Reporter Tyler Faurot at the Pt Loma-OB Monthly wrote up an update on the 72 units coming to the Famosa Canyon site close to Nimitz. He also accounted for some of the local community opposition to the project which will include some affordable units.
By Tyler Faurot / Point Loma – OB Monthly (SDUT) / January 9, 2025
A 5-acre lot at the intersection of Famosa and Nimitz boulevards in Point Loma is on the way to being developed into an affordable-housing complex after being sold by the San Diego Housing Commission.
But the plan has raised concern among local residents who fear the development would diminish an already low amount of open space on the Peninsula. The lot is a popular location for off-road biking.
The proposed project would include 72 units divided into three buildings, each three stories tall. There also would be a managerial suite.
The rent per unit would be based on a sliding scale, depending on the income of the tenants and the size of each space.
The lowest rent tier — a one-bedroom apartment with an annual household income of $36,400 — would be $852 a month. The highest tier — a three-bedroom apartment for a four-person household with income of $125,000 — would be just over $3,000 monthly.
The project also is slated to include onsite above-ground parking, though Eric Brown, senior vice president of policy and communications for developer BRIDGE Housing Corp., said the number of parking spaces is still being determined.
The sale was authorized in late 2024 for $1.3 million, and the project is entering the planning phase, a process that is expected to take 12-18 months. No opening date for the housing has been scheduled. … BRIDGE said the estimated cost of the development has not been determined but that the group is adept at financing projects through “tax credits and other tools from the public and private sectors.”
Reporter Faurot said the lot has been used for off-road cycling “since 2017.” It actually has been used by locals much longer. He quoted a couple of opponents, including resident Darren Miller who claimed he and his son “first build the mounds and hills that make up the cycling track” and that the space has become a “community treasure.” Miller said:
“I understand there is a shortage of housing. There is also a shortage of open space. Housing could be developed and created elsewhere, but this cannot be re-created anywhere else. There is no other land.”
Faurot did speak with Peninsula Community Planning Board member Eric Law who echoed Miller’s concern and questioned the development’s possible ecological impact. He said:
“We have always maintained that the Famosa Canyon needed to be maintained as is, in part because it is natural wetlands and drainage for the Peninsula into Famosa Slough.”
Law added that the wetlands and their associated drainage remain a development constraint. Law also complained about the “lack of communication between the city and the Peninsula Community Planning Board about the project and the sale of the lot.” He said:
“We received the city’s notice via email at the same time as everyone else. The PCPB has always opposed this development, as it eliminates much-needed green space … without any appreciable benefit to the community.”
Yet, opposition to development at the site has waxed and waned over the years. In 2018, opponents formed a group, made a video of their cause, set up a website, and claimed they had collected a 1,000 signatures for a petition in opposition. In 2022, Save Famosa Canyon sued the Housing Commission because communication had gotten so bad that they felt they had to rely on legal means for information about the project.
One could surmise that due to Councilmember Campbell’s support for the housing project, the sale to Bridge being authorized by the Housing Authority, it was a done deal — opponents had not been listened to or their concerns dealt with. They had been defeated.
Fantastic news for affordable housing advocates! As we always say, we’ve got an AFFORDABLE housing crisis and this is the kind of project I’d love to see in my community too. I did a quick Zillow search and the cheapest apartments for rent anywhere around this development is $2K (!!!) so those $845/month apartments are going to be HUGE! Also I love that it’ll be right next to Bill Cleator Park, which has a ton of open space for people to use. THIS is the blueprint for making San Diego more affordable.Not a bunch of highrises for Starbucks drinking Millennials but homes for the people who need it.
I like how this article is tagged “Civil Rights”
Housing is a civil right as is neighborhood democracy. What’s your problem?
It’s no secret the peninsula has historically stood in the way of affordable housing and as a result has one of the least diverse populations in the County. 72 affordable units is a positive AFFH step towards diversity of housing options in support of equity, fair housing choice, and opportunity for lower income groups in our area.
Was the meaning of this tag intended to mean something else?
Hey, where’s the off-ramp from north bound Nimitz to Famosa that has been on City of San Diego maps forever? If this were a typical development, the developer would have to fund infrastructure improvements that are contiguous to the project.
Just because this is so called affordable housing, why the free pass?
You know what they say, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander.
Does anyone really believe this is going to turn into affordable housing by the time it’s actually built? this is likely yet another money grab by developers who will raise the rents as soon as development is done, once you factor in budget overages, time overages, environmental permits and delays, etc. They even said that the estimated cost is unknown at this time. Them saying “affordable housing” is a loophole to get the city to sell them the land. There is no way the studio apartments will be rented for $845 by the time this place is ready for occupancy, and anyone who believes it is a fool.