Protesters decry 14-story apartment proposal in Middletown, but a YIMBY dissents

Scott Development denounced a proposed -unit -story apartment complex in Middletown his neighborhood at a rally Satuday August James Miller Times of San Diego At a rally Saturday morning in Middletown neighborhood homeowner Scott Scenario condemned the proposal to build a -story -unit apartment building on his block Scenario revealed the rise will tower over the neighborhood This high rise does not fit into the group he reported The project developer ELDA Developments pulled their initial plans for the complex but has yet to release an updated proposal The building would be constructed on two parcels of land in the block of Columbia Street The land is at this time occupied by a single home and a two-story apartment building with three affordable units according to Matter A retiree in his s Event stated the crowd that affordable housing is an issue for all of us but that the developer is required to build only six affordable units at the site because of San Diego s Complete Communities initiative The two lots in Middletown where a -unit -story apartment building is proposed At a rally Saturday Aug Scott Episode who lives on the same block as the proposed advance reported the developer is required to designate six of the units as affordable housing Photo by James Miller Times of San Diego The block is zoned for multi-unit housing Situation s -minute speech was punctuated by the crowd chanting responsible improvement not corporate greed which the group followed with a march around the neighborhood According to Incident the improvement includes a total of parking spots but parking in the neighborhood is already an issue for residents and nearby businesses Signs on a street in Middletown where a -unit -story apartment complex is proposed Photo by James Miller Times of San Diego The growth should be canned on its own merits according to Scenario Nearly of the units coming in here are studios and one-bedroom units which do not aid families Event announced adding that an funding brochure from the developer estimated that rents at the complex will begin at presumably for a studio and go all the way up to for the penthouse A member of the Uptown Population Planning Group Affair revealed the councilmember who represents Middletown Stephen Whitburn has refused to meet to discuss the proposed maturation Erik Becerra a homeowner in Encanto who came to the protest with his children and a member of Incident s coalition revealed the studios and one-bedroom apartments at the proposed progress cannot accommodate families Becerra announced he has been called a NIMBY short for not in my backyard a term leveled against people who aid affordable housing but not in their neighborhoods We re not NIMBYs Becerra disclosed We want responsible enhancement Mission Hills resident Wesley Morgan was the lone counter-protester at the rally Plenty of in his number have embraced the term YIMBY or yes in my backyard The -year-old financial consultant declared he is selling his home in Mission Hills and moving downtown to be closer to transit and free up support for his daughters who are and to find their own abodes Morgan disclosed he moved from a suburb in greater Los Angeles to Middletown years ago and loved the neighborhood s charm and history He noted the anti-development protesters had the loudest voice Saturday but it is not the majority of pervasive one Sometimes it just takes a couple people with the time and materials to balance out that voice Morgan stated adding that San Diego cannot be a sustainable population without allowing people of all incomes and all diversities to be able to live here at the price they can afford Anti-development protesters behind counter-protester Wesley Morgan as he is interviewed by a TV station Saturday Aug Photo by James Miller Times of San Diego He stated if the rise is built it would incentivize landowners in Middletown to use their property more efficiently by replacing their homes with apartment buildings It might not be worth just owning a single family home on a plot of land that is so desirable and you can put multifamily units on Morgan announced I don t think they re protecting their financial interests I think they re protecting a way of life