The City Council voted 7-1 July 24 to approve 26 small condominium conversion projects that will transform a total of 143 apartment units in Pacific Beach, Mission Beach and Ocean Beach.
The council turned down an appeal from attorney Cory Briggs and the Citizens for Responsible Equitable Environmental Development (CREED). Briggs argued that all of the projects should be evaluated for their effect on the environment and the shortage of affordable housing.
Briggs was also critical that the council held one hearing for the 75 projects that he was appealing. He stated the council could not give “meaningful consideration to each project’s unique impacts” by consolidating all of them in one hearing.
City staff recommended the council deny all the appeals and allow the projects to go forward. They told the council there is no significant change to the area.
Seventy-sixth District Assemblywoman Lori Saldaãa (D-San Diego) spoke against the condo conversions.
“The city failed to do a study of the impacts,” Saldaãa said.
She added that there is a lack of parking in the affected areas and more cars will be in the area after the condo conversions. City staff disagreed, arguing that unrelated renters typically have more cars than related condo owners.
The largest project up for conversion was 1621 La Playa in Pacific Beach, with 24 apartment units changing into condos. Most of the projects were small, with some having only two or four units changing.
Councilman Kevin Faulconer made a motion to deny the appeals and tentatively approve maps for the conversions in his district, which was seconded by Council President Scott Peters.
The council also approved 49 other condo conversion projects in other areas of the city in a 7-1 vote, with Councilwoman Donna Frye as the lone dissenter.
However, Frye did vote to approve one condo conversion project in La Jolla on Calle Frescota. James M. Thomas told the council he was converting a duplex into two units so that his two daughters could live in them. Frye thanked Thomas for coming to council with specific information on the project, as most of the project owners did not appear.
The council took 75 separate votes.