Planning Commission approves dense housing near Morena Boulevard trolley stations

The San Diego Planning Commission unanimously approved a proposal Thursday that would allow high-rise housing projects near new trolley stations along Morena Boulevard while revamping the street grid between Interstate 5 and the University of San Diego.

The goal of the proposal, which the City Council is expected to consider this spring, is to help solve the city’s lack of housing with population-dense projects along the new trolley line, scheduled to begin operating in 2021.

Many nearby residents oppose raising the limits on building heights.

The plan would lift the height limit from 45 feet to 65 feet near the existing Linda Vista/Morena trolley station and up to 100 feet near the new Tecolote station.

Residents say such dense housing would damage the character of the area, worsen traffic congestion and block views of Mission Bay for houses in Overlook Heights and Bay Park.

They also contend the plan overestimates how many residents will use the trolley instead of vehicles, and the plan fails to require that a significant portion of the new housing be restricted for people with low incomes.

Planning Commissioners said they understand those concerns, but it’s crucial to add dense housing along new trolley lines so residents have the option of using mass transit to commute instead of automobiles.

“We are not unsympathetic,” Commissioner James Whalen said during Thursday’s public hearing. “We’ve heard many times from the local community their concerns about densification.”

But Whalen said he believes the taller structures can be built without damaging the area aesthetic.

“Community character isn’t supposed to be a tool to stifle change, it’s a design reference to allow change to be directed in a way that’s consistent with the community,” he said.

The plan covers a 280-acre area that follows the path of the new trolley line in Clairemont and Linda Vista, then extends east to include the existing Linda Vista/Morena trolley station on the green line.

The two new trolley stations included in the plan will be located where Morena Boulevard crosses Clairemont Drive and where Morena Boulevard crosses Tecolote.

The plan aims to transform a mostly blighted, auto-oriented industrial area into a dense trolley-oriented village. It would revamp the somewhat chaotic street grid there by aligning public streets or private drives with Vega, Dorcas and Buenos Avenues at West Morena Boulevard.

david.garrick@sduniontribune.com (619) 269-8906 Twitter:@UTDavidGarrick