Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Golden Hill canyon to fill with 27 new homes

No opposition to development site “well known for its rich fossil beds”

View across canyon from C to B Street - Image by Irvin Gavidor
View across canyon from C to B Street

Where 29th meets B Street, in a quiet part of Golden Hill, a previously undeveloped, narrow green canyon will soon be the site of 27 new homes. The canyon, which for many years included the unpaved right-of-way for 29th Street, is one block wide and half a block long, with a deep ravine. Most of the homes will be built on the south side of the canyon, fronting C Street. There will also be a row on B Street, and the two sides of the development will be connected by a bridge that spans the ravine.

Vacant site of planned homes

Jeffrey Peterson of the city’s Development Services Department stated in an email that the Golden Hill Row Homes engineering drawings were just approved on March 7 and the city was getting ready to issue the permits. Grading has started, and the undeveloped canyon had its first water and sewer pipes, cable connections, and electricity installed in late 2013. Work has not begun on the structures.

Before utilities could be added and construction could begin in the canyon, developers had to meet a series of requirements in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act. A study had to be commissioned to identify potential environmental impacts. According to the project report filed by Peterson in 2007, the study found that the area does contain environmentally sensitive lands and is part of a soil layer “well-known for its rich fossil beds.”

Sponsored
Sponsored

In addition, the construction is in close proximity to an archaeological site where a deposit of early 20th-century industrial trash was found in 1998. A heavy equipment wheel, horseshoes, and other blacksmithing equipment were among artifacts found preserved in a heap of slag-like material. As a result of these findings, builders working in the canyon must be careful of the detritus left behind by their counterparts 100 years ago.

Demo'd house

Golden Hill Row Homes broke ground in December 2013 with the demolition of two 1920s homes on the flattest part of the lot near the edge of the canyon. The home closest to the canyon edge, a two-story bungalow with a large addition in the back and an oversized porch, was most notable for the large, sturdy, river rock wall that wrapped around the front and side of the property.

The wall, dating to the early 1900s, was made of big, oval stones that were worn smooth by being at the bottom of a riverbed. The stones most likely came from the San Diego River and other nearby creeks and streams, and maybe even from the canyon itself. Cement was worked into the voids between the rocks to strengthen the wall. Many retaining walls like this were built around San Diego in the early 1900s—this one helped keep the property from eroding down the slope into the canyon.

Unlike others nearby — like the more famous 32nd Street Canyon and the Fir Street Canyon next to the Dog Park — the little B/C Street canyon does not have any organized opposition to its development. Several years ago, Tershia d’Elgin, a Golden Hill resident and canyon activist, did have a chance to analyze any impact the developer’s plans for the canyon might have on drainage and storm water. But the final project report stated that water quality and several other environmental factors “were considered and determined not to be significant.” Upon learning that work had begun on the canyon, d’Elgin recommended it for a native-plant restoration under a special “call for water quality projects” by the County of San Diego Watershed Protection Program. With native plants in place, the canyon would still provide a small but significant amount of storm-water drainage for the neighborhood.

The B/C Street canyon remained undeveloped until now most likely because of its steep gradient and the damp ravine that runs through it. When the city improved other streets in the neighborhood beginning in the early 1900s, the canyon was most likely too expensive to grade, pave, bridge, or to fill with dirt. Thus, the city left 29th Street unpaved through there, leaving the canyon as open space for many years while the lots around it filled up with homes and condominiums. In 1989, the city vacated its right-of-way for the street, creating the opportunity for development.

In 2007, the Greater Golden Hill Planning Committee voted unanimously to pass the project. Committee chair Ruchelle Alvarez did not comment for this story.

The design of Golden Hill Row Homes won the “Best on the Boards Multi-Family Projects” award in 2010. Features include solar panels that developers hope will generate 50 percent of the electricity used by residents and a private park. Richard Montaño, landowner, investor, and one of the developers on this project, expects the units to sell for between $600,000 and $700,000 each.

Montaño’s investment firm LIV Capital has put $2 million into the project, and his real estate firm Fit Properties will manage sales. Presidio Residential Capital, another local company, has invested $18.8 million. The developers hope to have a model ready in July or August, though construction is still in the preliminary phases.

Montaño said he has “received quite a bit of support” from the community. He said the interest list is “growing at about 10 new parties per day” and that he has been approached by potential buyers.

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Our riparian woodland begins to look like fall, Orb Weavers help decorate

Comet of the century?
Next Article

Could this be Queen Bee’s last North Park fab fair?

Developers eye site, but historical designation may stop them
View across canyon from C to B Street - Image by Irvin Gavidor
View across canyon from C to B Street

Where 29th meets B Street, in a quiet part of Golden Hill, a previously undeveloped, narrow green canyon will soon be the site of 27 new homes. The canyon, which for many years included the unpaved right-of-way for 29th Street, is one block wide and half a block long, with a deep ravine. Most of the homes will be built on the south side of the canyon, fronting C Street. There will also be a row on B Street, and the two sides of the development will be connected by a bridge that spans the ravine.

Vacant site of planned homes

Jeffrey Peterson of the city’s Development Services Department stated in an email that the Golden Hill Row Homes engineering drawings were just approved on March 7 and the city was getting ready to issue the permits. Grading has started, and the undeveloped canyon had its first water and sewer pipes, cable connections, and electricity installed in late 2013. Work has not begun on the structures.

Before utilities could be added and construction could begin in the canyon, developers had to meet a series of requirements in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act. A study had to be commissioned to identify potential environmental impacts. According to the project report filed by Peterson in 2007, the study found that the area does contain environmentally sensitive lands and is part of a soil layer “well-known for its rich fossil beds.”

Sponsored
Sponsored

In addition, the construction is in close proximity to an archaeological site where a deposit of early 20th-century industrial trash was found in 1998. A heavy equipment wheel, horseshoes, and other blacksmithing equipment were among artifacts found preserved in a heap of slag-like material. As a result of these findings, builders working in the canyon must be careful of the detritus left behind by their counterparts 100 years ago.

Demo'd house

Golden Hill Row Homes broke ground in December 2013 with the demolition of two 1920s homes on the flattest part of the lot near the edge of the canyon. The home closest to the canyon edge, a two-story bungalow with a large addition in the back and an oversized porch, was most notable for the large, sturdy, river rock wall that wrapped around the front and side of the property.

The wall, dating to the early 1900s, was made of big, oval stones that were worn smooth by being at the bottom of a riverbed. The stones most likely came from the San Diego River and other nearby creeks and streams, and maybe even from the canyon itself. Cement was worked into the voids between the rocks to strengthen the wall. Many retaining walls like this were built around San Diego in the early 1900s—this one helped keep the property from eroding down the slope into the canyon.

Unlike others nearby — like the more famous 32nd Street Canyon and the Fir Street Canyon next to the Dog Park — the little B/C Street canyon does not have any organized opposition to its development. Several years ago, Tershia d’Elgin, a Golden Hill resident and canyon activist, did have a chance to analyze any impact the developer’s plans for the canyon might have on drainage and storm water. But the final project report stated that water quality and several other environmental factors “were considered and determined not to be significant.” Upon learning that work had begun on the canyon, d’Elgin recommended it for a native-plant restoration under a special “call for water quality projects” by the County of San Diego Watershed Protection Program. With native plants in place, the canyon would still provide a small but significant amount of storm-water drainage for the neighborhood.

The B/C Street canyon remained undeveloped until now most likely because of its steep gradient and the damp ravine that runs through it. When the city improved other streets in the neighborhood beginning in the early 1900s, the canyon was most likely too expensive to grade, pave, bridge, or to fill with dirt. Thus, the city left 29th Street unpaved through there, leaving the canyon as open space for many years while the lots around it filled up with homes and condominiums. In 1989, the city vacated its right-of-way for the street, creating the opportunity for development.

In 2007, the Greater Golden Hill Planning Committee voted unanimously to pass the project. Committee chair Ruchelle Alvarez did not comment for this story.

The design of Golden Hill Row Homes won the “Best on the Boards Multi-Family Projects” award in 2010. Features include solar panels that developers hope will generate 50 percent of the electricity used by residents and a private park. Richard Montaño, landowner, investor, and one of the developers on this project, expects the units to sell for between $600,000 and $700,000 each.

Montaño’s investment firm LIV Capital has put $2 million into the project, and his real estate firm Fit Properties will manage sales. Presidio Residential Capital, another local company, has invested $18.8 million. The developers hope to have a model ready in July or August, though construction is still in the preliminary phases.

Montaño said he has “received quite a bit of support” from the community. He said the interest list is “growing at about 10 new parties per day” and that he has been approached by potential buyers.

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

More on San Diego inventions – Spike Bite and disappearing ink

The scandal of county supervisors at the library
Next Article

Gonzo Report: Ben Folds takes requests via paper airplane at UCSD

A bunch of folks brought theirs from home
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader