Community meeting discussing San Diego Unified employee housing in University Heights draws big crowd
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — About a month after the San Diego Unified school board approved a plan to move forward with affordable housing projects on five district owned sites, a workshop was held to discuss one of the properties.
Monday’s meeting involved getting feedback on the Eugene Brucker Education Center in University Heights that currently houses district headquarters. It was a packed room in with people eager to give their input.
“We have been flexible for seven years and there’s been so much give-and-take and that doesn’t stop, right. The idea we want to convey is we have a great starting point,” said Marc Johnson, President of the University Heights Community Association.
The key message from the many who showed up wearing red in solidarity was to stick with a previously drafted plan which was the result of a long collaboration between community members and a consultant group hired by the district.
It involves building height limits, keeping the number of units around 500, prioritizing open space and preserving two historic buildings.
“We are really pleased that the district has incorporated the preservation and rehabilitation of both those buildings into the request for proposals that went out to developers,” said Kristin Harms, President of the University Heights Historical Society.
Two large heritage trees were left off the list of requirements for now, but the importance was noted during the meeting.
The district encouraged people to break out into small groups and mark up a map of the site with their ideas and suggestions. Newcomers seemed to open to the idea of more units.
“I started following Vibrant Uptown and SD Biking Coalition and for me personally the housing shortage, affordable housing too, is a huge problem. I think a unit with increased density would be appealing, especially to house more San Diego Unified staff and teachers,” said Alyssa Hom who doesn’t live in University Heights, but the greater Uptown community.
While some of those who had been involved in giving feedback for the last several years questioned why it felt like the process was being repeated.
“We heard people talking about 2,000 units. We hear people talking about no cars. So everything that we’ve worked for, for seven years, erased and starting over again,” explained Johnson.
The school board’s vote in march signaled a commitment to provide affordable housing opportunities for 10% of the staff, over the next decade.
The Sites Include The Current District Headquarters In University Heights, the Revere Center in Linda Vista, Ballard Center in Old Town, the Instructional Media Center in Serra Mesa, and a commercial street property in Logan Heights.
The district has already completed the Livia complex in Scripps Ranch and has approved a contract for the old central elementary site
Proposals for the Eugene Brucker site will be accepted until August 26 the school board will likely decide which one to move forward with by sometime in December.
