Impacts of upzoning, report on meetings held & to come

NFABC.org

Special Report

Upzoning

Building taller, denser housing

projects - like the 23-story

Turquoise tower - was supposed

to boost affordable housing &

diversify neighborhoods

The research is finding

that hasn't happened

Housing experts have extensively studied the impacts of upzoning. Spurred by the specter of a proposed 23-story skyscraper being plunked down in the middle of a Pacific Beach neighborhood with long-honored 30-foot height limits, Neighbors for a Better California (NFABC) looked at the upzoning research in four cities:

Vancouver - Where author and University of British Columbia professor Patrick Condon asks why a city that has added more housing - much of it upzoned skyscrapers - than any city in North America has the highest housing prices in North America.

Bloomington, Indiana - Where upzoning advocates said taller buildings would bring greater diversity for Bloomington. Instead, upzoning has been found to displace lower income tenants in upzoned areas.

New York City - Where studies of upzoning done between 2000-2010 found that upzoning has made neighborhoods Whiter, not more diversified.

Chicago - Where upzoning in 2013 and 2015 brought “an increase in property values in upzoned areas” and an increase in the cost of living in upzoned neighborhoods.

How could a simple YIMBY argument that affordable housing would result by building skyscrapers to increase the supply of housing go so wrong?

See the Special Report

NFABC's view:

State's solutions

are way out of balance

Housing is so complex that no one has all the answers. Neighbors for a Better California (NFABC) doesn’t. Neither do politicians in Sacramento.

But one thing is clear about solving California's housing problems:

Taking rights away is never the right way.

You won’t find balanced housing solutions that work for most, if not all, if you exclude from the decision-making process the citizens living in the neighborhoods where development is proposed.

Instead of solutions, you will find desperate citizens protesting in the streets or gathering in hastily called meetings in community halls. We’ve seen these scenes of protest repeated all too often in recent months in Pacific Beach, Pt. Loma, Oceanside, Hillcrest, Encanto … the list goes on across the state.

When the City of San Diego cannot, because of state law, quickly reject a badly flawed 23-story hotel/luxury condo complex proposed under the guise of providing affordable housing, something is clearly wrong.

In an attempt to correct decades of inadequate building and bad housing decisions by some communities, Sacramento has tipped the scales to an extreme position that favors developers and excludes citizens. The scales need to be balanced. The solutions need to be less extreme.

Read the full editorial in Special Reports

Campaign expanding:

Alvarez staff meeting,

citywide efforts ahead

No matter what happens with the Turquoise Tower - and the city tells us it is still in the early stages of reviewing the project's application following the guidance it received from the California Department of Housing and Community Development - the NFABC campaign is moving ahead with gathering momentum. Some meeting notes:

Meeting with mayor's staff

On Friday, NFABC met with staff members of Mayor Todd Gloria. The bottom line is that mayor's office is in the first steps of its investigation in the Turquoise Tower proposal. Much information is needed from the developer before decisions are made.

Citywide efforts in works

In February, NFABC will join with Neighbors for a Better San Diego and other community groups to discuss city-wide efforts on housing opposition. Two other meetings with city groups will be held in January.

Meeting with Alvarez'

chief of staff

On Thursday, NFABC will meet via Zoom with Travis Knowles, Chief of Staff for Assembly member David Alvarez. Rep. Alvarez authored a bill that paved the way for the Turquoise Tower proposal. On December 12, however, Alvarez said he was "wary of high-rise buildings popping up all over San Diego's coastal neighborhoods."

If built as planned, how would

the Turquoise Tower

impact you?

We’d love to hear your thoughts! If the Turquoise Tower is built as planned, how would it affect you? Share your story with us by clicking on the link below and answering the question on a short form at NFABC.org.

We’ll review responses to better understand the diverse perspectives in our community. If you’re open to sharing more, we may reach out to explore featuring your story in a short video. Thank you for contributing!

Tell us your story link

Significant announcements are in the works. In addition to our website at NFABC.org and this eNewsletter, you can get the latest news about the Turquoise Tower and other developments across the city and state on social media. Our handle on X.com, Facebook, and Instagram is @neighbors4CA. Reshare and repost our content to help spread the word about important events and updates!

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Our mission:

To advocate for responsible zoning, legislation, and community planning that promotes sustainable growth and improves the quality of life for all Californians.

Our vision:

To collaborate with political leaders and stakeholders to create housing opportunities through policies that promote inclusive, balanced, and community-centered development.