE SAN DIEGO HOUSING AUTHORITY IN FAMOSA CANYON/SITE 428 (parcels 449-110-1000, 449-270-3400, 449-261-0100 thru -0500, 449-262-0100 thru -0500), SHALL PREVENT ANY FUTURE RESIDENTIAL/COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT BY THE CITY OR PRIVATE ENTITY AND HAVE THE CANYON/SITE 428 PRESERVED AND REZONED TO A OPEN SPACE PARK (OP-2-1, San Diego Municipal Code Chapter 13 Article 1 Division 2)”
As San Diego is being carved up into housing developments to address the housing crisis, issues of keeping open space is a genuine concern of all local communities. Peninsula residents are fighting for the protection, preservation and rezoning of a five acre piece of land known as “Famosa Canyon.” Originally gifted to the City of San Diego for parkland in 1909, it has been used as a passive park for multiple recreational activities. It is one of the last remaining open spaces in the area. For this reason, property owners and residents of the Peninsula community have chosen to appeal directly to San Diego citizens to help save Famosa Canyon from the eminent threat of development.
The citizens of San Diego support this initiative based on the following:
Preserves Famosa Canyon as a open space park. Besides the natural shoreline parks of sunset cliffs and ocean beach, the Peninsula is 32 acres less the required 115 acres per Park & Recreation standard. Parks and open spaces are valuable assets that promote the well-being of all citizens bringing mental and physical benefits.
Prevents added traffic congestion and more demands/strain on out-of-date infrastructure. New development continues degrading the level of service (LOS) within vicinity intersections. The Correia Jr. High School Sports Complex adjacent to the canyon will degrade LOS on Famosa Blvd to “D”. More development may require a Famosa Blvd extension through Famosa Slough to West Point Loma Blvd, costing the city/taxpayers millions.
Gives citizens of San Diego and the Peninsula a voice. The importance of citizen participation in decisions affecting their community ensures all elements of the existing San Diego General Plan policies are utilized, eliminating sole focus on the Housing element. The Plan has several goals directly related to protecting/preserving open space located in the Conservation and Recreation elements.
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