BLACK mobile logo

california

politics

23 Homes, a Footnote, and a Fight Over Park Space: The Klauber Project Explained

July 16, 2025

The San Diego City Council recently approved a controversial housing development in Encanto by a 6-3 vote, despite significant community opposition. Known as the Klauber Development, the project will subdivide four large lots into 23 smaller lots for market-rate housing on a 5. 66-acre green space that many residents had hoped would become a public park.

Who is affected

  • Residents of the Encanto neighborhood and broader Southeastern San Diego community
  • District 4 residents who opposed the development and raised funds for legal representation
  • Future homebuyers who will purchase the market-rate homes (none designated as affordable housing)
  • Neighboring property owners adjacent to the development site
  • Community members who had envisioned the space as a future public park

What action is being taken

  • The City Council has approved the Klauber Development project to proceed with 23 housing units
  • Community members have raised over $20,000 to hire legal representation to fight the development
  • Councilmember Foster is calling for the planning department to review the Municipal Code and processes
  • The developer has revised their original proposal to include a privately owned dog park in response to community concerns
  • Community members are submitting formal objections through legal channels regarding potential California Environmental Quality Act violations

Why it matters

  • The development represents ongoing tensions between housing development and community planning in historically marginalized areas
  • It highlights concerns about discriminatory zoning policies that concentrate development in areas with higher poverty rates and minority populations
  • The project exposes a disconnect between community desires for green space and the city's housing development priorities
  • The controversy reveals potential issues with transparency and community engagement in the development approval process
  • The case sets a precedent for projects approved under Footnote 7 despite the policy having since been removed

What's next

  • Councilmember Foster indicated he will ask the planning department to review the Municipal Code and processes to prevent similar situations in the future
  • No explicit next steps stated in the article regarding the development's construction timeline or potential legal challenges to the approval

Read full article from source: The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint