Scott Peters on Turquoise Tower: ‘Right Now the Priority Is to Stop This’

By Marcella Bothwell and Karen Ventimiglia / Special to the OB Rag

The Pacific Beach Town Council and Pacific Beach Planning Group hosted a community Town Hall with Rep. Scott Peters focused on the proposed Turquoise Tower and the broader housing policies reshaping San Diego’s coastal communities.

The discussion made clear that Peters remains strongly supportive of building more housing, but he also acknowledged that California’s current approach can be too blunt. Peters described the political momentum behind state housing mandates as a ‘sledgehammer approach.’ He said Turquoise Tower shows what can happen when those laws are applied without enough nuance.

On Turquoise Tower itself, Peters reiterated that he does not believe the 23-story project should move forward as proposed. He pointed to his previously issued letter opposing the project and said he was willing to help facilitate discussions with the California Coastal Commission about how housing laws should be applied in coastal communities. When asked what height he would consider acceptable, Peters said that under the density-bonus framework he believes should apply, the project would be closer to roughly 60 feet, or about six stories, and said he did not believe it should be higher than that.

The project’s unusual mix of uses was also a major point of discussion. Under the density-bonus framework the developer is relying on, the project can reach a maximum of 74 residential units. The developer is then seeking to use housing incentives to add 139 visitor-accommodation units, bringing the project to 213 total units. Peters said state lawmakers and the City have recognized that the law was being misused and have since moved to close that loophole. The problem, he said, is that Turquoise Tower entered the process before those fixes took effect.

Peters was also asked about Proposition D, San Diego’s voter-approved coastal height limit. He said the 50-year-old law should not be expected to remain unchanged amid growing pressure to build housing. At the same time, he said the concerns behind the law should be respected and that San Diego should preserve what is distinctive about its coastal communities. In his closing remarks, he added: “There’s nothing inconsistent with a height limit and housing.”

Infrastructure and public safety were another recurring theme. Peters said he was particularly concerned about fire safety, the narrowness of Turquoise Street and the difficulty posed by the project’s height. Later, when residents raised evacuation routes, traffic and infrastructure funding, he agreed those issues should be part of planning decisions. He also criticized the City’s current practice of not keeping development impact fees in the neighborhoods where development occurs, saying those funds should be used where the impacts are felt.

On broader housing policy, Peters defended the basic economics of increasing supply and demand and said recent apartment construction has helped put downward pressure on rents through concessions such as free months of rent and free parking. At the same time, he repeatedly emphasized that where housing is built, how it is built and whether it contributes positively to the surrounding community still matter.

One of the strongest themes of the evening was community planning. “Peters urged Pacific Beach residents not to simply oppose projects. He said the community should define the kind of growth it does want and update its community plan accordingly. But an audience member challenged that idea. Why update the plan if state law can override it? Peters said he would not recommend doing the work without concrete assurances from the City and Coastal Commission that the plan would be respected.

The evening closed with Peters urging residents to take an active role in shaping change rather than simply reacting to it. “You can’t stop change,” he said, “but you can own it. You can manage it.” On Turquoise Tower specifically, however, he was unambiguous: “Right now the priority is to stop this from happening.”

Marcella Bothwell is Chair of the Pacific Beach Planning Group and Chair of Neighbors for a Better California. Karen Ventimiglia is Chair of Community Outreach for Neighbors for a Better California.