San Diego residents protest proposed 14-story apartment complex

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) -- Residents in San Diego’s Middletown neighborhood are rallying against a proposed 14-story apartment complex that they say would upend the character of their quiet, residential community.

At a protest held on Saturday, neighbors voiced concerns about Elda Developments’ planned project on Columbia Street — a 172-foot tower called Celine Residences that would include 161 units. The company says the project will include affordable housing, but residents argue that a building that big shouldn’t be in any neighborhood.

“This ruins the landscape — the uniqueness of the neighborhood,” said Laurie Case, a longtime resident. “We’ve all worked to preserve our homes and each other’s views.”

Residents also raised alarms over parking availability, traffic congestion, and emergency response challenges due to narrow streets. Scott Case pointed to a nearby seismic hazard.

“There’s an active earthquake zone running right through those two lots,” he said, adding that the building also poses a potential risk to aviation because of its height and proximity to the airport. “It’s officially an obstruction according to the FAA.”

Case also accused Elda Developments of exploiting affordable housing incentives through the city’s Complete Communities program. He claimed only six affordable units would be included — small studios that, he argued, do little to support families — and suggested those could legally be relocated to another area.

In a statement, Elda Developments CEO, Ahmed Eldahmy, said the company has already paused the project in response to community concerns and is working to revise the design:

"After learning about community concerns about our Celine Residences project on Columbia Street in Middletown, we paused development so we could engage in meaningful dialogue with residents and better understand their perspectives. Despite enduring financial losses and our employees who were on the project losing their jobs, we made numerous attempts to reach out to neighbors who refused to communicate with us to arrive at a compromise."

"Despite us inviting feedback from the neighbors so we can revise the development, we've unfortunately encountered hostility in the form of personal and business harassment, protests and rallies from the community. One neighbor reached out to us July 23 and told how he and several community members were pooling funds to pay ELDA Developments so we'd stop the project. We told him we do not need or want money and instead prefer to have open and constructive conversation with him and all the neighbors so we can arrive at a project that works for everyone."

Eldahmy emphasized that no active fault lines have been confirmed on the site and that geotechnical studies are being conducted in compliance with city regulations. He called on residents to participate in constructive conversations.

"It's unfortunate that area developers who are working tirelessly to help solve San Diego's housing crisis are continually being bullied by community members who refuse to participate in the solution. It appears the wealthy neighbors living up the hill do not care about the San Diego housing crisis and those who cannot afford to live here and instead appear to only care about protecting their own net worth. This has been going on for years and as a result, it is no surprise San Diego has a housing crisis."

"We understand that new development brings important questions about traffic, density and long-term livability. Our goal is to collaborate with city partners to create solutions to support, not strain, the neighborhood."

"We also have been accused of building on a fault line without regard to safety. Safety is non-negotiable. While there has been concern about potential fault lines near the proposed project site, no active fault lines have been confirmed on the property. Before any construction can begin, we are required by The City of San Diego to conduct comprehensive geological and seismic assessments. These studies, conducted by Geocon Geotechical Engineers, have been in motion following all City of San Diego regulations for seismic safety and emergency response planning and will determine whether any adjustments are necessary."

"We believe transparency and open community dialogue that go both ways are essential to thoughtful growth. That's why from day one our goal has been for Celine Residences to be shaped by input, backed by research and guided by safety and sustainability standards. Our goal has always been to work toward solving San Diego's severe housing crisis while improving area communities. Community feedback shapes how we approach everything from design to execution because Celine Residences and all ELDA Developments projects are being built with the community in mind, not just around it."

Related Video: Proposed high-rise in Middletown

Despite the pause, opponents say they will continue to fight the project — and others like it — that they feel threaten the character of San Diego’s neighborhoods.

“This is happening all over — University City, Pacific Beach, you name it,” Scott Case said. “It’s everywhere, and it’s wrong.”