San Diego is Updating Five Community Plans, Increasing the City’s Development Capacity
The City of San Diego is in the process of updating its General Plan and five of its 52 total community plans, which will provide significant development opportunities in Clairemont Mesa, College Area, Hillcrest, University, and Mid-City. Community plans serve as detailed development frameworks that are specifically tailored to specific communities and support the City’s General Plan.
The General Plan Update, known as Blueprint SD, prepares for the City’s growth through 2050, when the City is projected to have approximately 1.6 million residents, by increasing housing production opportunities while satisfying the City’s climate action goals. A recommendation to City Council on Blueprint SD and the Environmental Impact Report that analyzes Blueprint SD, the University Community Plan Update, and the Hilcrest Focused Plan Amendment will be considered by the Planning Commission on May 30, 2024.
Below is a summary of the five Community Plan updates that are currently in progress:[1]
- Clairemont Mesa Community Plan
The Clairemont Mesa Community Plan was adopted in 1989. An updated Draft Clairemont Mesa Community Plan was circulated for public review in 2021 and the City is currently working on a revised draft that incorporates input from the community and Planning Commission. The release of the revised draft is anticipated later this year.
The 2021 Draft Community Plan envisions “the development of active, pedestrian-oriented nodes, corridors, and unique villages that contribute to a strong sense of place and community identity, which are connected through a transportation network that serves vehicles and encourages walking, biking, and transit use, as well as acknowledges the natural network of canyons and open spaces as an integral part of intra-community connectivity.” The draft Community Plan currently anticipates over 43,000 residential units in the Plan area over a 30-year planning horizon. The update will also implement a Community Plan Implementation Overlay Zone (CPIOZ) Type A, which is an overlay that allows for certain projects to be approved ministerially if they meet certain development restrictions.
- College Area Community Plan
Like the Clairemont Mesa Community Plan, the College Area Community Plan was adopted in 1989 and is due for an update. The vision for the College Area Community Plan Update is “a college town with vibrant mixed-use corridors and villages, that are connected to neighborhoods and the University, and that enhance the community.” These villages are intended to be “15-minute neighborhoods” that provide residents with access to schools, retail, and offices within a 15-minute walk. The College Area Community Plan will focus on increasing housing for all income groups. The latest Planning Commission workshop indicated a staff-recommended buildout estimate of almost 35,000 homes in the Plan area, which is over 18,000 additional homes compared to buildout of the current community plan. Once Blueprint SD is completed, work will resume on the first draft of the College Area Community Plan.
- Hillcrest Focused Plan Amendment to the Uptown Community Plan
The Hillcrest Focused Plan Amendment was initiated in 2020 to build upon the 2016 Uptown Community Plan. The latest draft was released in May 2024 and the plan is anticipated to be completed this summer. The plan focuses on housing, mobility, and public spaces. Historic preservation is also an important component to the plan, and will involve protecting structures, sites, and the history and heritage of Hilcrest’s LGBTQ+ community. The community is estimated to have a future population of 109,800 people and 52,800 dwelling units at plan buildout. The draft Hillcrest Focused Plan Amendment plans for the development of more homes within mixed-use and residential areas, stores, and local businesses.
- University Community Plan
The University Community Plan area is located about 13 miles north of downtown San Diego. The current 1987 University Community Plan does not contain capacity for additional homes and a majority of the 1987 Plan’s non-residential capacity has been built. The most recent Draft University Community Plan was released in May 2024. The plan is being updated to accommodate population and job growth, to encourage transit-oriented and walkable mixed-use development, and to revitalize shopping centers into mixed-use areas. One of the plan’s goals is to increase residential density across the community. The plan projects that University will have a development capacity of 57,000 residential units over its 30-year planning horizon. The plan will focus on opportunities to develop more homes near transit areas, such as mixed-use development centered around Trolley stations. The plan is also expected to reduce per capital greenhouse gas emissions and accommodate new supportive infrastructure and open space.
- Mid-City Communities Plan
The Mid-City Communities Plan is being updated for the first time in 25 years. The Mid-City Communities Plan includes four communities: City Heights, Eastern Area, Kensington-Talmage, and Normal Heights. The update will identify opportunities for new homes, businesses, and infrastructure. This is one of the most recent proposed updates within San Diego and the City is currently in the process of collecting community input.
The upcoming community plan updates will provide significant opportunities in several communities in San Diego. The new plans will spur major growth in the housing and employment sectors. If you have questions regarding San Diego community plan updates, please contact Morgan Gallagher at mgallagher@coxcastle.com.
[1] Note that community plan updates are constantly evolving and subject to change. If you have questions about a specific Community Plan, please contact us.