With all the housing construction in Hillcrest, the crane could be considered the neighborhood bird. It’s left some residents wondering if they’ll have to fly the coop, as the luxury apartments keep soaring in their neighborhood.
"All of these new, beautiful luxury apartments are coming in, but that just means a higher rental value,” said Emily Nowland, who lives in Hillcrest and works at Artist & Craftsman Supply, adding that every time she renews her lease, it goes up.
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It’s a sentiment echoed by Hillcrest resident Mitchell Wilson.
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“I don't see anything but the cost going up. Rent keeps increasing. They just went up $100 a month where I live," Wilson said. "It's hard to make it here in San Diego, and even with the promise of building all these new buildings and making it a denser area, I don't believe that's going to solve the problem."
But some housing advocates argue all the high-density housing is needed to help reduce rent costs.
That's why during Tuesday’s scheduled San Diego City Council meeting, the council could approve the "Hillcrest Focused Plan Amendment.” It would pave the way for 17,000 new housing units in Hillcrest, helping to more than double the population in the Uptown area from about 40,000 people now to 100,000 by the year 2050.
Business owners like Ignacio Fragoso at La Vecindad are salivating over the possibility of more customers. But Fragoso agrees with Nowland in that the development proposal could make parking even more of a problem.
“I have some customers who say, 'I was trying to get into your place, but that I couldn't find a parking spot, so I just left,'" Fragoso said.
"If we have too many apartments, it does impact the access to businesses, and then we won't have places like Artist & Craftsman Supply," Nowland said.
The high-density plan also includes high rises that could tower more than 20 stories. It could also turn parts of both Robinson Avenue and University Avenue — which is a major artery through Hillcrest — into one-way streets from First Avenue to 10th Avenue.
“San Diego drivers, I think, struggle with one ways," Nowland said. "I see a lot of drivers going the wrong direction."
That safety concern is echoed by several businesses, though the planning commission says Hillcrest is ripe for high-density, high-rise developments.
The city council is also expected to vote on a similar plan that would double the population of University City by adding more than 30,000 high density housing units in that area.
