The San Diego City Council Tuesday unanimously approved an update to the Mission Valley Community Plan, which calls for increased mixed-use development that is pedestrian-friendly and helps residents make better use of public transit.
The update will be applied to the original community plan, which the council first approved in 1985 and has amended more than 20 times since. According to city officials, the update was necessitated to plan for future growth in the area and bring the Mission Valley plan into compliance with the city's current General Plan and its Climate Action Plan.
The update replaces outdated zoning ordinances with land use designations that will allow for the development of some 28,000 additional homes in the area, according to the city. The update also includes plans to add bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure to make Mission Valley more connected and easier to traverse without a car.
"It's no secret that I'm a big believer in local planning, that San Diegans should control what happens in our neighborhoods, not Sacramento," City Councilwoman Barbara Bry said. "And I think today is a poster child for why San Diego should be in charge of what happens in our city."
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The update also includes consideration of San Diego State University's Mission Valley redevelopment project, which includes a new stadium to be primarily used by the university's football team, a satellite campus, a park along the San Diego River and commercial and residential space.
City and SDSU officials estimate the addition of nearly 5,000 new housing units and roughly 7,000 jobs as part of the redevelopment project. SDSU is currently in talks with the city to buy the 132-acre parcel of land on which SDCCU Stadium sits.
On its current timeline, the university expects to break ground on the project in early 2020 and complete the redevelopment in its entirety by the mid-2030s.
"The Mission Valley Community Plan Update is a no-brainer that will increase desperately needed housing stock, improve amenities for residents and will help the city meet its climate action goals," City Councilman Scott Sherman said. "I appreciate my council colleagues for approving this important community plan update."
