By Richard Santini on behalf of Preserve Greater Golden Hill
Greater Golden Hill is one of San Diego’s most historically rich and culturally diverse neighborhoods. Nestled just southeast of Balboa Park, it has long stood at the intersection of San Diego’s past and future. From its earliest days, Golden Hill attracted artists, working families, civic leaders, and immigrants drawn to its proximity to downtown, its walkable streets, affordable housing, and sweeping views of the bay and Coronado. Two areas of its graceful 19th- and early 20th-century homes are city designated historic districts, but the character of the neighborhood extends far beyond the district’s’ boundaries. What defines Golden Hill is the coexistence of history, architecture, and cultural diversity that gives the community its unique soul.
Today, that soul is under threat. In the rush to meet housing targets, developers are forcing through projects that are out of scale, out of character, and out of touch with neighborhood realities. These are not the “gentle density” promised in planning documents. They are large, profit-driven complexes shoehorned into spaces meant for smaller-scale housing. This unchecked growth poses risks to safety, affordability, and livability—placing profit above people.
Compromised Public Safety
Mayor Gloria’s Complete Communities Executive Order 2024-1 allows expedited approvals only if “expedited service maintains protections for public health and safety.” Yet projects are being advanced without those protections.
- Flight Path Ignored: The proposed eight-story apartment building on A Street sits directly in a flight path, yet cleared permitting without the required permanent FAA structure permit.
- Traffic Safety Neglected: The same project sits across from Albert Einstein Academy Elementary. Our own traffic study revealed a 30% increase in traffic during school hours, while non school traffic was already beyond the threshold for a traffic study, yet no study was required under Complete Communities. Adding 180 units here will only heighten the risks for children and families.
Strain on Infrastructure
Golden Hill’s infrastructure—streets, sewers, and storm drains, some more than a century old—was never designed for this level of density. In the past two years alone, 789 new housing units have been built or permitted, with safe-sleeping programs adding an estimated 4,646 more residents relying on the same infrastructure. That represents a 33% increase in demand in just two years, without any meaningful upgrades.
Ignoring Fire Hazards
Our community is bordered on three sides by canyons, placing it in a “Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone.” Residents at the north end rely on just three main evacuation corridors. Along a 10-block stretch of the 30th/Fern corridor alone, 466 units have recently been built or permitted. Deputy Fire Marshals have raised concerns that no evacuation or clearance-time modeling has been done, yet the city continues approving projects without assessing cumulative fire and safety impacts.
Erosion of Affordability
Despite claims that more housing creates affordability, the reality in Golden Hill is the opposite. New developments are marketed at luxury prices, while older, more affordable housing is demolished for replacement buildings that yield fewer truly affordable units. Working families are locked out, renters are displaced, and opportunities for homeownership—the foundation of generational wealth—are shrinking.
Neglect of Community Input
Residents consistently raise concerns about safety, affordability, and livability, yet projects move forward with little to no meaningful engagement. Three Complete Communities developments, each exceeding 160 units, appear to have advanced without the required community workshops. This lack of accountability erodes public trust and undermines the very spirit of neighborhood planning.
Loss of Character and History
Every Victorian, Craftsman, or Spanish Revival home demolished for an oversized “modern infill” project erases another piece of San Diego’s living history. Once lost, Golden Hill’s unique architectural character and charm cannot be replaced.
A Call for Responsible Growth
Golden Hill is not opposed to growth. We recognize the need for housing solutions that are inclusive, thoughtful, and sustainable. What we oppose is reckless development that ignores infrastructure, dismisses community voices, and sacrifices history for short-term gain. Growth must not come at the expense of livability.
As members of Preserve Greater Golden Hill, we join the San Diego Community Coalition in calling for:
- Comprehensive Infrastructure Planning: Development must account for the cumulative impacts of all projects, not just each in isolation. Traffic, stormwater, schools, and emergency services must be addressed holistically.
- Truly Affordable Housing: Policies must ensure new housing is accessible to working families, not just marketed to high-income tenants.
- Meaningful Community Engagement: Residents deserve a real voice in shaping their neighborhoods through in-person workshops, transparent communication, and accountability from developers and planners.
- Protection of Historic Assets: Golden Hill’s historic homes and streetscapes should be preserved and integrated into future growth, not bulldozed for short-term profit.
- Preserving San Diego’s Story
Golden Hill is more than a convenient site for development. It is a living, breathing community whose history, diversity, and culture are assets to the entire city of San Diego. These qualities deserve thoughtful stewardship, not unchecked exploitation.
Golden Hill’s story is San Diego’s story: a place where past and present meet, where people from many walks of life come together, and where the promise of community remains alive. Let us ensure this story continues—not as a warning of what was lost, but as proof of what a city can preserve when it values its neighborhoods and its people.
Sincerely,
Preserve Greater Golden Hill
Well spoken on an important issue affecting all of the communities of California!
Well written article and to the point. Thank you OBrag