REJECT PACKAGE A – City Council, February 24
Protect Historic Resources
Dear Friends,
The City Council hearing on Package A is now set for Feb. 24.
SOHO thanks everyone who has already shown up, written comments, shared information, or simply stayed engaged.
Your continued participation matters because the stakes of this proposal are clear.
Please calendar February 24 at 1:00 p.m. now.
This is an important opportunity to demonstrate to the City Council what matters to you—and what you expect them to prioritize as well.
Showing up still matters. Voicing your opposition matters.
City Council may be inclined to treat the Preservation and Progress Package A as a foregone conclusion, particularly since staff has presented it that way—highlighting the hearings in which Package A received approval while omitting the full record, including the Historical Resources Board’s rejection and the Community Planning Committee’s unanimous rejection.
We are not asking for perfection. We are asking for participation.
You do not need to be an expert. You do not need to speak unless you wish to. Simply being in the room, adding your presence to the record, and standing with others who care sends a clear message: that this issue is not settled, and the community is paying attention to how councilmembers vote.Historic places are not renewable resources. Once they are gone, they are gone forever.
Package A weakens the systems that protect historic places making future losses easier, faster, and harder to stop.
Despite repeated claims to the contrary, historic preservation does not block housing. In fact, the rate of ADU development per square mile within historic districts is approximately double that of the rest of residentially zoned San Diego and the City’s own analysis confirms that historic resource reviews are reasonable and do not delay permit issuance. Package A is designed to benefit development interests, not San Diegans who value fair process, expert review, and the long-term stewardship of our neighborhoods.
WHAT’S HAPPENING
City Council will vote on Package A on February 24, part of the Preservation and Progress initiative. Package A introduces de novo appeals, reduces historic protections citywide, and removes safeguards from identified historic areas such as the Ocean Beach Cottage Emerging Historical District.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Package A politicizes preservation decisions by allowing City Council to override qualified experts through de novo appeals. Package A weakens the systems that protect San Diego's historic places.
This proposal was developed without meaningful collaboration with the community and puts irreplaceable historic resources at risk. Package A is designed to benefit development interests, not San Diegans who care about protecting San Diego’s historic places.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
1. Attend City Council – February 24
Your presence matters. You do not need to speak. If you can, please cede your time to the organized presentations by SOHO and our preservation partners. If you wish to cede your time, which means you will need to be present, please email us. Reply to this email and we will add you to the list.
2. Submit a Written Comment (2–3 sentences are enough)
Even if you have submitted comments before, please submit one again. Written comments become part of the official public record.
Send to: cityclerk@sandiego.govSubject: Feb 24 City Council – I Oppose Package A
Ask City Council to:
- Reject Package A
- Say no to de novo
- Protect the Ocean Beach Emerging Historical District by completing a historic survey and formal nomination
- Send it back to be made better through real, transparent, and meaningful collaboration with the community
3. Speak (60 seconds) – Virtual or In Person
If you choose to speak:
- Keep it simple and personal
- Focus on what historic places mean to you or your neighborhood
- End with a clear ask: Reject Package A
4. Share This Email Action
Forward this to one person who cares about San Diego’s neighborhoods, history, or accountability at City Hall.
WRITTEN COMMENT EXAMPLES
EXAMPLE 1
Package A will lessen protections for historic resources. I ask City Council to stand with the community and reject Package A. Once historic places are gone, they are gone forever.
EXAMPLE 2
Package A weakens historic preservation protections and shuts the community out of decisions that affect our neighborhoods. I urge City Council to stand with the community and reject Package A and send it back to be improved through real collaboration.
EXAMPLE 3
Package A weakens protections for historic resources and allows political override of expert decisions through de novo appeals. I ask City Council to stand with the community and reject Package A. This proposal will result in the permanent loss of historic resources, and it should be sent back to be made better with meaningful community input.
EXAMPLE 4
Historic preservation does not block housing, and the City’s own data confirms this. Package A politicizes preservation decisions and puts historic neighborhoods like Ocean Beach at risk. I urge City Council to reject it. This proposal will result in the permanent loss of historic resources, and it should be sent back to be made better with meaningful community input.
