SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A proposed 23-story high-rise development in Pacific Beach has hit another setback with the City of San Diego, drawing cautious relief from residents who have been fighting the project for more than a year.
The project, known as the proposed Turquoise Tower, would be built on Turquoise Street and has sparked strong opposition from community members since 2024, largely because of its height and potential impact on the surrounding neighborhood.
The city’s Development Services Department recently declined to move the project forward, citing “several significant outstanding issues” related to the proposal’s incompleteness and inconsistencies.
According to the city’s letter to the developer, the proposal does not comply with building and land-use regulations. The city also raised questions about whether the units would be commercial or residential.
“We have been in limbo now for a year and a half, and we didn’t even know about this project for a year before that, that the city knew about it,” said Marcella Bothwell, chair of the Pacific Beach Planning Group and chair of Neighbors for a Better California.
Bothwell said the developer has submitted incomplete and conflicting information in multiple rounds of review.
“The developer has provided incomplete and conflicting information to the city in multiple rounds, and the city has finally said you can’t do that,” Bothwell said.
Residents have repeatedly voiced concerns about how the 23-story building could change the character of the beach community, including increased traffic and the precedent a high-rise could set for future development.
Back in December 2024, neighbors packed meetings to oppose the project, saying Turquoise Street is already heavily impacted by traffic and development.
Now, the developer, Kalonymus, has the opportunity to review the city’s comments, revise the proposal, and resubmit it for approval.
In a statement to ABC 10News, Kalonymus said the project is still moving through the city process.
“The project is not on hold, nor has the City made any final decisions on the project. The applicant is continuing to work through the permitting process with the City in good faith,” the statement read.
While opponents say the city’s decision is a step in the right direction, they stress their fight is far from over.
“We do need to support the city when they do the right thing,” Bothwell said. “We need to make sure that they continue to do the right thing for the community.”
