SAN DIEGO — A new 224-unit apartment complex is proposed for a site behind the Clairemont Village Shopping Center on Cowley Way. CBS 8 spoke with both the property owner and some neighbors who are upset about the size and scope of the project.
“It’s unimaginable to think of putting 224 units into this area in this large parking lot. It just doesn’t fit the community,” said Rosalie Clayton, who rallied a couple dozen of her neighbors to gather at the project site Sunday morning to voice their opposition.
“We just don’t think this is something that really needs to happen here,” said Clayton.
One of the concerns is how high the 7-story apartment complex would be.
“Eighty-three feet at the elevator shaft, which is actually taller than that palm tree that you see over there,” said neighbor Richard Thell while pointing at a palm tree on Cowley Way.
Neighbors in the area said parking is already sparse and very hard to come by.
“We have too much traffic on this street,” said Clayton. “There is no parking available anywhere.”
About 350 dedicated parking spaces are part of the design. Property owner Bruce Kleege said he grew up in the area and bought the entire property, including the shopping center, about ten years ago.
“It’s not a single-family neighborhood. It’s apartments and condominiums right there, and it’s going behind a grocery store that’s there right now, so I think it fits in really, really well,” said Kleege, who also addressed the height concerns by pointing to a 14-story building across the street that currently houses seniors. “The senior complex is twice the height of ours, which is right across the street from us.”
Kleege plans to dedicate 10% of the units to affordable housing, which is about 23 of them.
“The rest of these apartments are going to be high-end cost apartments that are not going to go and have any benefit to our community, but to the pockets of these developers,” said Clayton.
For Bruce, adding these apartments to the parking lot behind Sprouts has been a part of his long-term plan since buying the property.
“We’re just adding apartments in an area that’s under-utilized right now and it’s the perfect place to provide housing for the community right there,” said Kleege.
Meanwhile, Rosalie has been busy talking with neighbors and she has gathered close to 200 signatures on her petition, hoping to keep the building from going up.
“If they can’t get out here to meet, I can go to them,” said Clayton. “I will go that far to get the people heard.”
Kleege says the project will go before the Clairemont Planning Group at an upcoming meeting.
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