During the recent Peninsula Community Planning Board meeting, a suggestion was raised to compile facts about the proposed development at 1004 Rosecrans, the 56-unit apartment complex at Rosecrans and Talbot. Since then neighbors and local residents did just that and here they are.
Plus a Town Hall Meeting has been organized about the project for Tuesday, October 29 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm at S.E.S Portuguese Hall, at 2818 Avenida de Portugal, Point Loma.
DEVELOPMENT FACTS
Michael Contreras owns Northstar LP, the apartment bulking on Ulric its registered at, EKIM Builders which is the builder of record, and Whitesands LLC, the holding company for the Ulric apartment.
The property record in Accela lists NorthStar Homes LP as the owner. The address listed for NorthStar Homes is 2249 Ulric St, San Diego. The CA SecState business number for NorthStar Homes is 201621400018. That address is multifamily apts, with no “offices” for NorthStar Homes. Michael Cotreras is listed as the company’s registered agent at that address.
No project in the Coastal Overlay Zone is eligible to exceed 30 feet in height.
There is effectively O’ setback all the way around the lot perimeter. There may be a foot or two on the back line (Cabrillo Elementary) and northern lot line (Jennings House) So Cabrillo will face a 30′ wall and Jennings House will face and be overshadowed by a 30-40′ shear wall
Under normal conditions, a development such as this would require a traffic study and mitigation, substantial DIF fees, etc. The base zone (14 units) is designed to prevent problems such as this.
There are no residential parking spaces. There are 29 single and 8 tandem (marketable as 16) commercial spaces. These will likely be sold/leased as unbundled spaces for the appts and the commercial first floor space. De facto this puts every residential car on the street without recourse to the city.
The base density allowed by the underlying CC-2-4 zoning is 14 units. To access the Affordable Density bonus for the 2.5 Floor Area Ratio (FAR), they calculated 15% for Very Low Income, 10% for Low Income, and 15% for Moderate Income Deed Restricted Units, which equals 3, 2, and 3 units, respectively. I believe these are all the smallest, -418 sq ft studio appts on the first (street) level.
By using the Affordable Density Bonus of 2.5 FAR, the builder is entitled to 2.5 x 19,524 sq ft (lot area) = 48,810 sq ft. The builder’s calculated, proposed FAR is 46,663 sq ft or 2.39 FAR. So technically compliant using SOMC 148.1015(a) bonuses.
Total build is 31 / studios, 9 / 1-bedroom, 15 / 2-bedroom, and 13-bedroom apartments.
NEIGHBORHOOD FACTS:
The size and scale of this development will be out of character with the historic nature of the Point Loma neighborhood and business district
It will block the view of countless neighboring homes behind and or near the development.
It will create unbearable street parking issues in areas already low on street parking for important existing entities like The Historic Point Loma Assembly, Cabrillo Elementary School, The Historic Jennings House-“1886” and dozens of historically designated homes within walking distance.
It will exacerbate an already heavily congested intersection constantly used by local families, parents walking children to the elementary school next door, kids riding bicycles/e-bikes, boaters pulling trailers to the historic San Diego Yacht Club, dog walkers as well as first responders to the area.
It will hinder current operations of the Point Loma Assembly which is consistently rented out by members of the community for birthday parties, reunions, weddings and is home of the Point Loma Playhouse that does theater productions throughout the year for San Diego residents. The max number of attendees is 120 al of whom must park on Talbot, Evergreen, Armada Terrace and other nearby streets.
Talbot St where the development is proposed is a noted Scenic Drive leading tourists from around the globe to Cabrillo National Monument.
The US Naval Base at the end of Rosecrans already brings massive road congestion issues several times a day at 6:00am to 7:00am and 2 00pm to 4:00
Additionally traffic backs up at 8:00 to 8:30 and again at 2:00 to 2:30 for pickups and drop offs of children to the Cabrillo Elementary school located on adjacent and on the same street as the development.
There is no true “transit center” near the development. There is only a single bus stop in the area and true transit center 3-miles away at Old Town. There will likely be two cars for each unit so 112 cars going to and from that building day in and day out. Most of which will take up parking spaces on Rosecrans, Talbot and all neighboring residential streets.
This will signal to other developers both in and out of state that the historic Point Loma area is up for sale to the highest bidder. TO BE CLEAR: If this starts, the landslide of developers looking to cash in on similar neighborhood lots will never stop.
Without massive community input, opposition and uprising this would go through unchecked as it is being treated as “ministerial” meaning no need for public input because of mayor Gloria’s “Complete Communities” program.
Great Summary. DEFEAT GLORIA! Save Our Neighborhoods.
The community meeting will be at 2818 Avenida de Portugal, Point Loma.
Here’s some choice comments re the project owner from the U-T:
Rafael Bautista of the San Diego Tenants Union said that while there is a desperate need for mixed-income residential developments, his organization has opposed Contreras’ business practices and considers him “one of the worst” landlords the group has dealt with.
“He has used programs that are meant for low-income tenants to beautify the properties, improve the exterior, boost the values, and those same tenants, he’s kicked them out,” Bautista alleged. “Last year we protested him trying to evict a building full of tenants.”
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2024/10/22/proposal-for-four-story-apartment-commercial-building-raises-objections-in-point-loma/
Given over 50% of the units are studios, assuming there will be 2 cars per unit seems like a bit of a stretch. Definitely agree the development has major problems, just want to make sure we don’t get too loose with numbers when addressing them.
Is this a Complete Community project? I assume it as bus 84 (I think) runs by there.
What in all heck… the coffee shop and Point Loma Assembly are designated historical buildings aren’t they?