WHAT
Palladium at Aero is a 412 unit apartment complex with 5,190 square feet of retail on 7.52 acres at the corner of Sandrock Road and Aero Drive in Kearny Mesa on the boundary of Serra Mesa. This massive four story building (with six levels of parking in the middle) will replace four one- and two-story buildings currently occupied by South Sun Beads, Gamma Scientific, and the San Diego Bloodmobile.
The project will also result in the addition of a traffic signal on Aero Drive and a new, third lane for right-turn-only onto Sandrock Road. The existing free-right “porkchop” will be removed, and the new building will extend into that public right-of-way.
Palladium at Aero and its nearly completed sister project on Kearny Villa Road, Mirabella (formerly Parkview), are precedent-setting as the first phase of redevelopment of the Aero Drive corridor, according to the West Aero Drive Land Use Study, which was funded by the developer, a partnership of Westcore Properties (www.westcore.net) and Wermers Companies (www.wermerscontractors.com), and prepared by their associates, Latitude 33 (www.latitude33.com). These partners own or have interests in other properties along Aero Drive. This project amends the Kearny Mesa Community Plan to incorporate the West Aero Study and to revise the streetscape along Aero Drive to encourage future conversions.
Compare what is currently on the site:
With what is proposed:
and another building by the same architects with almost identical renderings (drawings):
The project site abuts the residential community of Serra Mesa, and the immediate neighbors are single-story, single-family homes. The residents of Serra Mesa, as represented by the Serra Mesa Planning Group, have attempted to work with the developer to find a compromise solution, but the developer insisted on the out-of-character density, height, and bulk of the project.
The Serra Mesa Planning Group twice recommended against approval of the project to the City of San Diego Planning Commission and again to the San Diego City Council. (The details of these presentations are available at www.palladiumataero.com/documents/) The Planning Commission initially refused to approve the project, and then decided by a single swing vote to recommend approval to City Council after the applicant hastily made significant changes to the design.
In City Council’s brief discussion of the project on November 18, Councilmember Donna Frye challenged the density and the environmental impact of the proposal, noting that the project “stands out like a sore thumb” and will set a precedent for every other project along Aero Drive. City Council voted 6-2 to disregard the recommendation of the impacted Community Planning Group and approve the project.
The Serra Mesa Community Council has determined that, without a reduction in density, bulk, and scale, the project will have a tremendous negative impact on the community. Therefore, the community group is now asking a Superior Court judge to overturn the City Council’s decision and require the developer to design a project that is in compliance with the City’s design standards and the State’s environmental laws.
The developer describes the 412 units as “workforce housing,” but has indicated that rents will start at a pricey $1,400 for one-bedroom units and $1,800 for two-bedroom, two-bath units. Ten percent of the units will be on-site affordable housing.
