San Diego

To curb the building of high-density housing in Southeast San Diego before a new community plan for the area is completed, the City Council has passed an emergency ordinance that requires such projects to undergo additional review by the Planning Department.

The ordinance, passed unanimously Tuesday, requires that developers wishing to build high-density projects obtain a planned residential development permit or a conditional-use permit.

Councilman William Jones introduced the measure at the request of residents who were concerned about the number of historic homes in the area that were being demolished to make way for apartments and condominium complexes, said Rich Juarez, Jones’ aide.

The area’s community plan--last updated in 1969--permits such developments, but a revised community plan to be considered by the council in March will most likely call for a reduction in the maximum allowable housing density. The emergency ordinance is designed to prevent a flood of high-density projects before the zoning laws are changed, Juarez said.

“The intent is to maintain the integrity of the neighborhoods,” Juarez said. “The intent is to preserve the building stock and encourage rehabilitation.”

The ordinance affects the Sherman Heights area, bounded by California 94, Imperial Avenue, 25th Street and Interstate 5; the Uvas area, bounded by 47th and 49th streets, Martin Luther King Way, and the San Diego & Arizona Eastern Railway tracks, and the Naranja area, bounded by Euclid Avenue, Naranja Street, the railroad tracks and 54th Street.