BARRIO LOGAN COMMUNITY

Barrio Logan is one of the oldest and most culturally-rich urban neighborhoods in San Diego. From historic beginnings in the latter part of the 19th century to the vibrant mix of uses and people who reside and work in Barrio Logan, the neighborhood has played a vital role in the City’s development. The Barrio Logan community is a living example of the change and evolution that have continuously shaped the area’s cultural heritage, development patterns, economic opportunities, and social fabric.

The community is positioned between Downtown San Diego to the north, Interstate 5 to the east, as well as the Unified Port of San Diego and United States Naval Base San Diego along San Diego Bay to the west, and National City to the south. Barrio Logan comprises approximately 1,000 acres. The Port of San Diego and Naval Station San Diego comprise 562 acres or 52 percent of the land area contained within the community planning area. The City does not have land use authority over the Port of San Diego or the United States Navy properties. Barrio Logan is in the Local Coastal Zone and subject to the California Coastal Act which is implemented by the Barrio Logan Local Coastal Program.

Barrio Logan's mix of industrial, commercial, residential, and institutional uses developed in a manner consistent with the adopted 1978 Community Plan land use policies and zoning. The 1978 Community Plan and zoning ordinance re-established and validated the existing mix of uses, while allowing additional new residential and industrial uses to locate side-by-side.

LAND USE CONSIDERATIONS

Barrio Logan’s land use mix is unique to the region, with its collection of maritime and service industrial uses; single family and multi-family residential uses; locally-oriented and chain retail; and open space and community facilities. The unique land use pattern reflects a concentration of industry and employment-generating uses integrated with residential uses, and serves as evidence of Barrio Logan’s history of being dissected by freeways. As a result, instances where residential, industrial, commercial and institutional uses abut one another are common.

This collocation of uses, particularly heavy industrial and heavy commercial uses located on small lots directly adjacent to residential uses, coupled with large scale industrial uses within the Port of San Diego and the Naval Base has created conflicts and issues. Many of the industrial uses, such as automotive service and repair businesses and recycling centers, are located near residential uses in Barrio Logan. To address the incompatible land uses that are described above, the City of San Diego worked with the community and stakeholders to update the Barrio Logan Community Plan.

WHY UPDATE THE COMMUNITY PLAN?

Community plans are part of the City's General Plan Land Use and Community Planning Element. Community plan updates are an important part of ensuring consistency between the General Plan and community plans and also reflecting the community's vision. The Barrio Logan Community Plan Update process addressed the complex issues through proposed land uses that respect the existing and evolving residential character and support the economic viability of businesses in Barrio Logan. Specifically, the 2013 Community Plan Update intended to:

Address existing collocation issues by establishing a buffer to separate incompatible uses;
Increase the number of allowable housing units;
Provide sufficient public facilities; and
Encourage new retail and community serving commercial uses throughout the community.

The Barrio Logan Community Plan Update was adopted by City Council in 2013 and was repealed by referendum in 2014 due to concerns that the updated community plan land use and zoning would impact shipbuilding industries and maritime related businesses. In 2019, the Barrio Logan Community Planning Group worked with representatives from the Environmental Health Coalition and the shipbuilding and ship repair industry to address land use issues that would result in the 2013 plan being resolved. All parties agreed at the outset of the process that completing the Barrio Logan Community Plan Update (BLCPU) is in the best interest of the community. It was agreed that the current approved 1978 Barrio Logan Community Plan does not adequately address the current state of the community. The parties also agreed that the mixing of industrial and residential uses in the Barrio Logan community has proven to be unhealthy, and the plan update seeks to remedy this situation in the future.

The result of this effort was a completed agreement in the form of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), which addressed proposed changes to the 2013 Barrio Logan Community Plan and associated zoning. The May 2020 MOU was reviewed and discussed by the Barrio Logan Community Planning Group at meetings in July and August of 2020 as the basis for moving forward with a community plan update in 2020-2021. Similar to the effort for the 2013 community plan, the City conducted an outreach process, collected community input, and revised the community plan based on recommendations from the Barrio Logan Community Planning Group.

Although the 1978 Barrio Logan Community Plan currently remains as the adopted land use plan for the community, the City Council held a hearing in December 2021 and adopted a new community plan. The new community plan has been submitted to the California Coastal Commission for review. After California Coastal Commission certification, the new plan will be in effect.