Episode Details

For fifty years, neighbors in Southeastern San Diego fought to turn a scenic hilltop into a park — a green oasis to honor their community and combat heat and pollution. But this week, that dream was crushed: 123 new homes are now approved on the Emerald Hills property, exploiting a loophole in city code that favors dense development in historically marginalized neighborhoods. Though the loophole was repealed last year, the project had already been approved. City officials say housing is vital for generational wealth, citing past exclusion of Black communities, but critics point out the affordable units are still out of reach for most locals. The city expects $3.5 million in fees from the project — funds that could support public facilities — but neighbors, who aren’t opposed to housing, had proposed a land swap to preserve the hilltop. That idea was ignored by the council. With only one council member voting against the project, residents feel betrayed and are already planning to vote out those who backed it.

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