A bill by Assembly member Chris Ward (D-San Diego) to facilitate and streamline redevelopment of the Hillcrest DMV property has moved out of committee.
The vision for the DMV site on Normal Street, a mixed-use project with affordable housing and a replacement DMV, Ward said in a statement, will complement the city of San Diego’s Community Plan for the area. Planning remains open for additional input from local groups.
“With California in the midst of a housing crisis, this property represents a missed opportunity to maximize our housing outcomes and provide more housing for lower- and middle-income families,” Ward said.
He added that his bill, AB 1635, “will provide clear expectations and an accelerated timeline to transform this property into more affordable housing and community benefit for San Diegans.”
For almost 20 years, discussions to redevelop the Department of Motor Vehicles field office in Hillcrest, a two-story building constructed in the early 1960s, have stalled.
In 2007, SB 754, by former Sen. Christine Kehoe, authorized the Department of General Services to lease or exchange three parcels of property owned by the DMV for up to 45 years, including the Hillcrest location. However, since SB 754 was enacted, no agreements have been executed.
Attempts by the DMV in 2017 to replace the site with a DMV-only facility and fencing met with community opposition.
AB 1635 will update SB 754 to require that the location is used in part for affordable housing and maximized for its total redevelopment potential, on an accelerated timeline.
The city of San Diego is sponsoring the bill.” Mayor Todd Gloria said it “will maximize the use of this state property and create much-needed new homes for San Diegans.”
On Wednesday, AB 1635, introduced last year, passed the Assembly Committee on Housing and Community Development , which Ward chairs, and will be taken up next week by the Assembly Committee on Appropriations.
It would need to pass the full Assembly by the end of this month to head to the State Senate for consideration.
