City has figured out how to get around Prop. D height limit, CEQA

Re “Midway building height measure reversed” (Oct. 18): The key takeaway from this article occurs in the last paragraphs where the city and the developer don’t show concern about the court’s position on the voter-approved initiative — perhaps because they have seen and understand what is happening in Pacific Beach.

The city is reviewing a ministerial building permit application for a 250-foot, 23-story tower on Turquoise Street. This project, as with the Midway site, is located in the Proposition D 30-foot height limit area. The PB project applied several state-created “bonus” laws relating to providing inclusionary housing. Careful application of these allows breaking the 30-foot limit, as well as a greatly increased unit count, and doesn’t require CEQA review.

The PB project has nearly everyone aghast at the prospect of this being built. Despite the fuss generated in PB, the city has learned a valuable lesson: how to end run the need for CEQA or voter approval.

— Dan Linn, La Jolla