The proposed facility would be across the street from the newly opened Old Town Academy charter school (K-8), and adjacent to a residential neighborhood. It would require a major use permit change (a hospital facility is not permitted in the area) by means of a conditional use permit which requires the vote approval of Uptown Planners and San Diego City Council (process 5). The patients would have no restrictions on their coming/going from the facility and their bedroom windows would be directly across the street from the school's classrooms.
This use will impact the ability of the new school to attract families due to the adjacency of the VA facility (25 feet across the street). The school would likely find it impossible to remain open at this location as parents pursue other school options. The school and residents have found alternative sites and are imploring the VA and federal government to re-start the RFP process and find a site that is completely compatible and zoned for this type of medical use.
If this facility is approved and permitted, it will set a new precedent, and could create a pathway whereby institutional uses by-pass the community plan by means of an “affordable housing” designation. The Mission Hills Town Council will be holding a town hall meeting on Thursday, January 12 from 6pm-8pm where both sides will have the opportunity to present and public comment will follow. The meeting will be held at the Francis Parker Lower School on Randolph street and attendance is expected to be extremely high based on a similar meeting held in Old Town recently. Due to its noble cause of being a facility for veterans, yet with patients with PTSD and other mental health concerns located directly across from a school, it is sure to cause strong opinions and emotions on both sides of the aisle. Some people are accusing Mission Hills residents of crying "not in my backyard" while others are questioning why this facility isn't being built in a more suitable environment - come to the meeting and decide for yourself. Your opinion counts and any decision on this facility will surely have a lasting impact on our neighborhood.
