Overview
- The City Council passed updated community plans for both neighborhoods in 7-1 votes, replacing 1989 blueprints after years of public review.
- City data show the College Area’s housing capacity climbing from 8,200 to 34,000 units, with plan materials also describing room for up to 17,750 additional homes near SDSU and key corridors.
- Clairemont’s plan targets roughly a 59% increase to about 52,800 units, prioritizing mid-rise mixed-use villages at nine shopping centers while largely preserving single-family areas.
- Council President Joe LaCava criticized the smaller Clairemont upzoning as a missed opportunity, and Councilmember Raul Campillo cast the lone no vote on the College Area plan, citing resource gaps and a settlement steering affordable housing to higher-resource areas.
- Public feedback diverged, with strong College Area opposition over infrastructure and fire-safety risks, as officials emphasized that new parks, a fire station, transit upgrades, and street changes may take years and are not guaranteed.