New City Rep for Golden Hill — Let’s Bring Him Up to Speed & Keep Up the Pressure!

Hi neighbors,

There’s a new community representative for Greater Golden Hill in Councilmember Whitburn’s office — Jay Clevenger (jclevenger@sandiego.gov). This is our chance to get him up to speed fast and keep pressing Whitburn to push Mayor Gloria to stop the “A” Street project.

At the same time, Mayor Gloria is still silent, even as other neighborhoods are suing the city and protesting over similar overdevelopment (see NBC 7: Pacific Beach neighbors sue city over ADU project and Fox 5: San Diego residents protest 14-story apartment complex).

We need to:

  • Introduce ourselves to Jay Clevenger and make sure Whitburn’s office keeps pushing the mayor.

  • Demand action from Mayor Gloria — the community is fed up.

  • Tell Chris Ward to stop siding with developer-driven legislation and to put direct pressure on the mayor.

  • Ask Senator Padilla to oppose state overreach and to tell the mayor to stop “A” Street.

Let’s keep up the great work and let those emails fly! Below are this week’s templates — please take 5 minutes to send them today.

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Email to Senator Steve Padilla

Submit via web form: https://sd18.senate.ca.gov/contact

Subject: Stand With Golden Hill — Oppose State Overreach & Tell the Mayor to Halt “A” Street

Dear Senator Padilla,

Thank you for continuing to support our Golden Hill community. We urgently need your help to stop developer-driven overdevelopment that threatens public safety, affordability, and the character of our neighborhoods.

You’ve seen the growing backlash across the city — from Pacific Beach residents suing the city over a massive ADU complex to protests against a 14-story project. Golden Hill is facing the same crisis with the proposed 8-story, 180-unit A Street project directly across from an elementary school.

We ask you to:

  • Oppose SB79 and other bills that override local planning and enable high-rise towers in single-family areas.

  • Call on Mayor Gloria to halt the “A” Street project and bring it back to scale with real affordability and safety measures.

  • Demand required infrastructure and safety reviews before large projects move forward.

We believe in smart growth, but it must be community-led, not developer-controlled.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Neighborhood or Zip]

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Email to Assemblymember Chris Ward

Submit via web form: https://lcmspubcontact.lc.ca.gov/PublicLCMS/ContactPopup.php?district=AD78

Subject: Stop Developer-Driven Laws & Push the Mayor to Halt “A” Street

Dear Assemblymember Ward,

Our community is asking for your help to stop developer-driven overdevelopment that’s threatening neighborhoods across San Diego — from Pacific Beach to Golden Hill.

The “A” Street project — an 8-story, 180-unit luxury tower — is being pushed forward under Complete Communities without traffic, safety, or infrastructure reviews. Similar projects are sparking lawsuits and protests citywide.

We ask you to:

  • Oppose SB79 and similar legislation that lets developers dictate city growth at the expense of residents.

  • Contact Mayor Gloria and demand he halt the “A” Street project until it can be brought back to scale, include meaningful affordable housing, and undergo proper safety reviews.

  • Support development that matches our community plans and meets infrastructure needs.

San Diego cannot afford to let profit-driven developers rewrite our neighborhoods. Please stand with us.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Neighborhood or Zip]

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Email to Councilmember Stephen Whitburn

To: stephenwhitburn@sandiego.gov, cgaffney@sandiego.gov, thorntonm@sandiego.gov, soliss@sandiego.gov, planningdirector@sandiego.gov, jclevenger@sandiego.gov

Subject: Welcome Jay Clevenger — Golden Hill Needs Your Support

Dear Councilmember Whitburn, Jay Clevenger, City Planners, and Staff,

Welcome, Jay — as the new community representative for Greater Golden Hill, we want to bring you up to speed on one of the most urgent issues facing our neighborhood: the proposed “A” Street 8-story, 180-unit development.

This project is moving forward under Complete Communities without any traffic, safety, or infrastructure reviews — despite repeated requests from your office and support from Deputy Chief Fire Marshal Tosca for these studies. In just a 10-block radius, over 400 units are proposed or under construction, yet there are no upgrades to hydrants, evacuation routes, or road capacity.

We’re asking Whitburn’s office to:

  • Keep pressing Mayor Gloria to halt the “A” Street project and bring it into compliance with our Community Plan.

  • Demand that the Planning Department evaluate the aggregate impact of development in Golden Hill, not just individual projects.

  • Push for the traffic and fire safety studies we need to protect residents.

We’re glad you’re here, Jay, and look forward to working with you. This is your chance to be a strong advocate for Golden Hill from day one.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Neighborhood or Zip]

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Email to Mayor Todd Gloria

To: mayortoddgloria@sandiego.gov, soliss@sandiego.gov, planningdirector@sandiego.gov

Subject: Mayor Gloria — Stop the Madness of Overdevelopment

Dear Mayor Gloria,

Golden Hill is fed up.

The “A” Street project is part of a wave of overdevelopment sweeping through our city — from Pacific Beach neighbors suing over a massive ADU project to residents protesting a 14-story tower. In Golden Hill, you are allowing an 8-story, 180-unit tower directly across from an elementary school with no traffic or safety studies and no infrastructure upgrades.

Your own Councilmember Whitburn and Deputy Chief Fire Marshal Tosca have called for a traffic and emergency services review — and your administration has denied those requests twice. Meanwhile, affordable Craftsman homes and ADUs have been demolished for high-priced rentals.

We demand you:

  • Halt the “A” Street project now.

  • Order a full safety and infrastructure review of Golden Hill’s development surge.

  • Reform Complete Communities so it aligns with local planning and protects neighborhood livability.

Mayor Gloria, you are losing the trust of this community. It’s time to act.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Neighborhood or Zip]
https://www.preservegreatergoldenhill.com

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City Hall is Listening — Let’s Keep Going!