On Thursday, San Diego Planning Commissioners approved a proposal from St. Paul's Cathedral to build two towers on Nutmeg and Olive Streets in Bankers Hill. The project that was approved was not the applicant's original plan.
For months, a group of residents lobbied against the project. Their objections included the height of the buildings, one at 178-feet and the other at 153-feet, as well as some of the proposed setbacks. Uptown's community planning group voted to deny the project during a September meeting.
But since that meeting the applicant met with residents to work out a compromise.
The discussions resulted in the applicant reducing the height for one of the towers from 178-feet to 158. And, because of the reduced height, St. Pauls withdrew the proposal to include 11 on-site affordable housing units and instead pay the $1.5 million in-lieu fee to the housing commission.
"That's a compromise that is acceptable to [the residents], and it's reluctantly acceptable to the applicant," said project manager Tom Delaney.
It was also a compromise that planning commissioners agreed to support. The project will now head to the city council for final approval.
On Thursday, San Diego Planning Commissioners approved a proposal from St. Paul's Cathedral to build two towers on Nutmeg and Olive Streets in Bankers Hill. The project that was approved was not the applicant's original plan.
For months, a group of residents lobbied against the project. Their objections included the height of the buildings, one at 178-feet and the other at 153-feet, as well as some of the proposed setbacks. Uptown's community planning group voted to deny the project during a September meeting.
But since that meeting the applicant met with residents to work out a compromise.
The discussions resulted in the applicant reducing the height for one of the towers from 178-feet to 158. And, because of the reduced height, St. Pauls withdrew the proposal to include 11 on-site affordable housing units and instead pay the $1.5 million in-lieu fee to the housing commission.
"That's a compromise that is acceptable to [the residents], and it's reluctantly acceptable to the applicant," said project manager Tom Delaney.
It was also a compromise that planning commissioners agreed to support. The project will now head to the city council for final approval.